Top 6 Biggest Needs For Mets In 2nd Half Of Season

The Mets certainly endured a more than positive first half to the season, finishing up in first-place in the NL East.

This also came along with a slew of injuries, as well as offensive inconsistencies when the team was fully healthy.

A big reason why they have held onto first for nine-straight weeks is their pitching staff, which produced the fourth best ERA in baseball at 3.43.

The "bench mob" also stepped up in a big way to fill in for a number of injured regulars, who resided on the IL for a large portion of the first 87 games.

Now, with a 3.5 game lead in the division at 47-40, the Mets must continue to trend in the right direction in order to capture the crown in the East.

Inside the Mets is here to bring you the six biggest needs for the Mets in the second half.

1. DeGrom's Health

Mets ace Jacob deGrom had a historical first half with a league-leading 1.08 ERA and 0.54 WHIP. Unfortunately, he also had his fair share of injury scares, as well. From right side soreness, which forced him onto the IL in May, to right flexor tendinitis and right shoulder soreness in back-to-back starts in June. The key to the Mets' success lies on the health of deGrom moving forward. Luckily, he was able to avoid any additional ailments from popping up in his last few starts, while also showing that he was once again able to go deep in games. The hope is, that deGrom's health issues can remain in the rearview mirror for the rest of the way.

2. Lindor's Return To All-Star Form

There's no way around it - Francisco Lindor must live up to his $341 million contract by emerging as a force in the Mets' lineup. Although he slashed .298/.431/.468 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in his final 15 games, Lindor still finished with a .227 average and .702 OPS in the first half.

That's not going to cut it. The Mets need him to be able to carry the team for certain stretches, and be the superstar who he was brought in to be. His bat has yet to catch fire this season, and while he showed improvements as of late, his numbers must elevate from league average, back to All-Star form.

3. Rotation Help

It goes without saying that the Mets' pitching staff has been a godsend this year, behind Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman.

But like their position players early on, the pitching depth also became ravaged by injuries by the time July rolled around. Luckily, rookie Tylor Megill has stepped in amicably in the No. 4 spot in the rotation. But in the first half finale, where the Mets went with an opener before the bullpen squandered away a five-run lead, their necessity for an additional starter was never more evident.

On the bright side, Carlos Carrasco (torn hamstring) is set to make his first rehab start on Thursday with the Brooklyn Cyclones, however, he is still a ways away from being fully stretched out.

The Mets must acquire pitching help prior to the July 30 deadline. And as general manager Zack Scott noted, it will likely be a reliable backend of the rotation piece to provide stability amongst their staff.

4. Conforto's Resurgence

The Mets sorely missed Michael Conforto's impact bat in the first half. After getting off to a nightmarish start at the plate, where he slashed .212/.333/.333 in the first month of the season, Conforto finally began to come around in May - until he went down with an injury.

Conforto missed close to five weeks with a hamstring strain, which kept him out from mid-May to late-June. Following his return on June 23, he has yet to look like himself offensively, going 5 for his last 40 leading up to the break.

On the bright side, Conforto hit a thundering three-run homer in his team's five-run blown loss to the Pirates in the first half finale last Sunday, which could be a sign that he is finding his footing at the plate.

Conforto is in his contract year, and there is definitely some motivation for him to turn it around in the second half. If Conforto can re-discover himself at the plate as an All-Star bat, the Mets' lineup may finally live up to their potential.

5. Bullpen Reinforcements

Despite losing Seth Lugo to the IL for the first two months of the season, the Mets' bullpen turned out to be a pleasant surprise in the first half.

And part of the reason for their success was due to closer Edwin Diaz, who converted 19-of-21 save attempts. Jeurys Familia also turned back the clock, and Miguel Castro became one of the 'pen's most reliable arms. Once Lugo returned, this already strong unit became ever deeper.

However, offseason acquisition Trevor May has been hot-and-cold at times, while Castro has completely fallen off a cliff lately (five runs allowed, seven walks issued in last 5.1 innings). Even Familia has struggled with a 8.59 ERA in his last seven appearances.

Beyond Diaz, Lugo and Aaron Loup, the Mets' bullpen tapered off a bit in the last few weeks. In their defense, this group was taxed with 33 games in 31 days before the break

But bullpens and relievers can be unpredictable. If their recent performance is a reflection of the rest of the season, the Mets are in big trouble.

That's why they should consider adding a bullpen arm or two before the trade deadline to bring in another reliable option/s to help minimize future implosions the rest of the way.

6. Another Bat

As previously mentioned, the Mets' offense has underachieved this season, despite featuring five out of eight All-Stars in their lineup. Although there is currently a log jam of position players on the roster, we have reached the point of the season, where they can no longer rely on this unit to come around. They must make a move at the deadline to bring in an additional bat to help propel this offense into at least a league average group in order to solidify their claim to the NL East throne.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson is a name that has been linked to the Mets recently. If the Amazins' are willing to take on his bloated contract, they could potentially kill two birds with one stone, as the Twins would likely have to pair starting pitcher Jose Berrios (3.36 ERA) in the deal.

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is another candidate, who makes more sense financially given the fact that he would be a rental player. The Cubs have fallen on hard times at 44-46, and are eight games back in the NL Central. While they appear to be destined to sell, the Mets could swoop in for Bryant, along with a pitcher, whether it be Kyle Hendricks, or stud lefty reliever Andrew Chafin, who has produced a 1.42 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 38 innings this season.

Honorable Mentions:

-Walker and Stroman's continued dominance

-Tylor Megill's development

-Brandon Nimmo's hot hitting

-Jeff McNeil's return to form at the plate