Why The Mets Are Entering The Make Or Break Portion Of Their Season
As the Mets get set to embark on Game 107 of the 2021 season, they currently find themselves in a three-game skid, which has seen them lose five of their last six contests.
This has shrunk their lead in the NL East to just 1.5 games, which is their slimmest margin since May 26. The Mets have held onto first-place since early-May, but when you take a closer look at things, they have been on a downturn over the course of the past 46 games.
Through their first 60 games, the Mets got off to a hot start, despite dealing with a slew of injuries and offensive struggles. And their pitching staff helped carry them to a pristine record of 35-25.
However, since then, the Mets have gone 20-26, which has left them standing at 55-51 with a tough schedule lying ahead in August, that includes 13 straight games against two NL West powerhouses in the Dodgers and Giants.
The level of urgency has never been higher for this Mets team this year, and they must turn things around in a hurry if they hope to survive and stay atop the division.
But things haven’t been the same, as their once strong pitching staff is no longer performing in the same manner, as earlier in the season. They’ve lost their ace Jacob deGrom (right elbow inflammation), who has not pitched since July 7, and is likely out until early-September, which is the best-case scenario.
Since making the All-Star team for the first time in his career, Taijuan Walker looks to have hit a wall, as he holds a 7.65 ERA in his last four starts. He has also given up seven home runs in his last three starts, after allowing a total of six through his first 17 outings of the season.
Carlos Carrasco is finally back from the IL, but the Mets never got Noah Syndergaard back in June, as they initially anticipated, and his return date is set for September as well, following a setback due to right elbow inflammation.
Rookie Tylor Megill has been a godsend in the rotation with a 2.68 ERA, but even he got roughed up in his latest start on Monday in a loss to the Marlins. Megill also has the last win among Mets’ starting pitchers, which came back on July 23.
And Marcus Stroman, who has pitched to a 2.80 ERA this season, has been up-and-down as of late with a 1-5 record and 3.93 ERA in his last seven starts.
The Mets went out and added Rich Hill before the trade deadline, but the veteran left-hander is nothing more than a No. 5 starter at this point, given his inability to be effective when facing the batting order for the third time.
Beyond the rotation, the Mets’ bullpen hasn’t been as strong as they were in the first half either. They lost long relievers Robert Gsellman (lat) and Sean Reid-Foley (right elbow inflammation), which has made their depth a lot thinner, forcing them to turn to arms such as Yennsy Diaz and Geoff Hartlieb to get big outs.
And while Aaron Loup and Jeurys Familia have continued to have impressive years, Seth Lugo has been disappointing since coming off elbow surgery with a 3.91 ERA.
With the pitching staff losing their overall dominance, the offense has not woken up from a season-long slump. And although they got somewhat of a pass in the first half due to a slew of injuries, they are now relatively healthy with the exception of Francisco Lindor (oblique), but still have not turned it around.
At this point, the Mets have strayed away from their offensive approach, which has prevented them from being aggressive and putting their “A-swings” on the ball.
They are second to last in baseball with just 3.8 runs scored per game, and despite adding star infielder Javier Baez at the deadline, their offensive woes have continued since his arrival.
The pitching staff carried this team and kept them in first-place for a majority of the season. Now, it’s time for the offense to return the favor before it’s too late.
But they must figure it out fast, as time is running out and their playoff hopes are slipping away by the game, with the Phillies breathing down their necks.
The Mets need to get out of Miami with a split, and they must get off to a faster start offensively in games, so they don’t have to keep climbing out of deficits night in, and night out.
With a three game weekend series upcoming against the second-place Phillies, this stretch will either make or break the Mets.
We have heard how resilient this bunch is all season, as they have overcome a lot of adversity. Now, how they respond to this tough stretch will truly define them as contenders or pretenders.
And while the pitching needs to pick things up, the offense has to find their footing in order for this club to survive.
