Mets' biggest concern is on the mound, but not the starting rotation

The New York Mets have some concerns to iron out on the mound down the stretch.

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The New York Mets are showing some impressive fight recently, clawing their way back into the National League East race.

On Sunday, New York trailed the Philadelphia Phillies by a season-high seven games with a three-game series on tap between the two rivals. In such an important series that can go a long way towards deciding the division, the Mets are not rolling over and giving the crown away, taking the first two games to make this a race once again.

Now only five games behind entering their series finale on Wednesday night, New York has a chance to put some real pressure on the NL East leaders. The team is heating up, with the lineup getting the job done in the clutch when it matters most. A lineup consisting of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso as the headliners with Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio as supporting pieces wasn’t going to be held down forever.

Mets Bullpen Is Team's Biggest Concern Down Stretch

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With the Mets' lineup producing, they now need the pitching staff to find a groove to potentially overcome the Phillies, or at the very least secure a Wild Card spot. However, the starting rotation is no longer the weakness that many would think. With star prospect Nolan McLean already debuting with historic success and fellow right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong set to make his debut on Friday, the arrow is pointing up in the rotation.

Read More: New York Mets make a decision on top prospect Jonah Tong

With those two youngsters joining the mix, there is a lot of options for manager Carlos Mendoza along with David Peterson, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga. That is a strong group that could include some piggybacking to help make up for the rotation’s struggles working deep into games. Instead, the biggest concern for New York is their bullpen.

The Mets have one of the best closers in baseball, with Edwin Diaz anchoring the group at the end. But getting the ball to him with a lead has been a challenge at points this year; New York leads MLB with 82 meltdowns thus far this season, with some of their deadline additions struggling with the team.

The biggest concern for each MLB contending team down the stretch https://t.co/fERigfAOTK

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Ryan Helsley, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals, has a 10.38 ERA with the Mets. In 11 appearances, he has a -1.2 bWAR with several meltdown outings; this included a blown save on Tuesday against Philadelphia, although New York rallied in the ninth inning to bail him out. Gregory Soto, who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles, is tied for the MLB lead with 15 meltdowns this season.

Mets Bullpen Has Talent To Produce

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Helsley and Soto's inability to find their groove consistently on the mound has made life a lot tougher for Mendoza than anyone thought it would be. Adding those two, along with Tyler Rogers from the San Francisco Giants, to combine with Reed Garrett, Brooks Raley and Ryne Stanek seemed like more than enough firepower to get the ball to Diaz. That hasn’t been the case and is a big reason New York went into that swoon a few weeks ago.

The talent is certainly there for this bullpen to be a lights out unit. Some of their ability to produce also relies on the rotation. If they are constantly being called upon to pitch in the fifth inning, wear and tear build up fast. Getting more length from the starters will take pressure off the bullpen, but ultimately, it is on the group ahead of Diaz to build a successful bridge to their stopper.