The Mets’ 2013 season is going down in flames faster than even the most pessimistic fan could have predicted. Sure, the team was not expected to be playoff bound and eventually slot into fourth or fifth place in the National League East, but the fall has been fast and unrelenting. This writer, for one, expected a semi-competitive first half with the annual Mets Second Half Collapse™. You couldn’t even get that one right, Mets.
As of games played through May 18th, the Mets are 16-24. That puts them at 26th in baseball, ahead of only the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Houston Astros, and the Miami Marlins. It’s obviously still pretty early in the season and the level of talent on the Angels and the Blue Jays suggests they will not be at the bottom all season. The same positive outlook can’t be applied to the 2013 Mets, which leaves us with a very depressing conclusion: right now the Mets are in a group of ineptitude that includes the Marlins and the Astros.
The horrible performances of the teams’ regulars have (rightfully) received plenty of media coverage. The starting rotation, the bullpen, and the lineup have all been collectively awful and the negative press the team has received is well deserved. Rick Ankiel was released by the Astros, the worst team in baseball for years, shortly before the Mets signed him. Think about that.
There are precious few bright spots right now. In fact, there may only be two: Matt Harvey‘s emergence and David Wright‘s continued excellence. The former has garnered significant coverage, while the latter has not. Why has there not been more coverage of Wright’s performance? Well, probably because he’s expected to perform like he has been so far this season. That doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge it, though.
Through May 18th, Wright’s triple slash is a healthy .317/.420/.535. He’s in the top ten in bWAR, OBP, triples, walks, stolen bases, and OPS+. Those are some pretty impressive numbers, especially considering how bad the rest of his team has been, which brings up an interesting point.
Over the years we’ve heard that Wright “needs stars” around him to be a great player and that he’s a “great supporting player” but not a star himself. Well, in 2012 and 2013 we’ve heard very little about how well he’s done with the lack of talent around him. Maybe we should acknowledge Wright’s ability to rise above the mediocrity the Mets have surrounded him with over the last few seasons. Maybe that is what makes Wright a great player. Imagine what he can do when he’s surrounded by talent. Well, you need to look no further than his performances from 2005 to 2008.
Have we seen the best of Wright? He’s on the wrong side of his peak so it’s possible, but we won’t know for sure until the Mets surround him with a competitive team. Wright signed an eight-year, $138MM deal with the team in the off-season to essentially become a Met for life. He made that choice after sitting down with management so he could understand the team’s plans moving forward. He obviously liked what he heard, which is something positive for Mets fans to consider. It would be a shame if Wright made a mistake in buying into the team’s plans only to see them fall apart, however. There are seven years left to determine that, though, and all we can do is enjoy our homegrown star and hope for the best.
“Imagine what he can do when he’s surrounded by talent. Well, you need to look no further than his performances from 2005 to 2008”
…or the 2013 WBC team. #5 is a superstar, plain and simple. I feel horrible for him and Harvey, although both willingly signed on for this, I do get that.
Great point! Wright was something else during the WBC.
I think David is doing a good job, it’s the rest of the “hitters” that arent doing their share, One PERSON DOESN’T MAKE A TEAM, it’s the team around him thats not doing their JOB. Come on IKE……..come on everyone……get your asses into the game and show us your ability. WE got to kick some YANKSTERS ASS SOON, GET GET IT TOGETHER and show them we can do it
Let’s get in a time machine. It’s February 28th, 2013, and I tell you by later May …
The Mets have lost 3 games less than the Nationals.
The Nationals are in 2nd Place.
Bryce Harper has an OPS north of 1.000. Ryan Zimmerman has been injured a bit, but is playing well.
Strasburg is pitching to a 2.8 ERA and Jordan Zimmerman is one of the four most dominant pitchers in baseball.
Soriano has 12 saves.
The Mets are going without Santana, and very few starting pitchers are getting to the 6th inning.
Davis is actually hitting worse than he did last year at the same time.
We really haven’t gotten any help from Las Vegas, and Wheeler has stayed put.
Would you have taken that deal in February?
The Mets are clearly talent challenged. They are hard to watch right now. Our captain basically has validated that contract. We have a closer, and an ace. There is a catcher on the horizon, and a stellar #2 pitcher, and neither one has been brought up yet. Montero is about to make a start in Las Vegas.
With the 2nd playoff, there’s a lot more hope. Even though the Mets are the 4th worst in the NL, they still have a shot. Last year, the Brewers were 16-24 but still managed to climb back into the race in September. Call me an optimist, but I still have hopes for this team.
Would just like to note that the Mets have played better than both the Dodgers(17-25) and Angels(17-27).
…with an effective budget of about 40M$!
There is still hope for a second half resurgence…..maybe. I mean, Wheeler may come up and dominate. D’Arnaud may debuts thrive. But it really comes down the rest of the team getting their act together. It was known that the OF was going to be bad and that the rest of the team would need to pick them up. The problem is, that’s not happening right now. Still, I suppose stranger (Amazin) things have happened.
Also, the record/placement was based on winning % as of games played on 5/18. Since then, MIL and LAD have fallen below them as well. It’s a long season and were just underway.
Hahaha: “Mets Second Half Collapse™” This writer is something of a wordsmith. It kills you to see them and barely even hit. Too many games I’ve seen with just a couple runs here and there. Bats are just quiet. I doubt that every single pitcher los Mets have faced have been lights out… What pains me the most is seeing the atrocious slump Ike has found himself in. He’s supposed to be better that. Wake up, Mets!
I think the Mets have longevity in Wright, but there’s always a gray area in predicting longevity.