On this day in 1969, the Mets dropped 10 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL East. On this day in 2014, the Mets are 8.5 games behind the first-place Washington Nationals in the NL East, and six games behind the second-Wild Card team, the St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s unlikely that the Mets make the playoffs this year. The 2014 Mets are not the 1969 Mets, but the 2014 Mets are very much still in the hunt. That’s a little bit harder to write after a 10-game stretch where the team is 4-6, but for now, it still rings true.
The path that the Mets are going to have to take to be able to compete for the playoffs is not going to be a simple one, or one that can be achieved easily.
It starts first and foremost with the offense. If Travis d’Arnaud continues hitting somewhere near the .300/.364/.650 clip that he has been on over the last week, and over that span Juan Lagares is hitting .280/.379/.440 with his usual plus-plus-plus defense. These two keeping up their recent positive contributions at the plate help to deepen the lineup and help the team score more runs.
It would also be a boon for the team if David Wright would start to hit for some power and if Curtis Granderson would start hitting like he did in June.
The addition of Matt den Dekker in the outfield alongside Lagares gives the Mets one of the most formidable defensive outfields in the NL if not all of baseball. This will help the flyball pitchers on the Mets staff, like Bartolo Colon, Jacob deGrom, Dillon Gee and Rafael Montero, as less flyballs will be falling in for hits.
Speaking of the pitching, the staff really just needs to keep doing what it has been doing. The starting staff has been terrific, and the bullpen has been great as well, save for some hiccoughs here and there.
For the Mets to compete it really comes down to the stars all aligning on offense. If everyone – or at least mostly everyone – gets going at the same time, this team can make a run. That’s the best part about the randomness of baseball. At any time a team can have a stretch where everything comes together, and if it happens at the right time it could be the difference between playing baseball in October, and playing golf.
That’s why ya gotta believe.
The Mets will not win a WS until the Wilpons are in the rear view mirror. This years version is consitently inconsistent. Yes they can beat up on the Phillies but they’re only playing .500 ball at home. The Central has 3 quality teams and the West has L.A. and San Francisco. So I really don’t see how this team can even make it to a wildcard when they still can’t get by the lowly Marlins.
They are toast. Put down the crack pipe. If they play really really well …maybe they can get to .500. But I am not holding my breath.
Last winter they did nothing to really improve the team. Grandy replaced Byrd, Colon sort of filled in for Harvey. Net zero! Lower payroll. Then they said they may add at the trade deadline. So that came and went this year and they said maybe they will add during the winter. See a pattern??? Big nothing!!!
The only time I am ‘believing’ any more is when they are actually in the playoffs. Not close, not meaningful games in September, only when they are in the playoffs. The rest is just BS. Have another hit.
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In the hunt? Not really.
Relevant? Sort of. At least they’re not irrelevant.
For the Mets, it really comes down to the Nats, a team that has utterly dominated the Mets since 2011.
We are just 2-8 against them this season, 13-38 since Sept 2011.
We’ve lost 9 straight at Citi to them and in the last 8 home series against them, we are 1-7 with 5 sweeps.
They need to reverse their fortune against this team in their final 9 showdowns. If we go 4-5, i’d consider it a miracle.
I’d be happy if they went 4-5 against the Marlins. Baby steps.
After a brief blip where we went 12-18 against the Marlins that included the last series of 2012, all of 2013 and part of 2014, we’ve now won 5 straight against Miami and are 8-5 for the season. I don’t consider them a problem any longer.
Yeah.
And keep in mind, we are in 2015 tryout camp now. Otherwise you cant justify running Flores out there every day, who is a total disaster. The record no longer has meaning, at least not as much as finding out what kids can play at the big league level.
I figure 74 Wins.
same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was.
Yes and no Chris. You want to see the young guys on the field do well, and if they do well, they should win as a result so the record from now on out is still important. Winning also would bring some optimism into the offseason.
I don’t want to see another September like last year where none of our call-ups hit or pitched well, and we went 12-16 to end the year.
What isn’t important should be whether our final record gets us into the playoffs.
Fair enough Name. I do want the kids to perform, and bring us wins. I just want them out there, and the record will settle itself out.
Inspired by Chris, let me add:
I surrender, I surrender. I’m giving up the role of pretender
That would be the Wilpons
This offense has shown periods of great play, but it’s so erratic. If they get it going soon, I believe anything is possible. They first have to stop getting stomped on by the Nats though.
What are my chances?
Not good.
You mean not good like one out of a hundred?
I’d say more like one out of a million.
…so you’re telling me there’s a chance!!!
In ’69 Gil Hodges was at the helm. Big difference! With TC steering this Metantic right into the Abyss!