The one thing we’ve learned this September is that we don’t know anything when it comes to the Mets. Who would have imagined that during the middle of September, with a nine-game homestand facing two teams around 30 games under .500 that the Mets would go 3-6, yet still hold a commanding 6.5 game lead, the same as they did 24 games ago, over the second-place Nationals?
No area of the team – hitters, starters or relievers – distinguished themselves over the last nine games. The hitters batted .222 with a .677 OPS while the pitchers posted a 4.78 ERA and allowed 11 HR in 81 IP. Even the back end of the pen surrendered 6 ER in 11.2 IP on the just-concluded homestand. But let’s focus on the hitters.
Two of the guys who had been raking – Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud – both stopped hitting at the same time. Cespedes at least delivered power, with a .242 ISO, but that didn’t make up for his .182 AVG and .250 OBP over the last nine. Meanwhile, d’Arnaud tossed out a dismal .179/.207/.286 line.
While those two hurt significantly, they weren’t the only slumping ones, or even the ones who stunk up the joint the most. Walks kept Curtis Granderson’s OBP above the team average, but he batted .130 with an identical .130 SLG. Wilmer Flores matched that low-average, no slugging line with a .211/.286/.211 mark while Michael Conforto batted .200 with a .238 OBP. And Lucas Duda managed just a .174 AVG.
Six of the top 10 hitters with the most PA in the homestand did lousy. And two of the four who hit well were platoon starters. Ruben Tejada hit .500 with a 1.238 OPS yet had just three starts in nine games. Michael Cuddyer batted .357 but started just twice. The only two hitters to have strong homestands while getting the majority of starts were David Wright and Daniel Murphy, with the former having a .424 OBP and a 1.057 OPS and the latter posting a .769 SLG and a 1.149 OPS.
It’s only nine games and we shouldn’t overreact too much. Yet the Mets are not nearly the juggernaut at home that they were earlier in the year. In their last 18 games in Citi Field, they are 6-12. Meanwhile, in their last 19 road games, the Mets are 16-3. Who saw that coming? Should we now view this seven-game road trip as a good thing?
Back in late August, I wrote that if the Mets went 18-17 that the Nationals would have to go 25-11 to tie them. My thinking then was that at least 18 wins for the Mets was a lock and there was no way the Nationals would end the season playing better than they had in any previous 36-game streak in the season.
Well, this confusing September has the Mets losing series at home to both the Marlins and Braves yet needing to go just 4-6 to finish above .500 over their last 35 games. If that’s what the Mets do the remainder of the season, the Nationals now have to go 11-0 to forge a tie. Through 151 games, the longest winning streak this season for Washington is eight games.
They will make the playoffs but their chances once in don’t look as promising as they did.
The Nats went 19-8 in September last year. The Giants went 13-12. You know the rest
Who cares how they are doing now?
Brian, that was a nice breakdown of the current dissappointing homestand.
It may be time to “steal” a few AB’s from the combination of Conforto, Duda and Granderson and give Cuddyer some more starting time. Tejada has been outplaying Flores lately so maybe the pendulum should swing to more Tejada starts. It is a season of” ebb and flow” and “ups and downs” and a good manager who is on top of the situation will adjust accordingly. TC has made the right moves with the offense so far. Let’s see if adjusts and gets the offense rolling again.
Split in Cincy, take 2 in Philly and all is well.
As for the playoffs, the 2000 Yankees, 2005 White Sox and 2006 Cardinals all limped in and ended up winning a title.
Ya just nevah know…
It’s in their grasp and they go into one of their collective funks at home. Should know better than to think the Mets woukd make it easy.
Well, hopefully this was their ‘rest’. As of my writing this, the magic number is 3 with 9 games to go. There is no doubt the Mets make the playoffs.
Just a tweak here and there..ramp it up against the Nationals in October as a preview, then hit LA hard.