What a week! Jason Vargas and Steven Matz can’t escape the first inning. Jacob deGrom is struggling. Our rotation ERA is over five and our relievers are getting worked. Extra innings didn’t help. Matz, who had looked great, again implodes any time a teammate makes an error or an umpire makes a bad call. Noah Syndergaard, who’s looked very hittable in all but one start, is using pine tar to get a better grip. Meanwhile deGrom has discovered a harder slider but not throwing his changeup and curve ball enough to keep hitters off balance. Jeurys Familia can’t throw strikes. Mickey Callaway can’t make rational decisions. Amed Rosario makes errors. Travis d’Arnaud can’t hit or bunt. Todd Frazier‘s coming back and we don’t know what to do with him. Relievers are getting shuttled back and forth. Jed Lowrie is still working his way back. Jeff McNeil is a square peg in left field but the infield is about to get more crowded. Robert Gsellman forgot how to pitch. Robinson Cano is slumping. Brandon Nimmo was finally breaking out but hurt his neck. Our redundant center fielders aren’t hitting much.
So, how are we still over .500 despite playing a tough early schedule? The Mets have three guys with 1.000 OPS or higher – Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto and McNeil. Meanwhile, Dom Smith leads the world in OBP. Edwin Diaz is electrifying. Wilson Ramos is a hitter. J.D. Davis looks like he belongs. Seth Lugo looks like a late inning weapon again. Justin Wilson has been pretty good. Paul Sewald is back and doesn’t look terrible. Did you know he’s never won a major league game in 105 appearances?! He’s 0-13 with a 5.16 ERA, yet he keeps coming back like a case of strep throat. Speaking of which, deGrom’s scheduled start for tonight has been pushed back to tomorrow for that very reason.
The extra inning win was a great highlight but it was sandwiched on either end by two losses against division rivals. This is a tough road trip with 10 games in 11 days against Atlanta, Philadelphia and now St. Louis. If we can take two of three this weekend, it would make for a 5-5 trip. Sometimes that’s not so bad. Especially considering the next 10 will be at home. The match ups this weekend will feature Vargas, deGrom and Syndergaard against our old friend Adam Wainwright, 2018 revelation Miles Mikolas and the young Dakota Hudson. Let’s hope this weekend is a little less aggravating and a little more uplifting. Oh, and one more thing…Let’s go Mets!
I think Broxton and Lagares should start a band and call it “Redundant Center Fielders.” But I bet both of them would play bass.
Sounds pretty good to me! Couple of Bassball players
I’ve been a Net fan since 1972 and can testify that every week is a crazy week to be a Met fan…some crazier than others. The $137 million dollar man headed for an elbow MRI. Yikes!
And yet it can get crazier. It’s only April.
A nice summary Matt. Even optimists like you and I are concerned after this last week. My concern was the last loss in Atlanta and the last Loss in Philadelphia. If they would have won, they would have taken the two series and be a in first place.
They have to win those games in order to win the division.
Frasier, who I like, should be a bench player because JD Davis, McNeil and Dom are all deserving their playing time. I’ll worry about Lowrie when he gets here.
The Mets are working with Sewald. On the road they only check him in on a first floor room.
Although the past week has been crazy…and hopefully Noah figures out how to throw 5 pro today, I thought Id share this for the more twitter interested types:
Time Britton who covers the Mets for the Athletic (and is the best beat writer for the team IMO) has opened a twitter account to chronicle the 1969 season game-by-game like the present season. Its pretty cool. You can find the daily info on the 69 team here:
@1969NYMets
“how to throw 5 pro today”
I don’t have any idea what this means, and I wrote it. How about we go with “more than 5 IP”