NY METS 2024 SEASON AT A GLANCE
By: Matt Callahan
As the 2024 MLB season commenced, the baseball world had low expectations for this version of the Mets. Las Vegas oddsmakers apparently agreed, posting the over/under for total wins at 81, which would be .500 ball. A slow start undoubtably put smiles on the faces of the folks that jumped on the under as the Mets were 22-33 on May 29 th . But not so fast, with the Mets currently sitting at 79 wins, it’s time to rip up those under tickets.
It was that day, May 29 th , after being swept by the Dodgers that Francisco Lindor called for a postgame, players only meeting. Keep in mind that here’s a guy hitting just .211 at the time and his lack of production was, in a large part, the reason for the team’s disappointing start, sitting 11 games under .500. By all accounts the players decided it was time to prepare differently and hold each other accountable. There was no finger pointing or excuses being made, just an agreement to put that portion of the season behind them and play the type of winning baseball that they all knew that they could play. This is a testament to the value of leadership on the part of Lindor. Not only did he draw the team together but has hit .306 since that day, showing his leadership on the field. After the May 29 th meeting the Mets went on a tear and were back to .500 by the end of June, which included two series sweeps of their cross-town rivals, the other baseball team in NY, whose name I won’t speak.
Much of the Mets success this season can be attributed to managerial leadership as well. David Stearns was brought in as the president of baseball operations after 8 years with the Milwaukee Brewers, guiding them to four straight playoff appearances. He hired Carlos Mendoza to replace Buck Showalter, a move I was initially skeptical of, mainly because he had spent his whole career in the other NY team’s organization. That skepticism was compounded by the Mets slow start. But it was at that time, around the end of May, that it became evident that the new regime would not settle for a lack of production or under-performing players, which was the case with the 2023 Mets. Nossir!!! First, they made the decision that Brett Baty, while still a highly touted prospect, was not getting the job done, and sent him to the minors and re-called Mark Vientos. Mark Vientos, since his call-up, is rated as the 3 rd best offensive third baseman in baseball, adding some much-needed pop to the lineup.
Next up was shoring up the bullpen, which was a major contributing factor to their slow start. They re-vamped it with a series of moves including releasing under-performing players, promoting minor leaguers, and making trade deadline deals for experienced bullpen arms. Then, identifying the need for a quality back-up catcher for the future star, Francisco Alvarez, who was coming off an injury and could use some extra time off during the dog days of Summer, the Mets traded for Luis Torrens. Since being acquired, Torrens leads all catchers in percentage of caught stealing. Sprinkle in the magic of Jose Iglesias for some tremendous defense and clutch hitting. OMG!
After a slow start coming out of the All Star break the Mets righted the ship during a ten-game road trip. After splitting a four-game series with the Padres and winning 2 out of 3 from the Snakes, the Mets went to Chicago and swept the lowly Chisox. When returning home, now with a little momentum, they swept the Red Sox and won the first 2 from the Reds, culminating in a 9 game win streak.
That brings us to the current state of the NL wild card race. As of this sitting, the Mets hold the 3 rd wild card spot, 1 game ahead of the Braves, 1.5 games behind the Pads and 1 game behind the Snakes.
As we enter the dog days of a grueling 162 game schedule the Mets are in position to make the playoffs. That was not the expectation on May 29 th . The reason they’re in this position is in a large part the result of the age-old formula to win baseball games, that being good pitching, good defense, and timely hitting. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the emergence of pitchers Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and the re-emergence of Luis Severino. Manaea was a highly rated prospect that never really developed, and the Mets rolled the dice on him by signing him to a one-year deal. Peterson was a former first round draft pick that has battled injuries for the past three years, Severino was picked up off the scrap heap after missing the better part of the last 2 years with injuries, signing him to a one-year contract. All three are pitching very well right now on team friendly contracts, and in fact, the Mets starters have the lowest ERA of any starting rotation over the course of the past 30 days.
This is again a testament to David Stearns’ ability to make savvy deals, a skill born out of necessity while leading the Brewers, a small Market team. Now, working for an organization with the best fan base and an owner with deep pockets, the future looks bright! And it looks like his first hire, manager Carlos Mendoza, was the right decision. Mendoza appears to have the right temperament and baseball IQ to lead this team. He never wavered in his confidence that his team had the talent to be successful and has seemingly pulled all the right strings in the dugout. With the anticipated late season return of ace, Kodai Senga, and Edwin Diaz appearing to be rounding in to his 2022 form, the Mets just may make some noise when they make the playoffs.
Playoffs!?!?!?!...........Playoffs!?!?!?!..........How ‘bout 2024 MLB World Series Champs!!!!!!
YA GOTTA BELIEVE!!! Lets’ Go Mets!!!!!!!!