Welcome back, Mets Hysteria. To the faithful who never left, hugs and kisses. To the perennially disenchanted, welcome back; there’s room to spare. With an off day Thursday, August 8 and the dawning of the ensuing gauntlet of the forthcoming schedule, let us breath once again and soak in this magical return to relevance we’ve all found surreal since the Mets were 40-50 at the All-Star Break, and seemingly left for dead.

Since the mid-season festivities in Cleveland, our boys have gone from the laughing stock of the league to the hottest story in baseball. They went from presumed sellers to daring buyers at the July 31st deadline.

The Mets have beaten those in front of them to the tune of a 19-6 streak. They’ve done it despite losing Dominic Smith and Robinson Cano. They’ve done it with youth in the lineup and prowess in the rotation. And they’re now healthy bullpen is finally stepping up.

In honor of the Mets’ 19th win in 25 games since the All-Star Break, here are 19 statistical factoids that stand out as we try to explain the inexplicable 19-6 run:

19. Despite a lackluster .250/.299/.388, Wilson Ramos shows up when it matters, accounting for 17 RBIs since the break. It’s also worth noting that Ramos has called each of the shutouts pitched this year, including Steven Matz’s recent gem.

18. Dominic Smith has been missed since July 26th, moreso since his July 20th when he went 3-for-5 with a HR and 4 RBIs. He’s contributed one hit and an IL stint since then. And still the Mets win.

17. While Steven Matz continues to play fifth fiddle for this Fab Five, the southpaw has put together a few impressive numbers of his own. Perhaps leading the way is his 26/5 K/BB, along with his 1.16 WHIP. We know about his 99-pitch shutout on July 27. He’s also kept his long ball damage down to two since the break.

16. They’re winning with Pete Alonso batting .184, albeit with seven big knocks including a few memorable ones. His 15 RBIs have helped and he’s quietly compiled 17 walks in this span.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

15. Brandon Nimmo, Jed Lowrie, and Yoenis Cespedes are hitting .000/.000/.000 since the break with 0 HRs and 0 RBIs. (I really just wanted to remind myself of their existence.)

14. Walker Lockett stepped up and kept our guys in the mix for two big starts. He helped secure the lone win in a trying series in San Francisco. And he kept the Marlins within reach before Monday evening’s rally in the heavenly seventh. Locket’s gone 1-0 with a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 IP allowing one big fly in his two spot starts.

13. Despite his untimely exodus from the festivities, Robinson Cano had 24 hits in 21 games, 6 HRs, 14 RBIs and was slashing .289/.318/.578 since the break. (Ain’t it so Mets for his hot streak to end halfway between 1st and 2nd while actually hustling for a two-bagger?)

12. Todd Frazier has hit .204/.267/.376 and struck out 32 times in 25 games. And they’re still winning. Fortunately, his glove and clubhouse presence continue to be his key contributions.

11. Robert Gsellman has subtly turned things around with the rediscovery of his sinker. His 2.25 ERA since the break is a far cry from his pre-ASG 5.09 ERA. While the long ball (3) has still struck Big Bob, as well as an ill-timed double by everyone’s favorite ex-Met, Sir Curtis Granderson, Gsellman has mostly limited the damage. His 16 IP since the break lead the way for this new and improved ‘pen, shedding light on Bob’s yeoman like effort. He’s proven more asset than liability of late.

10. Luis Avilan’s return to the ‘pen has proven quietly invaluable. Since the break, he’s amassed a 0.00 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in 6.2 IP over 9 appearances, with opponents batting a paltry .143 against the lefty.

9. In his 13 appearances since the Midsummer Classic, Justin Wilson has assembled 10.1 solid innings to the tune of a 0.87 ERA. He and fellow lefty Avilan’s return to the once beleaguered ‘pen have proven invaluable to Mickey Callaway and Phil Regan.

8. Amed Rosario is hitting .344/.384/.538. He’s added two triples, and his defense has improved.

7. As Brodie Van Wagenen seeks the 2019 version of Sandy Alderson’s “Best Non-Move” of 2015 Award, Zack Wheeler continues to prove management wise, and nearly every pundit unwise. Zack’s contributions (understatement) have proven pivotal during this stretch run. He’s put together three stellar starts, producing a 3-0 record and a 1.33 ERA over 20.1 IP in an era when seven innings is almost the new complete game. Perhaps his most impressive stat is his K/BB of 19/1. His 0.89 WHIP is no slouch either.

6. In his second effort to pocket the aforementioned award, Van Wagenen’s decision to keep Noah Syndergaard around for a little while longer has paid dividends. Noah’s compiled five remarkable starts, amassing 7.0, 7.0, 7.0, 7.1, and 7.0 IP respectively. (How many contenders would like to have this production, let alone three guys like this?) His 1.78 ERA dwarfs his pre-ASG 4.68 ERA. He’s struck out 39 in 35.1 innings and compiled a 0.89 WHIP while allowing zero home runs.

5. And then there’s our old pal, Jake. 2018 Cy Young winner, Jacob deGrom, is stealthily reclaiming his case for back-to-back titles. While his ERA is still well off the remarkable 1.53 ERA by Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu, deGrom’s ERA is down to 2.77 thanks in large part to his post ASG 1.09 ERA. Kudos to the lineup for helping Jacob dePrived-Of-Run-Support notch three Ws in the meantime. 

5b. One could easily lump the combined efforts of the rotation into a whole separate line item likely of a #1 ranking on this list. Since the break, deGrom, Syndergaard, Matz, and Wheeler have put together enviable length, 7, 7, 6, 7, 7, 5.1, 9, 7.1, 7, 7, 3.2, 7, 7, 8, and 6.2 IP since July 19th, respectively. This has undoubtedly had a positive influence on a much improved bullpen.

4a. Jeff McNeil is actually only batting .308 over the run. While most would envy .308, this is 31 points down from his year long average.

4b. That being said, Jeff is second on the team in home runs since the break, with a surging 8. He’s quickly finding his Murphy-esque power stroke, only earlier in his career.

4c. McNeil’s recent home run and walks (8) surge has also yielded an OPS of 1.037.

4d. Perhaps more telling than any of Squirrel’s statistics is the scare he gave us when he pulled up with a cramp in the nightcap of Monday’s doubleheader. Being at the ballpark, the deflation was palpable. I noticed the same as I immediately took to Twitter for answers.

3. J.D. Davis is batting .382/.463/.603, with an OPS of 1.065. JD is making the most of his newfound opportunity with recent maladies to Smith and Cano. More importantly, he’s provided the team and all of Mets Hysteria with another bopper in the lineup. He was responsible for kicks tarting the magical 7th inning in Monday night’s rally, impressively working back to a 3-2 count before blasting the first of three monumental solo shots into the Citi night.

2. Michael Conforto has become what we hoped filling the stat page: in 24 games and 92 ABs, he’s hitting .315/.406/.641 while co-leading the team with 9 HRs and 20 RBIs. And his timely hitting have fans using estranged expressions like “clutch” or “that ball still hasn’t landed”.

1. In his 11 appearances since the break, Seth Lugo is pitching to a 0.00 ERA in 12.2 innings, striking out 16, walking none, and allowing one hit, (prompting Uecker’s “One hit? One ******* hit?!”). He’s notched two saves in as many opportunities, including a memorable two inning, six batter effort. My personal favorite stat is his 0.08 WHIP, with honorable mention going to his .026 opponents batting average.

Deep breaths, Mets Hysteria… let’s soak this in. The Mets are playing relevant August baseball for the first time in three years. Let’s enjoy this ride.