3 UP

1.  Terrific Starting Pitching

There was much to like about the Mets starting pitching lately, and especially in this series.

Steven Matz went toe-to-toe with Max Scherzer. Noah Syndergaard returned from the disabled list, and he flashed signs he is close to being his brilliant self again. Zack Wheeler was magnificent for seven. Corey Oswalt showed why he was the top MLB ready starting pitching prospect heading into the season.

Looking over this list again, one thing that is quite impressive is the Mets got very good starting pitching in a series in which they not only had to go to their fifth starter, but they also didn’t have Jacob deGrom.

Overall, if you just look to the Mets top four starters, they have a combined 3.07 ERA, which would stand as the best in the National League. If you include Oswalt and his one disasterous start in there, that number is STILL a National League best 3.24.

Point being is if the Mets do plan on contending next year, they already have the makings for the best starting pitching staff in the National League.  It’s something that needs to be considered when this organiation contemplates just how far they want to dismantle this team.

2. Something Familia

Jeurys Familia seemed back to his dominant self early this season. That was until he landed on the disabled list in June with a sore pitching shoulder. While his return from the disabled list wasn’t smooth, Familia seems to have figured things out, and he is once again as dominant as any other reliever in baseball.

In fact, Familia has yet to allow a run this month while collecting a win and three saves. One of the reasons for his success is he’s only allowed one hit in seven innings pitched. All told, he’s been dominant.

This may be a reason why MLB Trade Rumors notes Familia has a number of suitors on the trade market. With there being more than one interested team, this puts the Mets in a good position to maximize the return for their closer who is pitching as well as he has all season.

3. Plawecki Starting Caliber

While the beginning of his career was mired with struggles which have been hard to overlook, Kevin Plawecki has become a much better catcher.  Arguably, he should not only be the starting catcher for this Mets team, but he has done enough to show he would improve other MLB teams’ catching situation.

In 2018, Plawecki’s 118 wRC+ ranks eighth among catchers who have had at least 100 plate appearances. Since he was called up on Aug. 19 last year, Plawecki has a a 135 wRC+, which is the best in all of baseball. Yes, that puts him ahead of Buster Posey, J.T. Realmuto, Gary Sanchez and whoever else has strapped on the shin-guards.

Really, when breaking it down, Plawecki is not the guy Mets fans remembered him to be. In actuality, he’s quite good, and he’s a catcher deserving to start over Devin Mesoraco.

3 DOWN

1.  Cannot Win a Series

The Mets swept the Diamondbacks in a home series that took place from May 18-20. The sweep had taken the Mets from the precipice of .500, and it gave them some breathing room. More than that, for a team who had not won a series for over a month and fell out of last place, it seemed like a rest to get the team back on track.

Since that series sweep, everything has fallen apart. In fact, the Mets cannot win a series.

According to Elias, the Mets are now 0-11-5 in their last 16 series, which puts them just two series shy of the the all-time Mets record set in 1982.  That Mets team finished the season 65-97.

Since the 12-2 start, the Mets are 27-52. If they continue at this rate in the second half, and they very well may with them trading off some pieces, the team will finish with a 54-108 record, which would be the worst Mets record since 1965 and their fifth worst overall.

2.  Swarzak Not Good

Since coming off the disabled list, Anthony Swarzak has been outright terrible for the Mets. Considering in those 15 appearances, he has a 13.50 ERA, 2.176 WHIP and a 6.1 BB/9, terrible may actually be kind.

The nadir of his season might have been yesterday when he came in and started the seventh inning and walked two batters creating what would become the winning rally. Overall, Swarzak is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA in what is a completely lost season for him and the Mets.

Considering how Swarzak was one of the Mets headlining signings this past offseason, you can see just why this Mets team has not even matched the lowest of expectations for them.

3.  Smith Drama

Since being recalled on June 12, Dominic Smith has hardly played with the team opting to play players like Jose Reyes, Ty Kelly and Matt den Dekker over him. Certainly, this is not the best position to put a player who was once considered your first baseman of the future.

This has led to rumors Smith will soon be demoted and to Mickey Callaway having a talk with him because of concerns Smith has “lost focus.”

You have to appreciate the irony of the Mets talking to a 23-year-old about losing focus when the team continues to give away playing time to a group of aging veterans.

Whatever the case, it seems increasingly unlikely Smith is going to get a fair shot this year, leaving the Mets completely clueless on his real abilities at a time when Peter Alonso continues to put Smith in the rear view mirror.