3 Up, 3 Down: Offense Finally Explodes As Mets Take Braves Series

That was more like it from the New York Mets.

Considering that Atlanta is normally a house of horrors for the Mets, a split of what was originally a four-game set with the Braves would have been considered a nice bonus.

Instead, the Mets got a timely explosion from their offense that enabled them to absolutely beat the tar out of their NL East rivals as they took two out of three to improve to 5-7 on the year.

The way in which New York piled up the runs in three games to win their first series in Atlanta since July of 2022 was nothing short of impressive. The Mets also showed a lot of guts and a lot of fight by nearly erasing a six-run deficit in the second game of the series.

Overall, this was a really impressive three-game set where we learned a lot about this Mets team. We also saw tantalizing signs of what they could be capable of moving forward.

And, on that note, let’s dive into the latest edition of a very positive, and very happy, 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

TRENDING UP

Man, Brett Baty just keeps getting better. There is no doubt that the young third baseman has been the best and most consistent player for the Mets through the first couple of weeks of the year. He is 10-for-27 with 2 RBIs while in the midst of a current six-game hitting streak, and he’s also reached base in all but one game he’s played so far this season. After hitting an RBI double on Thursday, Baty is now slashing .311/.354/.378/.732 on the year. He is also excelling against lefties with four hits in 10 at-bats after struggling mightily in that department during the 2023 campaign. Having also shown considerable improvement defensively, Baty is quickly turning into the real deal at the hot corner for the Mets.

BREAKING OUT

We were waiting for this offense to show up, and boy it certainly did that in Atlanta as the Mets scored a total of 29 runs across three games. The 16 they put up in Thursday’s finale was the first time all year that they’ve scored 10 or more runs in a single game. Talk about just what the doctor ordered. Brandon Nimmo had a big series, going 7-for-14 with seven RBIs. Pete Alonso went 4-for-8 with a home run, three RBIs, three runs scored and two walks in his last two games. Jeff McNeil woke up with four hits and three RBIs while DJ Stewart broke out of his slump with a couple of big-time homers.

The bottom of the order also contributed with Harrison Bader scoring three runs on Thursday, while Tyrone Taylor hit a grand slam to put the icing on the top of the cake in the rubber match. This series was the perfect tonic for an offense that had largely scuffled in the opening nine games of the season, and hopefully it is just the start of good things to come.

FEEL-GOOD STORY

I have a feeling the pitching is going to be an emotional rollercoaster all year long – both in the starting rotation and the bullpen – and that was the case in this series. But, let’s accentuate the positives for a hot minute. It was really cool to see LHP Tyler Jay make his MLB debut on Thursday, just shy of his 30th birthday. The former first-round pick gave the Mets two innings and got the final six outs of the game. Given his long and challenge-laden path to get to the majors, it was really cool to see Jay finally get to the big stage and impress in his first taste of the show.

3 DOWN 

KICK IN THE PANTS

Ace Kodai Senga was placed on the 60-day IL during the Braves series, meaning the earliest Senga can now return is May 27. Due to the ramp-up required, it is more likely that the Mets won’t see their No. 1 starter until sometime in June. That is obviously a blow, especially for a rotation already razor-thin in depth. The Mets are absolutely right to play it safe with one of their most prized assets, but the longer he is out, the bigger the wildcard this rotation will continue to be moving forward.

NOT WHAT YOU WANT

Sticking with the starting rotation, this was not a good series for the position group. Outside of José Quintana’s outing on Thursday, which was solid but hardly stellar, the starters laid an egg in Atlanta. It began with Julio Teheran, who lasted all but a day in a Mets uniform after allowing four earned runs on six hits in the 8-7 win on Monday. Adrian Houser wasn’t much better in his start on Tuesday, giving up five earned runs on eight hits in a 6-5 loss. A real lack of depth is hurting the rotation deeply, and we’re still just in April.

WORKING THROUGH IT

Okay, this is a negative but one that will turn into a positive soon. At least I hope that’s the case. I’m talking about Francisco Lindor, who continued to struggle against the Braves. The shortstop went a combined 2-for-14 in three games without an extra-base hit. He’s now hitting an alarming .098/.203/.176/.380 on the year. However, as detailed in a previous edition of 3 Up, 3 Down, Lindor is known for getting off to slow starts and then quickly settling into a groove. While this sluggish start is particularly worrisome, and having a poor series when the rest of the offense figured it out is hardly encouraging, I don’t think there is any need to be concerned long-term when it comes to Lindor. I just don’t.