Starting Pitching
Well this is about as obvious as they come; the New York Mets starting pitching is essentially to a successful stretch run. The starting rotation ranks 3rd in the National League in ERA with a 3.26. Jacob deGrom has been nothing short of fantastic and is a serious contender to win NL Cy Young. Noah Syndergaard might well be the NL Rookie of The Year. Pretty impressive that two of your starters can be mentioned for such prestigious individual awards.
However, the two guys who have really impressed are Jon Niese and Matt Harvey. Both battling back from arm injuries this year to prove they are fully capable of carrying this ball club with their ability to throw the baseball. Niese has been able to overcome the “Inning of doom” that always seemed to plague him in previous years. After Tommy John surgery expectations for Harvey were low due to the severity of the injury. Earlier in the year he went through a rough patch where too many balls were going over the fence but now he has turned that around to the tune of a 2.57 ERA. As long as these guys can continue to pitch the way they have all year then the Mets should be in good shape.
David Wright
David Wright has been injured all season, minus 8 games, and the Mets have not faired well in his absence at 3rd base, batting .232 on the season from whomever they have stuck there. Juan Uribe has been a solid addition in the field and has had some timely home runs but he owns a .169 average since the trade, which is terrible.
Wright is unquestionably the leader of the Mets on and off the field, the lasting image of him following Wilmer Flores into the clubhouse on that unforgettable night proved that. There was no coincidence that he was in the dugout for a good portion of the recent Mets hot stretch. Of course there are no promises Wright will come back this season, even with the rumors that he will return when the Mets head to Philadelphia next week. With the addition of Wright the entire lineup will get a boost and should be more productive.
The Bullpen
Other then the little hiccup that Jeurys Familia had in the weeks after the All-Star break, he has been pretty much lights out most of the season and was arguable 1st half MVP for the Mets. Tyler Clippard is a pro and is the elite type of set-up man the Mets looked for at the deadline, even though he can make things interesting. Hansel Robles has come out of nowhere this year proving he is a valuable young flamethrower for late relief.
After that, well, it gets very shaky to say the least. Bobby Parnell seems like he cannot get out of his own way lately. Whether it be walking the lead off hitter to start the inning or throwing the ball into centerfield, nothing seems to be working and his time with the Mets should be on thin ice. Carlos Torres is not someone who anyone can really trust to hold a lead in a big game right now as he just is not that type of reliever and seems to be burnt out this year after appearing in 110 games over the last 2 years.
Either the Mets are going to be forced to find another trade partner for late relief, which seems unlikely at this point, or they will have to solve the problem internally. Vic Black seems to be in Mets bullpen jail, yes he has walked a few too many batters in the minors this year with an absurd 7.2 walks per 9, but had a 2.60 ERA in 41 games in 2014. Surely he deserves a shot. Two names to keep an eye on are Erik Goeddel and Josh Smoker. Goeddel, who pitched well before getting hurt with a 1.96 ERA but mostly pitched in low leverage situations. Smoker is the one who is turning heads with his mid-90’s fastball from the left side down in double A. A former first round pick by the Nationals, Smoker has struck out 56 batters in 43.2 innings pitched. Somehow, someway the Mets relievers are going to have to step up because the starters cannot go 8 innings every night.
Terry Collins
The love-hate relationship between Mets fans and Terry Collins is actually comical at this point. Nevertheless he is the guy who is driving this boat and will have to continue to press the right buttons, hopefully well into October. The use of his bullpen has been less then admirable, which is something that has plagued Collins throughout his tenure with the Mets.
There have been many times over the past 5 years where the Mets could justifiably fire Collins but the players really seem to love playing for him. Quite a few times throughout the 2015 season fans have wondered “Why is this guy coming in to pitch” or “Why is he pinch hitting with Eric Campbell” but Collins has been right more then wrong lately, which is something you always want out of your manager.
The Home Crowd
Mets fans its time to sell out every game from here on out. I wrote before the season started that I had hoped the Wilpons could turn Citifield into our home field advantage just like how Shea Stadium was. After the Nationals game on ESPN a few weeks ago that dream came true. Mets fans get loud when they have something to root for, easily one of the best fanbase’s in all of baseball. Seeing Citi almost sell out last Wednesday night was something I did not expect to see this year. The fans have to be the extra energy, give the players an extra boost of energy down the stretch.
However, do not boo these guys like what happened the other night to Parnell. These guys battle every night and are trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2006. Cheer and clap your hands. No matter the situation or outcome supporting this team is the only way to go about it for the rest of the season.
The Mets have what it takes, their grit and toughness has been relentless throughout the season. Now it is put up or shut up time. Guys have to step up and do things they are not used to doing. Clutch hitting, big-time pitching and smart decisions will all be vital to the Mets playoff run. So buckle up and get ready because it should be one hell of a ride.
