The New York Mets haven’t gotten off to the start they may have wanted to this season, considering all the lofty predictions in the off-season and boasting the best starting rotation in baseball.
Of course, the Met teams of 1986, 2000, and 2015 all opened their seasons at a record of 2-3, so needless to say there’s a lot of baseball still left to play, and in no way time to panic…just yet.
What I’m concerned about is the abysmal offensive production the Mets have displayed over the first five games. Besides game two and an early run scored in the second inning of the Mets Home Opener, their offense hasn’t generated much until the sixth inning on. This on one hand is positive because they’re able to rally late and get to the visiting bullpens, but discouraging because they’re not hitting against the starting pitching.
And with the Mets not yet facing tougher starting pitching from upcoming opponents such as the Indians, Giants, Dodgers, and Nationals, one has to hope that they are due for some better offensive games sooner rather than later.
Taking a look at MLB.com and their team statistics page, the Mets team batting numbers are paltry compared to the other twenty-nine clubs. After Sunday’s loss to the Phillies, the Mets now rank dead last in team batting at .180. They rank second to last in OBP at .275, barely beating out the Los Angeles Angels who currently stand at .273. The Mets also rank last in SLG at .255, and due to the low numbers in all three categories places them last in team OPS at .529. Not the kind of start the Mets were hoping to get off to with what seemed to be a more complete and competent lineup heading into this year.
Scoring runs has been an issue for this team early on, with a total of 14 runs scored so far. Compare that to teams many considered to be under-performing this year in the Braves (17 runs), Phillies (18), Brewers (21), and the Padres (29), and it makes it even more alarming.
Part of the reason the Mets have had trouble scoring runs is their inability to hit home-runs or get extra-base-hits. Neil Walker and Yoenis Cespedes each have one home run on the season, and that accounts for the only two the Mets have on the early season. Or to put it another way, rookie sensation Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies had as many home runs as the Mets currently have in game one of the season back on April 4 against the Diamondbacks.
The lack of extra-base-hits has also hurt the Mets. They’re currently tied for last with the Angels with 8. Not hitting for power and getting guys into scoring position impedes the chances of scoring runs, relying solely on walks and singles to get the job done. While it’s not a bad thing to draw walks and hit singles, it puts a lot of onus on the next batter to produce, and since many of the Mets haven’t hit their stride just yet, it has resulted in many 1-2-3 innings thus far.
Again it’s very early in the season, and five games definitely does not tell the complete picture of what’s to come for the remaining 157 games. However, it’s something to keep an eye on going forward, especially considering the Mets are going to face stronger opponents coming up in the next few weeks.
They need to beat up on the teams they’re supposed to, and that means taking advantage of two rebuilding teams in their own division in the Braves and Phillies. The Phillies got the best of them this opening weekend; hopefully the Mets can seek some revenge when they travel down the turnpike to face the Phillies in a three game set starting April 18th.
