I think that the Mets, including Terry Collins have figured out what to do with this lineup. The Mets seem to be clicking a bit lately and I believe it has to do with the lineup being somewhat steady. Collins is still trying to figure out what works for him, but the addition of Eric Young has solidified the top of the order and his versatility of playing second base has been a key addition as well. It keeps him in the game without having to shuffle too many guys at the top of the lineup, and on his off days Omar Quintanilla can then be thrown in to lead off.
Josh Satin has been a surprise only to me I suppose, because I felt that his promotion was more because Ike Davis couldn’t handle the corner position, and not to take anything way from Satin, but can we honestly say that if Ike was running on all cylinders that Satin would even be on the roster. But his recent success of clutch hits and batting .390 has kept Ike Davis in the back burner and the focus on Satin as a key component to this lineup. He may not have the power that Ike has, but I’d rather see a guy get three hits in a game and be productive, then strike out twice with a home run and not be as productive. Satin has what the Mets need for right now and with added confidence, who knows where that can take him.
As David Wright plays toward an All Star game start, he leads the team with hits (91), triples (5) and RBI’s (42) walks (39), and stolen bases (14), and once again he seems to be surrounded around players that are worth watching. Daniel Murphy is playing steady baseball and probably does warrant an all star nod and Marlon Byrd has put up some decent numbers the first half tying Wright with 12 hrs only second to the struggling John Buck (13 hrs), second to Wright in doubles (14) and second in RBIs (40). Juan Lagares has played in the last 8 games and started 7. His numbers haven’t been anything near what is expected of a center fielder, but he has played well defensively to keep putting him out there with the hopes that he will figure it out at the plate. The last nine plate appearances he has three hits and hopefully his July will be one to build on.
The other players from Andrew Brown, Omar Quintanilla and even Anthony Recker have had key hits of late to help the team try to turn this ship around. The Mets would surprise the world if they turned the second half into playoff baseball, but lately they are exciting to watch again.
The pitching at times will make you scratch your head, but the starters have been somewhat consistent and the bullpen is a work in progress. But the long term view of the starting rotation is that Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler will be the stars to build around. Wheeler in his first start showed some promise and then he has struggled in his last two starts. But just like Harvey struggled last season, the hope is that Wheeler’s early struggles will turn into seasons to come of much promise.
The Mets are 6-4 in their last ten games, only 10 games under .500 and with the all star game around the corner, the hope is they can continue this trend and salvage a season that looked like a total collapse only a month ago. Maybe they have figured it out, maybe Collins is pushing the right buttons, but whatever it may be, the future seems bright again……. For now.
