When things are right, this team is fun.

Of course, the same can be said for any team, in any league, in any sport. But as we know in this 2019 edition of Mets’ Hysteria, the boys have given us far more jeer than cheer. There have been lumps, bumps, and slumps. There have been balls booted, botched, and blundered. We’ve seen our off-season acquired slugger Robinson Cano (and career .843 OPS turned .679 in ’19) teeter between disappearance and disappointment. We’ve seen our heralded defensive shortstop Amed Rosario struggle at short.

We’ve also seen an outfield comprised of infielders, foundational arms flounder, and at times, more fight between club and beat than fight on the field.  And most frustrating of all, we’ve seen lead after countless lead squandered by a woeful bullpen that ranks 28th in the MLB with a 5.38 ERA.

It’s all cumulated in a disappointing 44-51 record. But as we’ve seen through fleeting moments, sporadic victories, and these past four wins, this team can be flat out fun to watch.

We’ve already fawned over McNeil’s daily grit and hit (.348/.408/.511), and Pete Alonso’s awe-inspiring power (.272/.368/.612). The young sluggers seem none the worse for wear despite their sullen surroundings. Remember when Alonso should have been kept in the minors to start the season? Remember when McNeil was almost a throw-in by way of JFK to SeaTac? Oh yeah, and deGrom is still good (3.21 ERA, 3.4 WAR, 11.3 K/9).

But there’s even more fun in this bunch. During yesterday’s 14-4 win over the Twins, we’ve seen Dominic Smith come full circle, from once heralded prospect to organizational disappointment, from resurgence to replaced, from buried potential to power and prominence.

After yesterday’s home run and 4 RBI performance, he’s upped his triple-slash line to.287/.371/.513. He’s also yet to make an error in left field. Most of all, Dom seems as good of a guy and person as our aforementioned All-Stars – character counts. And while his rah-rah presence and boyhood smile light up the clubhouse, his poise and approach now light up the scoreboard. And he just may be earning his place as Mets left fielder of present and future.

Amed Rosario continues to slowly but steadily earn his stripes. His defense has undoubtedly lagged, there’s no way around that. The metrics show what we’ve all seen. He’s on the wrong side of the NL leaderboard in most defensive categories, including errors committed (12), FPCT (.961), and DWAR (-1.0).

Ironically, however, this defense-first prospect is slowly emerging as an offensive asset. His numbers are rising, albeit still nothing to write home about. After yesterday’s 4-for-4 day at the plate, he’s now hitting .274/.313/.441. He is contributing both in power and contact. His speed is still there. And most importantly, he’s still young and learning.

Michael Conforto continues to block out the naysayers, disregard the predictable over-hype that comes with NY media, and produce. Is he the next coming of Mike Trout? Certainly not. But that’s not on him. That’s on those who rushed to hoist him on that pedestal.

He’s still more than solid and showing signs of an offensive anchor. His ’19 .839 OPS is above his career .829. His .251 BA of ’19 is the same as his career BA. He’s on pace to put together a three year total of 100 HRs. He plays out of position without sans complaint, even tracks down a few big flies. And when he’s right, there’s nothing more gorgeous that that swing.

There’s a young, exuberant core amid this lineup. There’s grit, character, and pure joy. And we haven’t even seen the sultan of all smiles in Brandon Nimmo (remember him?) since what seems like years. Throw in the could be untapped offensive J.D. Davis (.275/.342/.459 and 9 HRs in a sporadic 228 ABs),  and you’ve got more than the makings of something special.

And like with any team, when things are right, they’re fun. You can see it these past few days on the field and in the dugout. Sure, winning cures all ills… and boy has this club and fan base been ailing. But when a few balls bounce our way or when the opposition hands us a few extra outs, it’s a healthy reminder of the joy that comes with this game and with this young and potentially exciting team. What often and understandably goes forgotten is the fight this lineup has shown despite (or at times in spite of) the inevitable ‘pen-plosion. Yet each day, these hitters have shown up to fight, scrap, and do their jobs.

If the deliberately undermentioned rotation and unavoidably mentioned bullpen can even regress to the mean, there’s something here. This team is much closer to contention than rebuild. Whether they dramatically climb back into the ’19 conversation (#YGB) or retool and refocus on building towards 2020 and beyond, this team has something.

Maybe it’s something to smile about, if even between heartbreak. Maybe it’s something to look forward to, if even when the walls come tumbling in. Maybe there’s enough rebound in the rotation to remind us of 2015, if even we tend to forget. It’s important to realize that this four-game win streak may be just that. It’s important to temper expectations which we know is not easy around here.

It’s important to enjoy these wins, if even in a vacuum, and to take each game one at a time. (Next stop, San Francisco.) But one thing that’s definite, despite the madness that defines Mets’ Hysteria, or maybe even because of the madness, is that when things are right, this team is fun.