Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
For the second-straight week, no NL East team is in the same spot in the standings as they were seven days ago. This time however, some separation has been created among the five times, with the Mets grabbing first place on the strength of a seven-game winning streak, and the Nationals falling to the cellar behind a 1-6 week.
The Mets are making it work despite injuries up and down the roster, while the Braves have yet to realize their potential thus far through a month and a half. The Phillies meanwhile are hanging around despite their own adversity, and are breathing down the neck of the Mets.
The two teams at the top have plenty of time to jockey for position, as they don’t face each other until late June.
1. New York Mets (18-13)
Last 10: 8-2
Who’s Hot: Patrick Mazeika
Mazeika, the Mets third catcher who’s only on the team due to injuries, has etched himself in history books this past week. As the last man off the bench, Mazeika has two walk-off RBI over the six days, both on grounders to the right side where the runner on third was able to beat the play at the plate. He’s the only player in the last 100 years with multiple walk-offs before recording a big league hit.
Dominic Smith is also 7-for-his-last-10 with runners in scoring position.
Who’s Not: James McCann
The catcher, who the Mets signed to a four-year, $40 million deal this offseason, is the only player not making some sort of contribution at the plate. McCann is hitting just .200 on the year with an OPS of .496. He’s only 1-for-his-last-13 and his lone extra base-hit came back in mid-April.
Injury Report
The scariest phrase a Met fan can imagine, “Jacob deGrom to the IL” became reality this week, as the superstar righty hit the shelf with ride side soreness. The good news is that MRIs revealed no structural damage, and the hope is deGrom will only miss one turn in the rotation.
Brandon Nimmo should start a rehab assignment soon and Jeff McNeil is expected to be in the lineup on Friday according to manager Luis Rojas.
Outlook
Maybe the most impressive part of the Mets’ winning streak is that most of it has been done without the services of deGrom. The entire pitching staff has picked up the slack, and the bats have done enough to win, especially late in games. The pitching has been constant all year, but we’re starting to see what this team could be when the bats match the output of the arms.
This weekend’s three-game set at the Rays, last year’s World Series runner-up, should provide a pretty decent barometer for the state of the team at this point in the season.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (20-17, 1 GB)
Last 10: 7-3
Who’s Hot: Odubel Herrera
The center fielder has caught fire for Philadelphia, slashing .375/.464/.708 with two home runs and five RBI over his last seven games. His game-tying solo homer in the ninth inning Wednesday led to an extra-inning victory for the Phillies.
Who’s Not: Alec Bohm
Last year’s Rookie of the Year runner-up has had an inauspicious start to the season, hitting.215 with an OPS of .580. Over his last seven games the young third baseman is slashing just .185/.214/.333 with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Injury Report
All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto was placed on the COVID IL Thursday and shortstop Didi Gregorius is nursing an elbow injury. The hope is that Gregorius will just need a couple days off and can avoid an IL stint.
Outlook
The Phillies just keep finding ways to stick around. They are what they are: A team with elite top-level talent that’s hampered by inconsistencies. Aaron Nola has been elite at times and average at others, Zack Wheeler has been the team’s best starter, but the rotation isn’t getting much done behind that duo. An “improved” bullpen is still 25th in the majors in ERA. There’s too much talent in Philadelphia to not be competitive, but being able to win with any kind of consistency is the real obstacle.
3. Atlanta Braves (17-19, 3.5 GB)
Last 10: 5-5
Who’s Hot: Pablo Sandoval
The Kung-Fu Panda isn’t close to the player he once was, but has enjoyed a bit of a career revival for the Braves as a pinch-hitting extraordinaire. Sandoval has four homers and an OPS of 1.083 on the year, and his two-run bomb tied the game in the bottom of the ninth Saturday in an eventual Brave win.
Who’s Not: Freddie Freeman
The power has been there for Freeman, who has nine homers on the year, but he’s currently hitting 80 points under his career average at .213. The reigning NL MVP showed some life of late, going 5-for-10 over three games from Saturday to Tuesday, but hadn’t had a hit in May up until that point and went 0-4 with three strikeouts on Wednesday. Freeman will almost certainly figure things out and finish with his normal stellar numbers, but the struggling Braves need that to happen sooner than later.
Injury Report
Mike Soroka suffered a setback in his rehab from an Achilles tear that ended his season last August. There was hope the Braves’ ace would return at some point this season, but he will undergo exploratory surgery next week, putting that comeback in doubt.
Outlook
Winners of the last three division crowns, the Braves are struggling to win with any sort of consistency. Part of the problem has been the bullpen, as Atlanta has lost three games when leading after seven innings – they were 23-0 in those situations last year. Late-inning issues prompted the Braves to re-sign reliever Shane Greene off the streets. He should join the team sometime in the next couple weeks as he ramps up for big league action.
4. Miami Marlins (16-20, 4.5 GB)
Last 10: 5-5
Who’s Hot: Miguel Rojas
The pesky shortstop has been a steady presence throughout the year for Miami. Rojas is hitting .279 with 13 RBI and an OPS of .800 on the year and has two homers and a .308 average over his last seven.
Who’s Not: Isan Diaz
Starting virtually every day for the injured Jazz Chisholm Jr., Diaz is hitting an anemic .152 on the year. After a 3-for-7 stretch last week, Diaz is hitless in his last five games, going 0-12 in that span.
Injury Report
There’s some welcome good news on the injury front for the Marlins, as both catcher Jorge Alfaro and rookie infielder Chisholm began rehab assignments this week.
Outlook
Oddly, heading into Wednesday, the Marlins were the only team in the division with a plus run differential. When they win, they win big, like they did over a four-game victorious streak last week that saw them outscore the Diamondbacks and Brewers 26-5. The problem of course is that they don’t win enough. With Chisholm and Alfaro on the precipice of a return and Brian Anderson and Starling Marte waiting in the wings, there’s no reason the Fish can’t compete in the middle of the pack in the NL East.
5. Washington Nationals (13-19, 5.5 GB)
Last 10: (3-7)
Who’s Hot: Starlin Castro
For the last decade, Castro has done one thing consistently no matter what team he’s on, and that’s hit the baseball. The Nats’ third baseman has a base-hit in every game he’s played in this month, including a 4-for-5 performance on Wednesday, bringing his average over the last seven games up to a blistering .480.
Who’s Not: Brad Hand
The Nationals closer has had a nightmare few days. Hand blew a save against the Yankees on Saturday in an eventual loss, then gave up the winning run Sunday in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth. Wednesday, Hand gave up two runs over one-plus innings of work, taking the loss in an extra-inning affair with Philadelphia.
Injury Report
Stephen Strasburg threw four innings of a simulated game on Tuesday and could be headed for a rehab stint sooner than later as he recovers from shoulder inflammation that landed him on the IL in mid-April.
Outlook
The Nationals are in an absolute freefall, losers of seven of their last eight. They haven’t scored more than three runs in any of those loses, and were twice walked off on by the Yankees in the Bronx over the weekend. Two years ago, a remarkable second half after a brutal start led to a World Series win, but the division is stronger this time around, and the Nats can’t let themselves fall too deep into a hole – especially since they’re only two games into a stretch of 13-straight.
