In what could have been a promising away stand for the Mets against the two worst NL East teams, the Mets delivered a mediocre result last week, going 3-3. They lost the series against the Nationals, then traveled to Atlanta, where it seemed like they were righting the ship by winning the first two games big, 12-7 and 9-2, only to suffer another blown lead to drop the final game. Overall, the Mets are 69-61 on the season, with a game and a half lead over the Reds for the last Wild Card spot entering Monday.

Offensive Player of the Week: Mark Vientos

Vientos is starting to swing a good bat, something fans have been waiting for the whole season. Since August 17, Vientos has smashed five home runs and driven in 11 RBIs. He slashed .357/.387/.964 with an OPS of 1.351 during this span. He had a multi-home run game against the Braves on Saturday, August 23. Both of these home runs were over 410 feet. When Vientos gets going, he deepens this lineup greatly.

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Pitcher of the Week: David Peterson

Last week was solid for David Peterson. He had two starts. The first start was spectacular. He went eight innings, giving up only four hits, one walk, and one earned run while striking out 10 batters. He followed that up with another sound performance on Sunday, where he went 5 ⅔ innings while striking out eight. He was cruising in this game until the sixth inning, in which a missed opportunity to convert a double play by the defense cost Peterson. He wound up giving up two earned runs in this start before ultimately getting pulled afterwards.

Honorable Mention: Jeff McNeil

The versatile Jeff McNeil had himself a week. Jeff hit for contact with a remarkable .353 average last week. He also hit for power, slugging three home runs and driving in nine RBIs. His final slash line was .353/.450/1.000 with an OPS of 1.450. Jeff has also been a resourceful fielder playing multiple positions, and increased his flexibility by playing first base for an inning in Sunday’s game.

Up Next

The Mets start a critical home stand, starting with the first-place Phillies. The Mets currently sit seven games behind the Phillies in the NL East. Winning this series can prove pivotal in the playoff picture. They then host the Marlins, who sit in third place in the NL East with a 61-69 record, and are coming off a 2-4 week. The Mets have to take advantage of this series to fortify their position in the playoff picture.