John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Bright spots were few and far between for the Mets last week in the midst of one of the team’s more disappointing stretches in recent memory. Despite splitting a doubleheader with the Atlanta Braves before going 1-5 against the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies, both Daniel Vogelbach and Drew Smith provided solid production while also generating optimism for their own seasons moving forward.

Hitter of the Week

Amidst a particularly dismal week for the Mets’ offense, Daniel Vogelbach came through with timely hitting and built upon his rather strong start to his 2023 campaign.

In game one of the doubleheader against Atlanta on Monday afternoon, Vogelbach drew a first inning walk against ace Spencer Strider while also adding a single off of him in the third to keep a rally going. In game two, Vogelbach opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI double off Charlie Morton. Additionally, he drew a walk in the sixth inning that was a catalyst for Francisco Álvarez’s game-winning two-run double.

In game two of Wednesday’s twin bill against the Tigers, Vogelbach drove in the Mets’ only run of the game on a double off Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning. He recorded one of the team’s five hits in their shutout win over the Rockies on Friday night before homering off Daniel Bard in the seventh inning on Sunday afternoon.

All in all, Vogelbach finished the week with a .250/.348/.500 slash line to go with one home run and four RBI, both of which tied for the team lead.

Pitcher of the Week

The Mets’ pitching staff did little to inspire confidence this week, but Drew Smith continued to set himself apart as a reliable late-inning option out of the bullpen.

Smith’s first appearance came in game two on Monday, where he recorded two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings of work against the bottom of the Braves’ order while also picking up his second win of the season in the process.

Smith’s second appearance came in the eighth inning of Thursday’s loss in Detroit where he mowed through the top of the Tigers’ lineup despite hitting Javier Báez with a pitch. His third and final outing of the week came in Friday’s win over the Rockies, as he picked up two strikeouts on 11 pitches on his way to yet another scoreless appearance and his seventh hold of the year.

In total, Smith threw 3 1/3 innings over three appearances while striking out five batters and allowing zero runs.