Now in the home stretch, the Mets have kept their eyes on the prize and swept the Red Sox in another clear signal of intent. Talk about a perfect way to begin a crucial homestand.

As a result, the Mets have now won seven straight and are gathering all the momentum at exactly the perfect time. They remain hot on the heels of the Braves for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. New York is also now a season-high 12 games over .500.

This team appears to be getting red-hot when it matters the most. We should be in for a very fun September.

And, with that, let’s dive deep into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 UP

LEAVING HIS MARK

Jesse Winker could go down as the best pickup of the entire trade deadline. He’s certainly in the conversation. The one-time Mets nemesis has done nothing but mash since arriving in Queens. He’s come up with big hit after big hit, including in the Red Sox series. Although silent in the first two games, Winker saved his best for last by hitting a first inning grand slam to set the tone in the series finale. A monster hit set the Mets up perfectly to complete the sweep.

Since being acquired from the Nationals at the deadline, Winker is hitting .306/.341/.471/.811 with three homers, five doubles, 12 runs scored and 13 RBIs for the Mets. Now, that’s what you call making an impact.

SEASON FOR THE AGES

I’ve long been a proponent of there being an MVP Award and an award for Best Player. For instance, looking at this year, Shohei Ohtani would win the Best Player Award and Francisco Lindor would be crowned the NL MVP. Without Lindor, the Mets would have been dead and buried long ago. As special a player as Ohtani is, the Dodgers are arguably still a playoff team with or without him. But the Mets depend on Lindor. That was proved with the shortstop continuing his season for the ages against Boston, going 6-for-12 with two doubles, a home run, four runs scored and four RBIs.

He now has a 33-game on-base streak and a 15-game hitting streak. Furthermore, Lindor continues to lead the National League with a 7.3 fWAR. We’re witnessing something truly special with Lindor this year, and he deserves all the accolades coming his way, even if he does miss out on the NL MVP.

TIMELY BOOST

Everything seems to be going perfectly for the Mets right now. Case in point: Kodai Senga could return before the end of the regular season. Senga threw an impressive bullpen session on Wednesday, and he’s eligible to return off the IL on Sept. 25. If that were to happen, that would be a significant boon for the Mets rotation with the Wild Card race likely to go right down to the wire. Having Senga available for the postseason would also be huge. Furthermore, Paul Blackburn is set to return to the rotation early next week against the Blue Jays. As such, the Mets are getting key reinforcements back when they need them the most. Having a healthy rotation could prove to be the difference down the stretch.

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

GOING SHORT

Tylor Megill didn’t exactly cover himself in glory in his start on Wednesday. The righty allowed three earned runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. More significantly, he only went four innings. Consequently, Megill has only pitched six innings once in his last five starts for the Mets. He opened the door for the Red Sox to get back into the game in the finale. Thankfully, some aggressive management from Carlos Mendoza, a stellar showing from the bullpen, and clutch hitting got Megill off the hook. But, with Blackburn coming back and Senga set to return at the end of the month, Megill’s short-term future could be pitching out of the bullpen.

TOUGH NIGHT

Pete Alonso did hit a home run in this series, but that two-run shot on Tuesday was a rare bright spot. Other than that, the slugger struggled against Boston. He went 0-for-3 in the opener with a strikeout, before striking out three times and going 0-for-4 in a tough game on Wednesday. Alonso continues to struggle in clutch situations and with runners on this year. He is now hitting just .211 with RISP after going 0-for-2 with runners on in the finale. If the Mets are to punch their postseason ticket, and then play deep into October, they need their power hitter to start coming through in the clutch consistently.

NO HELP

The Mets are doing all they can right now to keep their postseason hopes alive. They are giving it their all and can’t really do much else. At some point, they will need help from elsewhere. And that help needs to come in the form of the Braves finally succumbing to a boatload of adversity and falling out of it. Or the Padres and the Diamondbacks slowing down. And, with the Cubs going on a heater and not going away quietly, the Mets can’t afford to run into any kind of losing streak. All the Mets can do is keep on winning, but they will also need a helping hand from elsewhere sometime soon to extend their season.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Stay Red-Hot With Sox Sweep appeared first on Metsmerized.

All hope may be lost as far as the 2023 season is concerned, but this team appears to be having fun now the shackles have been lifted with the pressure firmly off. The Mets, with an infusion of young talent, have nothing left to lose and can play with a lot of freedom the rest of the way.

That was certainly the case over the weekend as the Mets took two out of three from a red-hot Seattle team at Citi Field. The Mariners entered the series with the best winning percentage in the AL (.759) in August. They also ranked first in average (.283), OPS (.860) and ERA (3.14), as well as ranking third in runs per game (5.8).

However, the Amazins’ were able to clinch the series thanks to some impressive all-round baseball. They also went toe-to-toe with an explosive offense in their lone loss in a three-game set that offered up a myriad of positives for the future.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

3 Up

Future Ace

Kodai Senga has been nothing short of a revelation in his rookie year in Major League Baseball. He’s handled the transition to playing ball in America perfectly, and he’s been the brightest beacon of hope in a tough season for the Mets. And, after another dominant outing on the mound on Friday, Senga proved that he has the stuff and the mentality to become an ace for this team in the future. That could come as soon as 2024 with Senga and José Quintana the only certainties in what has been a hot mess of a rotation. Senga certainly looked like an ace on Friday, absolutely dominating a powerhouse of a Seattle lineup. He was absolutely masterful again, tying a season-high mark with 12 strikeouts and giving up just one run on five hits with two walks. Yes, Senga’s lone run given up was a home run to J.P. Crawford, but it is only the second homer he’s allowed in his last eight games.

Senga now ranks third in the National League in ERA with a hugely impressive 3.08 mark. That may earn him some Cy Young consideration — and it should — and it could also cement his status as the Mets’ ace in 2024. And you can strongly argue that too should also be the case.

Worth The Wait

The Mets waited nearly all season for Ronny Mauricio, who many fans were calling for them to bring up a long time ago. However, you can’t put the milk back in the udder and, instead, it was worth the wait. Mauricio wasted little time in looking at home in the bigs, and he energized a Citi Field crowd that have long craved a real spark to get behind this year. Mauricio proved to be that spark as he ripped a scorching double in his debut on Friday. It was an absolute rocket of a shot that left the bat at an incredible 117.3 mph. It was the hardest-hit ball by a Met this season, and the 11th-hardest hit baseball in the majors all year. Impressive stuff.

117.3 mph for Ronny Mauricio’s first big league hit is absurd.

pic.twitter.com/U34OUzjNdQ

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) September 2, 2023

However, not content with delivering a golden first impression, Mauricio continued to thrive on the big stage throughout the weekend. Almost as if he were making up for lost time, the prospect collected two more hits and his first stolen base in Saturday’s 8-7 loss. Mauricio then collected another hit on Sunday as he finished his first weekend in The Show 5-for-11 with one double and two stolen bases. The shortstop also looked solid in the field, starting at second base where he made a couple of notable plays. It’s a very small sample size, but Mauricio’ skillset certainly looks like it can translate to the majors and he’ll have chance to earn a full-time role in 2024 down the stretch.

It was a long time coming, but Mauricio’s Mets debut was well worth the wait.

Just Extend The Guy

Let’s lead off with this: Pete Alonso now has three 40-homer seasons. That’s as many as the rest of the Mets in team history combined. The others, if you’re interested: Carlos Beltrán, Todd Hundley, Mike Piazza. Also, Alonso became just one of five players who’ve had 40-homer seasons within their first five seasons. Already in that exclusive club are Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard.

This latest slice of history came as Alonso slugged his 40th and 41st home runs of the season in the rubber match win over Seattle on Sunday. The masher also reached 100 RBIs in a three-hit, four-RBI day, which included scoring Francisco Lindor with a laser of a single. That sequence not only highlighted Lindor’s insane speed and aggressive baserunning, but also that Alonso is much more than just a home run hitter. He can put the ball in play and make things happen too.

That’s another 40 home run season for Pete Alonso.

He now owns three of the six 40 home run seasons in Mets’ history.

The 115.6 mph two-run shot also increased his season RBI total to 99.

4-0 #Mets, bottom 3. pic.twitter.com/FlsH0iVJ7k

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) September 3, 2023

All of this makes the current situation involving the Mets and Alonso all the more baffling. The organization as a whole has done little to dispel all the negative stories about Alonso currently doing the rounds, nor shut down talk that their star slugger could be traded during the offseason. There appears to be no rhyme or reason as to why the Mets won’t just extend the heartbeat of this team, and one of the best power hitters in the game right now. Not to mention of his generation. Alonso is doing historical things at the plate, and hell should freeze over before he’s allowed to wear another team’s uniform. Owner Steve Cohen needs to make sure an extension gets done. And soon.

Mark Vientos. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

3 Down

Minor Setback

Baseball can be a cruel sport sometimes. Mark Vientos had started to flash tantalizing signs of breaking out offensively in his last three games. However, after going 2-for-3 with a home run on Saturday, Vientos left the game after the seventh inning after hurting his right foot while running the bases. As of writing this, there’s still no word on the extent of Vientos’s sore right foot, but it would be a blow if he were to miss any amount of time down the stretch. He looked like he was on the cusp of getting hot, going 5-for-10 with two homers in his last three games. Let’s hope it’s nothing too serious.

Pitching Struggles

The Mets played a lot of A+ baseball this weekend against one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. To clinch the series was impressive. However, one could make the case that they could have wrapped this series up on Saturday. After all, the offense managed to go toe-to-toe with an explosive Seattle lineup, twice mounting a big comeback. But, despite the best efforts of the bats, it was pitching that let them down. David Peterson struggled in his latest start, giving up four runs on seven hits and striking out four. Peterson gave his offense a tall task, as did the bullpen. Grant Hartwig couldn’t keep the score close after giving up a two-run shot to Dominic Canzone. Adam Ottavino then gave up a leadoff homer to J.P. Crawford and that was the ballgame. Saturday’s pitching no-show proved to be the only real blemish on an overall spotless weekend for the Mets.

Under The Knife Again?

It was reported by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on Sunday that Starling Marte may need another groin surgery, identical to the one he underwent last November. It is worth stressing that surgery is only a possibility at this point, a worst-case scenario if Marte doesn’t continue to progress. He spent the last week in Philadelphia working with a lower-leg specialist who has helped the likes of Tiger Woods and Sidney Crosby in the past. Marte, who hasn’t played since early August, hasn’t been fully healthy since the end of 2022. Injuries clearly hampered the outfielder’s 2023 season, where he has a .248/.301/.324 slash line with five homers over 86 games. Logic would dictate that shutting Marte down for the rest of the year is the best option for the Mets, but you also have to wonder what damage another groin surgery may do to his 2024 season.

The 63-74 Mets have an off day on Labor Day before hitting the road on Tuesday to open up a two-game series against the Nationals.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Clinch Series Against Red-Hot Mariners appeared first on Metsmerized.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso means business in 2023.

Great players have the innate ability to be able to drag their team through adversity. Alonso is doing that for the New York Mets right now. He may also be the most consistent and the most potent hitter in all of baseball.

Alonso entered Friday night’s game against the Giants tied for the major lead with nine homers with Patrick Wisdom of the Cubs. Alonso’s red hot bat ensured he became the first player to reach the 10 home runs plateau in 2023. He’s also tied for the most runs batted in on the year with 23 after a four RBI night on Friday. It helped lead the Mets to their seventh win in eight games, despite the bevy of injuries to a ravaged starting rotation.

“I want to be able to do what I can to help the team win every night,” Alonso said after the game. “I was very fortunate to come through, especially with the bases loaded and two outs, and I feel that really turned the game and put the game on ice. I was really proud of that at-bat. I’m just really happy that I could help the team win.”

While Alonso became the first player in Mets history to hit at least 40 homers in two different seasons – 53 in his rookie year in 2019 and 40 in 2022 – it is the way in which the masher is approaching his at-bats in 2023 that seems to be making all the difference. He has found a way to harness the power that has always been there and take it to the next level. Alonso’s Home Run Percentage has dramatically risen to 10.8% through 21 games, and he ranks in the 91st percentile for Max Exit Velocity, the 92nd percentile in Barrel %, the 96th percentile in xBA, and the 99th percentile in xSLG and xwOBA.

It is also worth noting that Alonso now has the same amount of home runs as the Cleveland Guardians do as a team combined, and more than the Washington Nationals have hit this year as a collective unit (9). That’s pretty damn impressive. Alonso has more home runs now than he did at this stage of his rookie year where he hit 53 homers. He’s currently on pace for 77 dingers and you get the sense that he’s standing on the precipice of a truly special year. If that indeed happens and the slugger creates more history in a Mets uniform, then it will all boil down to an offseason spent working on his craft and making the kind of slight tweaks that are paying dividends right now.

Pete Alonso’s start to the season really is something.

He’s now got four runs batted in on the night. Up to 23 on the season. Tied for the major-league lead.

7-0 #Mets, top 9. pic.twitter.com/Rmp2TuvV9W

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 22, 2023

“I’ve put in a lot of work,” Alonso said. “I do a deep dive into my game every offseason and I work hard mentally, physically and try and do the best I can to prepare. All I want to do every single night is go out there and play my best. I’m extremely happy with how I’ve been able to capitalize and I’m very happy with myself. I want to continue to stay within myself and play my game.”

Alonso now has the most home runs any Met has ever hit before the end of April. He’s slugging at an insane rate and is destroying baseballs without a single sliver of mercy. The fact he has launched four long balls on this road trip is a major reason why the Mets have been able to withstand a boatload of adversity and improve to 7-1 on the West Coast trip with a +24 run differential.

He isn’t only impacting games with the long ball, however. Although that has been a major part of his success so far this season. No, Alonso is also putting the ball in play as seen by his two-run single against the Giants, and he currently owns an on-base percentage of .376. The righty also owns a career-high 11.8% Base on Balls Percentage, while he ranks in the 86th percentile among first basemen in Outs Above Average, highlighting his continued improvement in the field.

Overall, Alonso is spearheading the efforts of a team that is currently tied for second-most wins in the majors, and tied for the most in the National League, and he’s doing it in a slew of different ways. If he can keep this current pace up, then not only is it possible that Alonso will end up as the new home run king in Major League Baseball, but he will also play a major role in helping the Mets to potentially banish some postseason demons come October.

“We fell short in the postseason last year and I just wanted to do what I could to get better,” Alonso told the New York Post. “If I could get better and contribute a little bit more or kind of evolve as a player, I feel like that could help the team. For me, I took it upon myself to work hard in the offseason, whether that being mentally or physically and trying to hone in on the stuff I could get better at offensively or defensively.”

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