What happened to the team that led the Grapefruit League in batting, on-base, slugging and OPS? What happened to the team with the rock star hitting coach? What happened to that offensive juggernaut that struck fear up and down the Florida coastline?
“We knew we were swinging good in spring training,” manager Terry Collins said after Saturday night’s 5-3 loss to the Braves. “But we knew it was spring training. And we knew that it’s just a different game. It’s a different game when the lights come on.”
“Certainly we’ve got to get some guys going. We’ve got a good offensive club, and we’ve got some guys who can swing a bat. But, as we saw in spring training, it’s got to be throughout the lineup. One or two guys isn’t going to carry us.”
The Mets were only able to muster three hits on Saturday night and overall they are batting .196 with a .516 OPS through there first five games of the season.
The Mets have managed just two home runs after leading the league in homers during the spring.
Leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson, who led the Mets in batting during grapefruit league games is just 1-for-22 and batting .063 with a .318 OPS.
Michael Cuddyer and Juan Lagares, both of whom were raking this Spring are each batting .200. All bat and no glove Wilmer Flores is batting .125 and has played in all five games for the Mets, although Ruben Tejada will be at shortstop on Sunday.
The Mets are 2-3 thus far, but that could easily be 0-5 if not for three errors by Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond that led to five unearned runs in the two Mets wins in Washington.
The truth is that it’s still early, and that thing about spring training stats not mattering? Well that’s somewhat true.
But despite that, the team’s offense has looked awful. That four man bench is still searching for a pinch hit through five games and six at-bats.
Aside from Travis d’Arnaud and Lucas Duda, nobody is doing any damage as Terry Collins likes to say.
It’s worrisome, yes. But it’s too small of a sample size to be hitting the panic button just yet. And let’s not forget that we’ve also gone up against some great pitching so far including Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer.
Meanwhile those lowly Braves, who dismantled their offense this offseason, are still undefeated.
“We’d love to be sitting where they’re sitting right now,” captain David Wright said. “What are they — 5-0? That’s a nice way to start a season, that’s for sure.”
“We need to find a way to win tomorrow and go back home .500.”
That’s for sure. It would be great to see those Mets bats finally come alive today and to avoid heading back home to Citi Field riding a three game losing streak.
While it’s way too early to be worried about results, I think we’ll all feel a little better if we just started hitting like we’re capable of, and for that to start happening today.
