After an incredible career-game that saw Yoenis Cespedes go 5-for-6 while exploding for three home runs, five runs scored and seven RBIs, his Mets teammates decided to join the party on Saturday night, with a season-high 21 hit barrage resulting in another 14-9 victory against the Colorado Rockies.
With the Washington Nationals winners as well on Saturday night, the Mets maintained there five-game lead atop the NL East.
However, the Mets did reinforce the fact that they are no longer the bottom-dwelling offensive team that began the season ranking last in batting average, slugging percentage, and runs scored through July 24.
Since the day Sandy Alderson made the deal to acquire Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe from the Atlanta Braves, the Mets lead the National League in runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases, extra-base hits, home runs and OPS.
Understand that the Mets were leading in those categories before beginning play in the hitters paradise known as Coors Field.
What the Mets did last night was essentially emphasize – and put an exclamation point – on the fact that this team can now beat you with their bats as well as their pitching.
The Mets have sent a statement to every other MLB team that their offense should be taken very seriously and that it is a well-balanced attack that must be reckoned with.
As Mets hitters continue to showcase one excellent at-bat after another, nobody else is laughing at the organizational emphasis the team has placed on plate discipline and approach over the past five years.
It is all coming together for the New York Mets right now, and since all of the new additions came to town, even undisciplined players like Juan Lagares, Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores have been toeing the company line in the past month and with solid results to show for it.
When the Mets burst out of the gate in April to take a commanding lead in first place, the team batted .240 with 16 home runs, 97 runs scored and a .671 OPS in 23 games. Those numbers were essentially the high-water mark for the entire season.
However those figures pale in comparison to what the Mets have accomplished in August. With a week’s worth of games still left to play, the Mets have batted .268 with 30 homers, 110 runs scored, and a .808 OPS in just 19 games this month.
The difference between this new Mets team with their revamped offense and the one that began the season, is night and day.
