8 July 2023

By: Paulina Vairo

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The New York Mets 2023 mid-season report is here with the team not performing to their expectations that has cause anger among its fanbase. With inconsistent starts from its pitchers while their big bats continue to underperform, the Mets have slipped down the NL East and the Wild Card race. Fourth in the division, the Mets are four games under .500 and are 6.5 games from the last Wild Card spot.

  

An abysmal June which resulted in failing to win a series in the month that dropped them in the standings. During the preseason ESPN rankings, the Mets were highly rated at fourth place, considering that they have the highest payroll in the league. They now sit 21st before the All-Star break. Despite this, the Mets will not consider selling during the trade deadline, rather they will trade off their prospects to focus on the current generation.

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Offense 

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The Mets have been subpar in hitting as they were expected to be among the lead leaders in batting. They have a team average of about .243, which ranks 19th in the league. This also resulted in just 712 hits overall, which is 22nd in MLB. A result of this is plain and simple, inconsistency with their batters. Despite a .215 batting average, Pete Alonso is among the league leaders in homeruns with 26 and 61 runs batted in. Frustrations surrounding Alonso has been lack of coming in clutch with runners on base, especially in the month of June.  

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Some may argue that Fransisco Lindor was an All-Star snub, but his average says otherwise. Even though he has batted in 60 runs, he is sitting at a .239 average, failing to also come in clutch when needed. Brandon Nimmo and Staring Marte are both having average seasons, though fans expected better from them after their 2022 season. Last year’s batting average leader Jeff McNeil has been the disappointing one of all, batting at just .256 with three home runs, 26 RBIS’s and an OPS of just .664.  

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The one ray of light in the New York Mets lineup that fans have been happy about is their rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez. He made the opening day roster and has been on a tear, hitting 16 home runs with 34 RBI’s while keeping a .241 batting average. Some big bats could help the Mets if they want to make an actual run to the playoffs, however, it seems like the front office is happy with what they have and consider this just a “slow start” to the season.  

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Pitching 

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The pitching staff for the Mets had the expectation of doing better, especially after acquiring two-time World Series Champion Justin Verlander. However, after landing on the IL for the first few starts of the season, the New York Mets had to work with what they have left. Since making his first start on May 5, Verlander has been nothing but disappointing to the fan base, allowing 39 hits and 21 earned runs in his first seven starts.

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His last four outings, however, have lowered his ERA to 3.60, but more was expected from him. Don’t be fooled by Max Scherzer’s 8-2 record because he currently sits at a 4.03 ERA, which is 56% higher than last season.  The most reliable pitcher now for the Mets is newly acquired Kodai Senga from Japan. He has a 7-5 record with a 3.31 ERA. He is also averaging about seven strikeouts per outing and has not allowed more than two runs in his last three starts.  

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There is no secret that the Mets’ bullpen felt the loss of their closer Edwin Diaz. He took the league by storm in 2022, maintaining an ERA of just 1.31 with 32 saves in 61 games. Because of his absence, they had to rely on David Roberston. He has improved of late, dropping his ERA down to 2.06. Brooks Raley has also been one of their better bullpen pitchers, not allowing a run in his last nine outings to bring his ERA to 2.30. Because the Mets have the highest average age of 31.2, it is concerning for fans to rely on the older pitchers for results, but also have the reliability of experience in big situations.  

 

Is Buck Showalter the Problem?

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Showalter had an outstanding first season with the team, leading the New York Mets to over 100 won games while clinching a spot in the playoffs. Despite the ending, fans were happy with the work that he brought to the team and expected to keep the same momentum into the 2023 season. This has not been the case as the fans are beginning to lose some trust in him.  

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One of his main issues is the rotating of the lineups. Showalter started outfielder Mark Canha a few times and despite his hot bat, will continue to leave him off the lineup. There is also a lack of utility off the bench that will leave Showalter empty-handed when it comes to pitch-hitting decisions. With the team having a better start in July, fans would like to see him continue in hopes to turn the season around entering the second half.  

 

What is on the Bright Side 

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Mets fans always believe that no matter how bad their team is, there is hope for something better. They have had a great start to the month, winning six in a row and maintaining an undefeated run in July. They swept the first-place Diamondbacks at home and took two out of three against the Giants. With Diaz progressing well, he could be back to pitch in September to give a boost to the teams’ bullpen.  

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They can also praise the hot start from their rookie Alvarez, who is the future of the team. There is also the expectation of Luke Voit possibly getting call up as he continues to demolish down at AAA. Don’t sleep on the Mets heading into the second half of the season as they have the potential to go on a tear and make a serious push to the playoffs.  

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https://www.backsportspage.com/new-york-mets-2023-mid-season-report/

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