The first half of the Buck Showalter experiment has been a smashing success. But the primary half of the season went effectively for Luis Rojas in 2021, too, earlier than the roof caved in and despatched the ex-manager packing.
There’s a protracted approach to go for these Mets, however issues certain really feel lots completely different than they’ve prior to now. Entering a momentous second half of the season, the Mets solely have a couple of issues to fret about, fairly than the everyday laundry checklist of illnesses, adversity and arrests.
5. Is regression coming for McNeil and Nimmo?
Here are some duos that Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo have outperformed, based on Wins Above Replacement: Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer.
The Mets are getting insane manufacturing from McNeil (who lately made his second journey to the All-Star Game) and Nimmo (who most likely ought to have joined him.) Always considered fantastic gamers with strong upside, only a few individuals may have realistically seen such a season, which has put them forward of a number of family names in a number of necessary classes.
The query now turns into whether or not they can stick with it. Historically, Nimmo’s offensive numbers enhance after the All-Star break — he owns an .851 profession OPS within the second half in comparison with .802 within the first — whereas McNeil’s batting common dips and slugging proportion soars.
A big a part of Nimmo’s worth this season has come from his underrated protection in middle area. Defense is often the one a part of the sport that’s slump-proof, but when both his or McNeil’s bat begins to fade, the Mets’ lineup appears to be like far more exploitable because the video games enhance in significance.
4. Can Atlanta preserve tempo?
Those pesky Braves.
Last yr on the All-Star break, the Mets have been in first place, resting 4.5 video games forward of the sub-.500 workforce from Atlanta. The Braves finally bought the final chuckle, having fun with a second half for the ages that propelled all of them the way in which to the World Series.
This yr on the All-Star break, the Mets are simply 2.5 video games up on the Braves, a workforce that slammed into the break with a 33-11 report in June and July. With 12 extra video games between these groups nonetheless on the schedule, the chance for the Mets to both draw back or the Braves to leapfrog them shall be plentiful.
Many of the gamers on the sector are completely different, and the Mets’ complete teaching workers has basically turned over, too. But the historical past is there, and that gained’t be misplaced on both aspect, who will quickly renew their pleasantries with a five-game collection at Citi Field in the course of the first weekend of August.
3. Who is the DH down the stretch?
It’s uncommon for a baseball workforce to be actually devoid of any weak spot. Even with a 58-35 report, the 2022 Mets are nonetheless no exception.
The workforce wants a dependable designated hitter, badly. For the uninformed, the workforce’s assortment of DH’s have a .208 common, .317 slugging proportion and simply six house runs. Help could, and if we’re being blunt, have to be on its means by the Aug. 2 commerce deadline. There’s no scarcity of choices on the market, and a facelift on the very important place is maybe the best means for the Mets to go from a fearsome squad to a possible demise machine.
Orioles’ mainstay Trey Mancini has been linked to the Mets for some time now, however with the O’s solely 3.5 video games out of a Wild Card spot abruptly, the Baltimore entrance workplace could also be extra reluctant to maneuver Mancini than they have been a month in the past. Big brutes Josh Bell and Daniel Vogelbach could be enjoyable, however possibly not probably the most sensible, whereas a reunion with former Met Brandon Drury could be probably the most feel-good story if all of it goes effectively.
Of course, in the event that they actually wish to shake issues up, the Mets may flip their commerce deadline sights elsewhere and name up Francisco Alvarez to be the DH. To be clear, this isn’t very possible, and could be probably the most reckless plan of action for the 20-year-old who’s solely performed eight video games above Double-A. But generally determined instances name for determined measures, and if Billy Eppler can’t discover a strong commerce to bolster the lineup, a tantalizing choice is sitting proper there in Syracuse.
2. What do you get from Jacob deGrom, and when?
Under the quilt of the All-Star break, the Mets introduced that deGrom was feeling some soreness in his shoulder, which pushed the simulated sport he was scheduled to pitch to Thursday.
That is, clearly, alarming information. While the character of the harm doesn’t sound too unhealthy, the Mets have been down this highway far too many instances with their prized pony. With deGrom, no information is at all times the most effective information, so even the slightest whisper about his physique not cooperating is sufficient to sign the DEFCON alerts.
The Mets nonetheless hope to get him again in some unspecified time in the future, and all indications are that he shall be again as soon as this setback is taken care of. But the distinction between getting deGrom the Cy Young winner and deGrom the strolling well being scare may be the distinction between an NL pennant and a untimely exit.
1. Is this a workforce of future?
The solely time in Mets’ historical past that the membership had a greater report by means of 93 video games than they do proper now was in 1986. Does anybody keep in mind how that yr ended?
With the franchise lastly giving Keith Hernandez his correct recognition by retiring his quantity, it’d be fairly poetic for 2022 to finish the identical means that 1986 did for Hernandez and crew.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com