MIAMI — The Mets are going to make the playoffs. You heard it right here first.
(OK, possibly not first, however fairly shut.)
Earlier than you accuse me of being a honk, fanboy, light-weight, loser, and even on the take (that’s apparently the most recent solution to “cook dinner” somebody) within the wake of their newest dismal, disheartening efficiency right here Friday night time — maybe their worst of the season — please hear me out.
Contemplate all that’s gone fallacious, and know they have been nonetheless solely one-half sport out of the ultimate wild-card spot earlier than their 8-0 defeat to the Marlins on Friday night time. Issues don’t look nice right now, however it says right here higher days are forward. And I’m removed from the one one round right here who sees the postseason in 2024.
“I agree,” Francisco Lindor mentioned earlier than the sport. “We haven’t taken off, and we’re not far.”
“A hundred percent,” Pete Alonso mentioned concerning the Mets’ October possibilities. “We’ve performed respectable baseball. However I believe we haven’t performed our greatest baseball but.”
Right here’s why the three of us are proper (and most everybody else isn’t).
1. Their schedule has been a bear.
One way or the other, they’ve performed greater than 1 / 4 of the season, and Friday represented their first likelihood to play one of many true patsies of MLB — the Rockies, White Sox, A’s or the in-division doormat Marlins, who they’d crushed 22 out of 32 for the reason that begin of 2022.
Although the Mets turned in a clunker within the groups’ first matchup, the schedule ought to work for them. The primary 18 video games of July come towards perennial also-rans.
(After all, they must play higher than they did Friday when rookie Christian Scott was pounded early on his dwelling turf. The Fort Lauderdale space product simply by no means regarded comfy in a matchup with Marlins ace Jesus Luzardo, additionally from neighboring Broward County.)
Luzardo was pitching in a showcase and is more likely to comply with stars out of right here because the Marlins play for 2026, or past. Perhaps the following time the Mets face the Marlins, they’ll be lucky and Luzardo might be elsewhere.
Perhaps he’s somebody the Mets ought to think about?
2. Lindor isn’t a .195 hitter.
Nicely, he technically is true now. However you recognize that can change.
We’re solely within the third yr of the largest contract in Mets historical past — $341M over 10 years — and at 30, he’s proper smack in the course of his prime, too.
Lindor’s anticipated batting common is definitely .273. I’m not precisely positive how a lot which means, however that’s nearly precisely what I count on Lindor to be hitting. Anyway, Mr. Smile isn’t about to vary.
“That’s information to me,” Lindor mentioned of the .273 anticipated common. “It means I’ve bought to proceed to remain the course.”
3. Their offense is just getting higher.
J.D. Martinez isn’t simply Pete Alonso’s hitting whisperer, which was talked about right here first, he’s the proper man to guard the best slugger in Mets historical past. And he’s simply warming up after a protracted winter that didn’t prove as he’d hoped after he hit 33 dwelling runs in 113 video games for the Dodgers.
Mark Vientos will deliver further offense, as nicely, and it’s good to see he’s again in his rightful place within the majors. I do know he doesn’t rank as excessive as Brett Baty on prospect lists, however let’s face it, he’s hit higher.
4. Their pitching depth stays higher than most.
Luis Severino and Sean Manaea are nice pickups, proficient Tylor Megill is again, David Peterson is trying prepared in rehab, and the bullpen — save for star nearer Edwin Diaz, who simply must regain confidence in his 97-mph fastball — has been distinctive.
I’m not giving up on ace Kodai Senga, both. It’s bizarre to have a mechanical challenge set again your rehab, however he’s mentioned to be feeling higher. He’d positively assist.
5. Don’t misunderstand one cryptic tweet.
Mets energy brokers imagine it is a playoff-caliber workforce. Baseball president David Stearns mentioned as a lot to The Submit in spring, so he really mentioned it first. (There’s no disgrace in being three months behind the Harvard man.)
Some followers bought needlessly upset by a since-deleted tweet by membership proprietor Steve Cohen that learn: “All sooner or later, not a lot we will do till the commerce deadline.” Some followers apparently took it to imply — mistakenly, I imagine — the Mets are aspiring to promote.
I wouldn’t take it that means. It was meant as a direct message, and whereas I’m positive the supposed recipient understood what it meant, I can’t declare to know.
However figuring out Cohen and his M.O., I definitely wouldn’t learn something damaging into it. This isn’t the Marlins. If this Mets workforce is shut, they’ll make strikes to higher the membership.
Cohen might not be an ideal tweeter — heaven is aware of, I’m not! — however he’s keen to spend to win. If we all know one factor, we should always know that.
That is why one latest survey prompt Cohen was the sport’s hottest proprietor with a 70 % approval score. I might put the workforce’s playoff likelihood up in that vary, too. One tweet isn’t about to vary that.
