After concluding the series finale between the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies, we’ve now approached the All-Star break. And, what do you know, the Mets are three games over .500. For a team that many people thought was allegedly punting this season away, this is by far an inspiring first half of the season after it didn’t start well. You should give credit to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns, as well as many of the players for their performances.
So, it’s now time to do some critical thinking here. The Mets currently hold a record of 49-46 and are in playoff position as they hold a wild card spot in the National League postseason standings. We still have the rest of July and then all of August and September to get through. So, here is an evaluation of the Mets’ first half of the 2024 season that details all the positives and some negatives that need to be worked on.
Full Evaluation Of How Mets First Half Of 2024 Season Went
Positives
High-powered offense
Let’s start with the Mets offense. What an absolute role they’re on right now. They’re scoring a ton of runs, including the ones they’ve scored with runners in scoring position – something this team lacked early on this year and in years past. Pete Alonso leads the team in home runs with 19, and right behind him are Francisco Lindor (17) and Brandon Nimmo (16). J.D. Martinez has been a huge addition this year as the designated hitter, and Mark Vientos has been getting positive results at the plate during this surge. So, the Mets offense has taken a major step forward, and all other teams should beware because just about anyone in this lineup now can do damage.
Starting pitching improvement
As for the Mets starting pitching, they’re on a good role too. Despite most of the starters not being able to go deep in games early on this year, they’ve appeared to make good improvements on the mound.
To give a few examples, Jose Quintana, who was the Mets Opening Day starter this year, struggled quite a bit during a lot of outings in April and May. But man he has turned it around since then. Although Sunday’s outing against the Rockies was questionable, in his last couple of starts, he reached the seven-inning mark and looked sharp. The same thing can be said for Sean Manaea. And, let’s not forget, Luis Severino has looked like an ace pitcher now. Imagine when Kodai Senga returns from injury – the Mets starting pitching will probably be even more difficult to hit off of.
Lucky charms
Now, let’s get to an aspect of the Mets’ first half of this season that essentially helped them be successful.
Ever since Grimace threw out the first pitch on June 12, the Mets have lost only nine games. This purple guy has been the heart and soul of the team’s success so far. Now you see him just about everywhere you go, whether it’s Citi Field or any other Mets-related event.
There is also a good song that came out recently, in which the Mets have lost only seven games since then. It’s called “OMG” by Jose Iglesias, also known as “Candelita.” When Iglesias performed it after a home victory against the Houston Astros, you just knew they were enjoying themselves with all the winning they’ve been doing.
And, let’s not forget about that little dog named Glizzy Iggy. This dog was seen at one of the home against the Washington Nationals eating a hot dog, and the only game they lost since then was Sunday against the Rockies. So, this team has gotten so good with all these different lucky charms surrounding them, and if this trend continues during the second half and beyond, all other teams better watch out.
Negatives
The bullpen
Okay, now on to a couple of things that the Mets need to work on if they want to make a serious postseason run. That starts with their bullpen. As of now, the Mets bullpen is holding an ERA above seven or so. That’s not good at all. You would think that with all the runs the offense has scored, they should be able to protect those leads. Well, they haven’t been able to do that.
If you think about it, Jake Diekman has been the guy who’s struggled so badly as of late compared to other relievers. And yet, he continues to get opportunities to pitch in relief, to which many fans don’t agree. At some point, Mendoza and Stearns should do something about this situation. Maybe if they’re buyers for the trade deadline, they could acquire a couple of left-handed pitchers to replace Diekman. Of course, we’ll see what happens, but waiting for Diekman to get it together at this point is likely not the best thing to do if they want to keep winning.
Injuries
Yes, everyone deals with injuries. However, there are some key injuries the Mets are currently going through, and some of them they should hopefully return at some point before the season’s end. Senga is one of them. They’ve also dealt with season-ending injuries to their bullpen, such as Drew Smith and Brooks Raley.
Now, what about Starling Marte? Well, he still has time before he can return. According to the New York Post, he still feels pain even though he got his bone bruise in the right knee examined as a follow-up and it’s healing. However, before Sunday’s game, Mendoza said that him resuming baseball activities likely won’t happen anytime soon. So, hopefully, sometime after the All-Star break we’ll see him again. Marte has had a good presence for the Mets, so the sooner he gets back the better shape the Mets outfield will be in.
What’s The Grade For The Mets First Half Of The 2024 Season?
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the rough start and the beleaguered bullpen blowing leads and making things difficult, a grade in the A range would’ve been possible. At this point, though, this season’s first half deserves to be graded as a B+. That’s definitely better than what most people thought coming into this season. To all you Mets fans, and baseball fans in general, enjoy the All-Star break, and let’s hope for a great second half and a possible playoff berth for the Mets.
Main Image: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
