We’ve made it through the first weekend of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, and it’s safe to say that the New York Mets have gotten off to a disappointing start. After being swept at home by the Milwaukee Brewers for three games, there are concerns surrounding the team. But there are also some positive signs as well. Oh, and let’s not forget the drama that occurred during this series involving Rhys Hoskins. So, here is a look at three takeaways from the Mets vs. Brewers series that need to be addressed.
Three Important Things to be Addressed from Mets vs. Brewers Series
Starting pitching struggles
That’s right. In all three games against the Brewers, the Mets starting pitching wasn’t successful. None of their starts lasted for more than six innings. The only pitcher who lasted the longest was Luis Severino, who gave the Mets five innings in his start on Saturday.
The Mets starting pitching gave up a combined 10 runs and 21 hits, and they’re currently averaging a 5.64 ERA amongst the three starters who pitched in this series. Jose Quintana pitched the first game on Friday, only going 4.2 innings on his second-career Opening Day start. The aforementioned Severino gave up 12 hits and six runs in the second game. Tylor Megill, who won the last spot on the rotation during spring training, only went four innings and then it was later announced that he is getting an MRI on his shoulder.
This area of the Mets is a major concern. Yes, the season just began. But three consecutive games in which the starting pitching fails to keep runs off the board has to make you wonder what’s going on. We know that Kodai Senga is still working toward getting healthy enough to return to the rotation as their ace pitcher. However, there is still a way to go with that, and the current starting pitchers have to step up to give this team any chance of winning games.
A Couple of Mets Players are on Point
Francisco Alvarez
Now, let’s talk about a couple of Mets players whose performances against the Brewers were encouraging, starting with Alvarez.
This guy had a great series. He has five hits in 10 at-bats including a home run and two RBIs. He clearly is showing that he is picking up where he left off last season. On defense, he has gotten better at catching runners attempting to steal bases. He hasn’t caught anyone yet, but in spring training he caught quite an amount. It’ll be interesting to see how well he can do this throughout this season.
Starling Marte
This one is very important. Marte is coming off a disappointing season in which he was hurt for the most part. Because of that, his performance was badly affected. Now, in 2024, he has shown how much he has emerged as an important piece of what could make the Mets offense successful as the season goes on.
Marte’s home run on Opening Day was a good sign for things to come, and that was the only run the Mets scored in a 3-1 loss that day. He then got two more hits in this series, and he holds a batting average of exactly .300.
Right before spring training, the 35-year-old right fielder said that he doesn’t have to prove anything and he is fully healthy. He is certainly living up to that statement and will hopefully continue his hot start throughout the season.
Drama
Ok, now let’s get into the drama that unfolded in this series.
It all began with Hoskins sliding into Jeff McNeil at second base. The benches cleared after McNeil got angry. And, as if that wasn’t dramatic enough, Mets relief pitcher Yohan Ramirez threw a pitch behind Hoskins in the second game of the series, which would eventually lead him to get suspended for three games. Ramirez is appealing the suspension. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was also suspended for his involvement in the incident, and he served his suspension on Sunday.
Yes, drama can happen in sports sometimes. However, if you’re a Mets fan, you’re probably hoping that none of this will turn into a distraction throughout the season, especially because the Mets will play the Brewers again to close out 2024. And you never know, that series could have a bunch of playoff implications. It’ll also mean that the Mets will have to deal with Hoskins again, and hopefully things will settle down.
What to expect moving forward
After this series with the Brewers, the Mets will stay home for a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers, who swept their first series this weekend against the Chicago White Sox. Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser are expected to pitch in that series, so we’ll see how well they’ll perform in their Mets debuts. Also, it’s probably a good thing the Mets are not playing the Brewers now because they’ve had a hard time beating them overall, so expect the offense to be a bit more competitive, including more production from Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor who each only have one hit so far. We’re now in April, Mets fans. Let’s see how they can overcome this early bump in the road.
Main Image: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
