The New York Mets have struggled mightily in recent months from top to bottom.
New York’s starting rotation went from one of the best in Major League Baseball, to middle of the pack in ERA (4.03), a significant jump from the high-2 ERA in much of the first half of the season.
The bullpen has dealt with injuries and has been inconsistent. Pair all of the Mets’ pitching woes with an underperforming lineup and you have an utter collapse. At one point, the Mets had an MLB-best 45-24 record. Since that point, New York is 33-50.
The season isn’t over by any means; the Mets still have a one-and-a-half game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League Wild Card spot, but there isn’t a lot of momentum for a team that has lost eight of their last 10 and 50 of their last 83.
Star first baseman Pete Alonso is doing everything in his power to keep the Mets afloat. He has homered in four straight games, including a massive 445-foot blast in the first inning of the series finale against the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Alonso now has 37 home runs and 120 RBI while playing in all 152 games this season. He will need to keep it up along with star outfielder Juan Soto and shortstop Francisco Lindor if the team wants to have a chance in October.
In addition to the offense getting hot again, the starting rotation has a lot to prove going forward, especially a slew of talented rookie starters.
In ESPN’s latest power rankings, the Mets ranked No. 13, lower than their previous ranking of 11. ESPN's David Schoenfield thinks the rookie pitchers should play a special role for the team down the stretch.
“The wild, topsy-turvy, frustrating, unpredictable year continues for the Mets as they desperately try to hang on to the final wild card,” wrote Schoenfield on Thursday. “They lost eight in a row before Pete Alonso perhaps rescued the season with his 10th-inning walk-off home run to beat the Rangers on Sunday. An eight-run outburst against Padres starter Michael King followed in New York's next game. If the Mets are to hang on, the rookie starting pitcher trio of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat will play a huge role. McLean continues to take over as the rotation ace while Sproat's second career start was a beauty -- six scoreless innings against the Rangers.”
A series win versus San Diego would be huge for the club’s morale and standing in the Wild Card race.