WTF Happened?

It might be easier to list what isn't wrong with the Mets this year

By Roger Cormier

It's not one thing with the Mets. It's a bunch of small things mucking up the enterprise. I don't know if this will be anywhere near cathartic. Still, I'm going to do it: identify all of the problems. Sometimes the only way out is through or whatever.

Father Time and His New Pitch Timer

Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Carlos Carrasco aren't ancient in the real world dammit (said the 40-year old). In baseballland, they're old fucks. Two of the three old fogies who will be immortalized in Cooperstown someday soonish, but they're old fucks all the same. Track records become trivia at the end of sports careers. Add to it the pitch timer, making the walking dead work faster, and you got yourself a disaster stew going. 

The Kids Are Not What The Who Said They Were (Yet)

It's not like Mark Vientos got a fair shake. Whither Ronny Mauricio? Francisco Álvarez is in the stage of his rookie year where pitchers have "figured him out" the first time around and he needs to adjust, and that always is a struggle. After 225 career at-bats, Brett Baty's OPS+ is a not enraging but not top prospect ish 88. He also made that terrible yip in Philadelphia last Sunday that won't be forgotten for awhile. Time is on their side though. The entertainment of the second half might be in seeing the "Baby Mets" develop into stars right before our very eyes. 

Mind Games

There have been an alarming amount of mental oopsies from the Mets. Brandon Nimmo's mistakes have been the most noticeable, at least to me. He infamously (to me) forgot how many outs there were once this season, and this is the guy who always indicates how many outs there are on the bases with his fingers. 

Sugar Withdrawal

Edwin Díaz's freak injury during the World Baseball Classic had a trickle down effect on the Mets' bullpen, a unit needed more than ever with the starters not doing their job effectively. With all due respect to Dominic Leone and Vinny Nittoli, having cool names does not mean you belong in The Show, on a team with an all-time record-setting payroll. The bullpen struggles show in the Mets having lost 16 one-run games, one more than they did all of last year. 

The Carlos Correa Thing

That was weird, right? It went down in December and January and it's still weird. Correa was totally a Met and then he wasn't. It doesn't matter that his OPS+ is currently lower than Baty's this season: the vibes were thrown askew after he ended up in Minnesota.

No Batting Champs in the Building

From SNY last Thursday:

They've Been (Slightly) Unlucky

Through the first half of the 2023 season, the Mets' pythagorean record was 39-42. Their real record was 36-45. It's only a three-game difference you say, until you realize the Mets need every damn game they can get to sniff a wild card spot.

Gelbs and Wayne-O Are Keeping Zoom in Business

Steve Gelbs and Wayne Randazzo's best friendship took a huge hit when the latter made a lateral career move and bolted across the country to Anaheim to work their television broadcasts. The Mets see Gelbsie just about every day: his no doubt sour mood can't be helping morale. 

Ray Ramirez

For old times sake, let's blame the former team trainer who would get booed on Opening Day. #nostalgia

They Aren't Getting Hit in the Head Enough

Okay, that's silly. What I really mean is they haven't had a rally-the-troops against a common enemy moment. Last season's second game memorably featured a heated confrontation with Steve Cishek and the Nationals after the reliever hit Francisco Lindor in the face with a pitch, approximately the 10,000th hit by pitch committed by Washington already that series. New manager Buck Showalter's eruption and his teammates having his back immediately provoked Lindor to say after, "I'm super proud to be a Met." Buck became immortal to the players after that. 2023 hasn't had that fire, AND the Mets are STILL the league leaders in getting plunked. 

But other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?