NY Mets: 3 observations we all made from the first 3 months of 2021

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Jun 26, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) back in the dugout after giving up a run in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Mets are wrapping up the month of June in a pretty good position. They’ve managed to more than stay alive in the playoff hunt despite missing many of their best players.

We’ve all developed a position about the club by now and have somewhat of an idea of what they can accomplish. However, with so many injuries and three months left to go, the final result guess you have may be as good as what anyone else can muster.

Three months soon in the books, I thought it was time to look back and made a few observations from April, May, and June.

The Mets pitching staff is playoff-worthy and more than enough to carry them through some tough games

You remember in Wayne’s World when Wayne and Garth would bow and say “We’re not worthy” to rock stars, babes, and anyone else they admired? That’s how I feel about the Mets pitching staff this year. The trio of Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, and Taijuan Walker has been brilliant. Even the bullpen, for a nice change in recent history, has done well.

Every year we all get caught up in assuming the Mets pitching staff will be a strong part of the club. We’ve been fooled by recent clubs. Heading into this year, we had faith, but maybe not this much.

The big three have certainly exceeded expectations. It’s pretty amazing considering deGrom’s expectations are already through the roof and attracting lightning. Meanwhile, Stroman and Walker are well on their way to career years.

But let’s not forget about the bullpen arms. I’m not sure there has been a team from the start with this many trustworthy arms. While there have been shaky moments from guys like Miguel Castro and Trevor May, they’ve been mostly good.

In the postseason, big pitching matters a whole lot. The 2021 Mets have enough of it—as long as guys stay or get healthy.

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 26: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets reacts to striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on June 26, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

The Mets offense is not nearly as good as anyone with a brain would think they could be

Listen, I’m not here to criticize you for believing the Mets could potentially have an all-time franchise great offense. On paper, they certainly seemed to have the guys to get this done.

I’ve seen enough. After three months, I’m ready to declare that this group of men is not very good—at least in 2021.

There’s a clutch bone missing in the body of many of these players. Hitting with runners in scoring position remains a weakness. More surprising than anything else has been the club’s inability to hit home runs. I know baseball has gotten to a point of the three outcome scenario: home run, strikeout, or walk. It’s not always fun.

Far less entertaining is a lack of home runs altogether. The Mets have been without some of their better sluggers for a good part of the season (J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto). This doesn’t excuse them from the lack of offense. The two most disappointing players on this side of the baseball have been Francisco Lindor and Dominic Smith. Pete Alonso may not be swatting long balls but at least he’s driving in his teammates more regularly than anyone else on the roster.

The scariest thing is that I don’t have even the faintest idea of how to solve this. The Mets have already created a fictional approach coach to hitting, fired their real hitting coach, and changed up the lineup. There is no answer whatsoever other than for the players to get things together.

Apr 5, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets infielder Luis Guillorme (13) throws toward home plate against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports /

The defense is good and this team has some quality gloves we can trust to make more than the routine plays

A mission of the front office this offseason, among other things, was to improve the defense up the middle. The two big moves to do this brought Lindor to play shortstop and James McCann to catch. Both have done a wonderful job with the glove. Amazingly, it has been a little contagious.

Dominic Smith’s growth as a good left fielder has surprised me a lot. I’m beginning to think he’s capable of doing anything asked of him. It’s just a shame he hasn’t been able to find his stroke at the plate to pair with his season in the field.

It’s a little tough to really judge too many other players on defense because of all of the injuries. Alonso looks better at first base and does deserve a round of applause for it. Members of the bench mob, when called upon to play regularly, have also flashed leather and helped save games with their defense.

This is a much different Mets team than we’ve gotten accustomed to seeing in recent seasons. They aren’t sitting back and waiting for a three-run home run. Instead, they win baseball games based on elite starting pitching, very good relief outings, and a handful of runs squeezed out by the offense.

Next. Worst trade deadline deals in Mets history

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If this season was a play, only the first act would be over. We have three more months for the Mets to do what they do well just as good and the same amount of time for them to figure out how to strengthen where they are weak.

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The Mets pitching staff is playoff-worthy and more than enough to carry them through some tough games

The Mets offense is not nearly as good as anyone with a brain would think they could be

The defense is good and this team has some quality gloves we can trust to make more than the routine plays

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