NY Mets: 5 things we must see in the second half for a successful season

The bats need to wake up and keep their eyes open

In addition to players getting hurt, one story with this Mets season has been the lack of offense. The team has been at or near the bottom in multiple offensive statistics in the first half. This needs to change for any shot at success beyond the scheduled 162.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of specific Mets bats that need to not only wake up but also keep their lumber-eyes open.

Francisco Lindor is the first name that comes to mind and for some clear reasons. Brought in to drastically change the organization, he has been in a funk all season long. Finally with bad yet not awful numbers, Lindor is someone we must see get things together for the final two and a half months of 2021.

Other culprits are out there, too. Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil have each missed significant time. When healthy, both have struggled. The Mets have a hard time winning games when one of these guys is having a cold streak. When both are down, it’s even tougher.

Baseball can sometimes be a game of averages. If so, many of the guys who struggled in the first half may get a shot of caffeine into their swings and put a few more crooked numbers on the scoreboard. We can only hope.

The Mets need at least four starters we can trust on a regular basis

Who becomes the fourth starter in the Mets rotation we can trust? I would let Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, and Marcus Stroman babysit my non-existent children and teach them all how to pitch. I can’t say the same thing about any of the other starters the Mets have put on the mound this year.

The team does have several options to fill this void. A returning Carlos Carrasco could do wonders for the club. Tylor Megill, the unexpected rookie promoted to the big leagues, may also become a valuable asset for the 2021 club.

Because of the timing of the first two weeks of the second half, a lot of the chatter will be about potential trades. The Mets are in a position to add at the trade deadline. A starting pitcher should be on their list of greatest needs.

Injuries to their starters have been the biggest plague on the team’s rotation. Joey Lucchesi was beginning to turn things around when he went out of the year. We have yet to see Carrasco or Noah Syndergaard because of their own ailments.

The best we can expect from any club is to have a strong five-man rotation and possibly a suitable emergency starter. The way things have gone in 2021, I’m good with just four reliable arms. An internal or external option, strength at 80% is all we need to feel a little more secure.

Someone needs to go on an absolute tear at the plate

Do you know what hasn’t happened with any Mets player this year? None of the position players have gone an absolute tear at the plate. I’m talking about Player of the Month-quality at-bats for a full month straight. Heck, let’s settle for Player of the Week honors.

Mets hitters have struggled to stay hot for more than a game at a time. We’ll see a guy knock a home run one day and come up short the next. Hot streaks have not existed when this team is at the plate. It needs to change.

Relating to the previous point about the bats waking up, an absolutely awesome week or month from a single player can literally carry a club. Imagine Pete Alonso hitting a home run for four straight games. What if Dominic Smith has a .350 batting average over the course of two weeks?

It’s one thing to ask the offense to wake up. It’s another favor to request they become the most-talked-about player at the plate for a short period of time. We’ve seen it before, even with some of the guys on this current roster. Not only can it help win the team some games in the regular season, but it also gives a preview of what could be in store for the playoffs.

Remember Daniel Murphy in October 2015? Let’s see some of that from a guy in August or September.

What has gone right needs to continue to work out in the Mets’ favor

For a more positive spin on this topic, let me compliment the Mets on what they have done well this year. The bullpen has been terrific, the healthy starters have been tremendous, and the team has been able to come up with many clutch hits when needed.

There is a reason why the Mets are in first place. Sure, the NL East is underperforming. This doesn’t mean they are just the least-bad team in the worst division; although it is true.

Mustering together wins has been a specialty of this club. In the second half, we need to see more of it.

Guys like Jeurys Familia with zero expectations heading into the season need to continue to do well. Reserves such as Tomas Nido need to have their days when they are in the starting lineup and come up with a clutch hit. There’s no “i” in “team” but there is a “Met.” And this Mets team has played like that—a team.

Against many great odds, the Mets have done more than stay relevant this year. Every piece has worked well at times and that’s why we’re heading into the second half feeling pretty good.

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The MLB season is a long one and we’re only a little more than halfway through. Get excited for more Mets baseball. If the first half was any indication, prepare yourself for a fun ride.