NY Mets: Setting the bar for 13 games against the Dodgers and Giants

The 13 games we were all dreading for weeks are upon us. The New York Mets host the Los Angeles for three games then travel out to the West Coast to begin a road trip AC (thunderbolt) DC could only write a song about.

Three more against the San Francisco Giants followed by a four-game series in Hollywood versus the Dodgers makes it a literal road trip to the place down under. As if this wasn’t grueling enough, the Mets return home for three more against the Giants.

The 13 games couldn’t have appeared on the schedule at a more troubling time. If the team was playing well, maybe we could view it as a challenge or playoff preview. Instead, it’s the 13-day stretch where the team could get buried.

What’s the bare minimum we need to see from the Mets in these 13 games?

On the road, a split is what a team should aim for when facing opponents like these. Because it’s seven games, a 3-4 West Coast trip would be marvelous. But is it realistic?

I think going 2-5 might feel like a victory. It’s not easy traveling to the other side of the country to play. Add in that they’re up against two of the best teams in all of baseball, we have a lowered set of expectations on our hand.

The feeling around the home games should be different. At Citi Field, where the Mets have played well this year, we need to raise the limbo bar. Going 3-3 is not acceptable. A win in both series, settling for a 4-2 record, is what this organization must do to win over doubters.

Given this, I’ve set the bar pretty low for the Mets over these 13 games. A 6-7 record, which translates to winning all of the home games and losing each on the road, would be a favorable outcome. It’s not pretty but neither has the last few weeks of the season.

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If this is the result of these 13 games, there will be a mix of emotions. It’s not the worst case scenario nor is it what any of us want to see. It’s staying afloat in the rockiest of waves.