NY Mets: 3 things that need to happen to make the playoffs

The 2021 New York Mets season has not been one the fans, players, front office and brand new owner hoped for. Heading into the season, making the playoffs would have been meeting expectations, and anything less than that would have been a disappointment.

For a while, the Mets looked to be on the right track. After all, the team spent 90 straight days in first place despite suffering an incredible amount of injuries and the offense generally underperforming. Eventually, though, the Mets couldn’t keep pulling wins out of a hat, now, they’re on the outside looking in.

If the Mets want to fight their way back, if they want to fulfill expectations on the season, things need to change, and soon.

The Mets need Francisco Lindor back and playing like who he was in Cleveland

Lindor suffered a right oblique strain on July 16 and hasn’t played a game since. In his absence, the Mets are 13-19 through Aug. 19.

Yes, even when he was healthy, he wasn’t hitting. He wasn’t the worst in baseball — but he was statistically below average and far from the player he’s been in the past.

However, Lindor was the lifeblood of this Mets team. The impact he had outside of the batter’s box has been documented time and time again, from his stellar fielding to his leadership on the diamond.

In the first half of the season, the Mets were winning because of three main things: Pitching, defense and good vibes. I know how silly that sounds, but it’s true. It’s the reason the Mets didn’t want to make a trade that would move one of the guys on the major league roster because they didn’t want to upset what they viewed as special clubhouse chemistry.

Lindor, realistically, was a big part of all three of the ways the Mets would win games. His defense speaks for itself, as well as the chemistry component. As for the pitching, while he was obviously never on the bump himself, his leadership and calming influence on the pitchers — especially Edwin Díaz — can’t be understated.

With him gone, the Mets have suffered. They need him back.

At this point though, pitching, defense and good vibes won’t be enough. Now, the Mets are playing catchup. When Lindor comes back, they need him to find his swing in a way he hasn’t all season. He’s had bits and pieces of success at the plate, but if the Mets are going to make the playoffs, Lindor needs to be consistently good.

Best case scenario? Lindor comes back and leads this team to the playoffs much like Yoenis Céspedes did in 2015.

The Mets haven’t hit this season, and we’ll talk more about that later, but for now, the focus is on Lindor. When he comes back, hopefully soon, the Mets absolutely NEED him to play like the player they traded for and extended.

Who knows, if he does, maybe that will jumpstart the rest of the offense.

The entire lineup needs to remember how to hit with runners in scoring position — or just hit in general

Francisco Lindor coming back and hitting would be huge. Carlos Carrasco turning back into the pitcher he’s been for the majority of his career would be huge. But above all else, the Mets just need to score some runs, plain and simple.

At the beginning of the season, with all the injuries the Mets were facing, excuses could be made. Seriously, Cameron Maybin was hitting third for a stretch, that speaks for itself.

But at this point, the majority of the lineup, with the exception of Lindor, has been healthy. That also excludes Javy Baez, but he wasn’t in the plans at the beginning of the season, so the lineup the Mets envisioned heading into the year is still for the most part intact.

And they still aren’t hitting. Jeff McNeil has been bad. Dominic Smith hasn’t been nearly as good as he was last year. J.D. Davis can’t hit a fastball above his belt. Michael Conforto has been atrocious, so much so that even giving him the qualifying offer this offseason might be a stretch.

Only Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo have been passable, and even then they each have an OPS hovering around .800, which is just so uninspiring. It’s not bad by itself, but when it’s the best on the team (among qualifiers) then it’s VERY bad.

As of Thursday, the Mets have scored the third-fewest runs per game in the majors, only behind the Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates. They’re bottom-10 in baseball in OPS with runners in scoring position, bottom-five in OPS with runners in scoring position and two outs and bottom-five in OPS in high leverage situations.

They aren’t hitting well to begin with, but it’s at its worst when there are ducks on the pond. At the end of the day, while a Lindor and Carrasco comeback would be huge, the one thing that is absolutely needed is the rest of the lineup remembering how to hit.

Everyone is seemingly having the worst offensive season of their career. They’re better than this. At least, they should be.

If the Mets are going to do anything this season, they need to hit. That’s the bottom line. Other things would help, but this is necessary.

If the hitting stays the way it is, there’s no chance for the Mets to make the playoffs. The way things are looking right now, that may already be the case.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

There’s still time — a little bit over a month’s worth — bit the season’s running out. It’s now or never for the Mets.