NY Mets: 3 September storylines to follow this month

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets reacts after he is out at second and the game is over giving the Washington Nationals the win at Citi Field on August 27, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.The Washington Nationals defeated the New York Mets 2-1. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

August was a pitiful month for the New York Mets. There aren’t many other ways to put it. We’ve now arrived in September; the penultimate month of the 2021 season. All but three of the regular season games will take place this month which means we could be seeing the end unfold very quickly.

The 2021 Mets were undoubtedly a strange team. It feels like only yesterday Tomas Nido was hitting a game-leading home run in Atlanta. If memory serves me right, which my wife insists it rarely does, this was in late May!

The season has gone by fast with the last month including an epic plunge by this club. Win or lose, there will be stories to follow in the final full month of the regular season including these three I’ll be watching closely.

How far the Mets fall in the standings or manage to climb back

I think a lot of fans have already accepted the Mets aren’t going to make the 2021 postseason. While not out of it yet, numbers can catch up. The team can easily run out of regular season real estate before managing to catch the Atlanta Braves or maybe even secure the second Wild Card spot.

Typically, I don’t look too much into how a team performs when the games matter less. Momentum from one season to another does not matter. There’s too much time in between and roster changes are so immense. In such an individualized sport like baseball, a Dominic Smith walk-off home run in game 162 doesn’t mean a thing other than one last chance to cheer.

Still, it will be interesting to see how much fight this team has. At times, they have looked careless and tired. It’s worth observing. Which guys actually care about performing even when the games have lost their meaning?

A valiant effort down the stretch by the Mets could offer a little bit of false hope for next year’s club. It doesn’t mean much at all other than a few season ticket holders may decide to renew their plans.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 26: Jacob de Grom #48 of the New York Mets looks on from the dugout during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field on August 26, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

The possible returns of Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard

Two of the most anticipated returns to the diamond might take place in September. I’m not so sure either matters much, but the team isn’t going to hold either pitcher back.

First, there’s Jacob deGrom. Unavailable to come back until at least mid-month, we saw the very best of deGrom this year before landing on the IL. His return only matters because it can at least prove he has healed up fully.

At this point, unless the Mets have somehow crawled back into serious contention, it would be wiser to just let him sit this ride out.

More important might be the season debut of Noah Syndergaard. Thor hasn’t pitched since the end of 2019. Tommy John Surgery recovery hasn’t gone perfectly for the big righty hurler. A setback already this year following his rehab, Syndergaard is expected to pitch for the Mets as a reliever sometime in September.

Syndergaard’s comeback matters because of his future in Major League Baseball. Set to hit free agency this winter, the Mets need to know if he’s even worth offering a qualifying offer to. The rest of baseball will want to know if he’s worth a contract at all.

From a cynic’s standpoint, the Mets could also sell a few extra tickets if fans are aware that these two will pitch at Citi Field on a particular night.

Aug 26, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Javier Baez (23) slides in to second base with a double against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

The performance of each soon to be free agent and what it means for their future

Syndergaard isn’t the only Mets player about to hit free agency. There are others joining him.

Guys like Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto, Aaron Loup, and newcomer Javier Baez all have an opportunity to re-sign with the Mets or find employment elsewhere. It’s a pretty big free agency class for the Mets and how each guy performs in September could factor into whether they return or not.

Easily the most important September among the free agents belongs to Baez. We haven’t seen enough of him to really know what he can offer the Mets. I’m getting the feeling that the front office would love to retain him and have the duo of Baez and Francisco Lindor up the middle. If he has a hot finish, this might be exactly what they do. Hopefully, his thumb doesn’t get in the way of their decision.

Non-free agents matter as well. If Jeff McNeil slumps through the final weeks, what happens with him? I think J.D. Davis has already been glued to the trade block. Have the Mets completely lost faith in Dominic Smith?

This month is the final chance for a guy like Conforto to show he is worth a multi-year deal; although you can’t convince me he is after his poor 2021 season.

Every game will matter this month until those same matches become garbage time. I think it’s important to differentiate between the two. If suddenly someone begins to replicate the back of his baseball card when the team has already dropped out of the playoff race, maybe they aren’t gutsy enough to perform on a winning ball club.

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Which September storylines will you be watching closely this month?

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