2 trends the Mets must continue for success in the NLCS, 1 thing that must change

The New York Mets 2024 campaign has been an absolute roller coaster. But with the power of a McDonald’s mascot, a hit song from a 34-year-old second baseman who spent all of 2023 out of the big leagues and now a pumpkin, the blue and orange find themselves awaiting their opponent for the National League Championship series.

That will be determined this Friday when the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres square off in game five of the divisional series.

Despite their opponent still being unknown, the Mets have some things that must continue and one that must change if they hope for their postseason success to continue.

The Mets offense needs to continue to get contributions up and down the lineup

What's been unique about the Mets' offense this postseason is that, unlike their previous run to the championship series that the bat of Daniel Murphy carried, everyone has contributed.

From Pete Alonso to Jesse Winker to Mark Vientos and Francisco Lindor, everyone up and down the lineup has come up clutch in a big moment and provided when the team needed them the most.

That needs to continue in the NLCS because if the lineup gets shorter, as it did for the Philadelphia Phillies in the divisional series, it becomes much simpler to pitch to. Therefore, the Mets superstars won’t get a chance to make an impact, thus making a berth in the fall classic a more challenging goal to achieve.

The Mets starting pitchers need to continue to give them length

It has been an open secret all season that the Mets' Achilles Heel is their bullpen. 

We’ve seen it in the postseason with the bullpen in the final two games of the wild-card series against the Milwaukee Brewers and game two of the divisional series against the Phillies. 

What has mitigated that weakness has been the length of the starting pitching. Mets starters this postseason (excluding Kodai Senga) have averaged about six innings per start. 

The starters will need to continue to provide length to keep the bullpen usage at a minimum and keep the best options on the mound when the relievers need to come in rather than having just whoever is rested enough.

If both things can continue, the blue and orange will be set up for success in the championship series.

The big change the Mets need is for Edwin Diaz to be himself again

Speaking of the bullpen, its ace has not looked like himself this postseason.

Edwin Diaz has made three appearances, pitching 3.1 innings while allowing three earned runs and picking up a save.

While the strikeout numbers have been there (seven), the more significant concern is that the Puerto Rico native has pitched himself into trouble as his command hasn’t been up to its usual standard.

Diaz’s usage has been high, so that could be playing a factor, but the 30-year-old will need to be his best self if the blue and orange hope to capture the pennant for the first time since 2015.