Todd Zeile’s NY Mets lineup critique hits the bullseye on what could improve the team

Despite winning two in a row to finish off their 6-game homestand with a finale in Williamsport, the New York Mets needed a day off on Monday. Momentum swung their way just in time for a long streak of days without any off-days. We’re going to get a lot of baseball with no days off for the rest of August. It’s going to take all 26 players and more to get through this stretch and the rest of the regular season.

To make it a pleasurable experience, they might need to change a few things. Following Sunday’s victory, Todd Zeile had a critique of the usage of some particular players that seems to hit the bullseye on what might help to explain some of the struggles of their offensive players.

Zeile would know better than anyone what a team is doing wrong or right. His 16 years of MLB experience with 11 different ball clubs has him positioned to be more than just a good Immaculate Grid answer. He has been teammates with enough young players to realize the greenest players on the Mets roster could probably benefit from some regular action.

The Mets trade for Cedric Mullins had a trickle down effect that might be hurting their younger players

Cedric Mullins has played in all but one of the 15 Mets games this month, posting just a .547 OPS. A much-needed attempt to try to improve the center field situation over Tyrone Taylor, whose role has evaporated greater than anyone else, is tough to criticize without the benefit of hindsight. As Zeile notes, Mullins in center field means no more Jeff McNeil there. As a result, second base and the DH spot has been clogged up and at-bats are getting taken away from Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Mark Vientos.

Baty has been quietly fantastic in August, posting a .958 OPS this month. Vientos has struggled to play as regularly, appearing in only 8 games with a .573 OPS. A big game on Sunday triggered Zeile’s reaction in the first place. Vientos is having a difficult time getting into the lineup with any regularity in favor of Starling Marte in the DH role and Mauricio at third base when the team faces a righty. Mauricio has been the worst of the three, posting a .368 OPS in August with no extra-base hits. He has struck out 13 times in 26 at-bats.

Irregular playing time for Mauricio and Baty can help explain some of the struggles, but neither has been able to establish themselves consistently enough when given the opportunity. Plus, with Vientos struggling on defense, it has been more difficult to justify having him at third base regardless of the pitcher’s handedness. Marte’s inability to do much other than hit left-handed pitchers this year (and do it at a high level) puts them in a bind where they should be using him as the DH in those games.

Using McNeil in center field again at appropriate times can help get the young players into games more. It doesn’t resolve the issue, but it can save us from the ongoing uncertainty of having only a faint idea of what each of these players is able to achieve. Kids are starting school again and we’re no closer to having an idea of who truly belongs and who doesn’t.