Mets have 1 thing left to prove to everyone

The New York Mets may have suffered a pair of losses to the Houston Astros earlier this week but they remain one of the best teams in baseball. However, the pair of road losses did remind us all of one achievement they still need to accomplish.

There aren’t all that many great teams in the National League this year. The Mets have faced a few playoff hopefuls, notably playing the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres on the road earlier in the month. They did manage to split the four games against the Dodgers before dropping two out of three versus the Padres.

Two more losses against the Astros continued the one weakness the Mets may have. Beating really good teams on the road is a challenge every club faces and it might be the one thing the Mets will struggle with.

The Mets need to prove they can beat a really good team on the road in a short series

Back in May, the Mets lost two out of three to the San Francisco Giants out in California. They did manage to take two out of three versus the St. Louis Cardinals while on the road, securing their lone series victory against one of the better clubs in baseball away from Citi Field.

It’s not unusual for any team to have a below .500 winning percentage on the road versus the best teams in baseball. The Mets’ inability to win more than their series in St. Louis, though, proves just how important it is that they lock up the number one seed in the playoff bracket. If they truly are a team better equipped to win at home than on the road, they will need as many games in Flushing as they can get.

The Mets have had a great year, beaten plenty of tough teams, and even have a chance to host the Astros and get a little revenge next week. They can only play the teams on their schedule. It’s not their fault they haven’t had enough opportunities to play good clubs while on the road.

Before the All-Star Break, the only likely playoff team they play away from Citi Field is the Atlanta Braves from July 11-13. They won’t have another one of those “good teams” on their road schedule again for another month when they visit Atlanta again from August 15-18. A week later, they have two games at Yankee Stadium.

Moving forward into September, the Mets only have a road series against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves to be truly worried about. By then, the Brewers may have completely collapsed. There’s no telling what the Braves will be either.

The Mets may not get the chance to prove themselves on the road against the best teams in baseball. Beating up on the Braves might be the best way to boost their confidence and believe they can do something only the best clubs can: win tough series on the road.