3 harsh realities the Mets will have to overcome this year

3) The most expensive lineup isn't the best lineup for the Mets.

Credit the Mets for calling up Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, and Mark Vientos. All three have shown that they have that certain "je ne sais quoi" that French people love to say when they talk about baseball, which everybody knows is their favorite sport. Just having our favorite young trio on the roster isn't enough, though.

The Mets have been reticent to fully commit to any of the young'uns. Mark Vientos has been riding the pine while Daniel Vogelbach continues to struggle at DH. Brett Baty is sitting periodically for Eduardo Escobar. Meanwhile, Mark Canha and Starling Marte get trotted out nearly every day despite consistently underperforming.

It's difficult to tell why slumping veterans keep getting penciled in each day. Is it the financial commitment? That money is already spent. Is it a trust issue? With every game played, Mets fans trust the young guys more and the old guys less.

Whatever the reason, the Mets need to put the best team on the field every day, regardless of salary or performance in past seasons. You'd have to be blind to not see what Baty, Alvarez, and Vientos bring to the team. Is anyone getting excited when Vogelbach, Marte, or Canha come up?

Every time the Mets look ready to break out, they take a few steps back. It's like there's a rubber band connecting them to the .500 mark. To really get past the mediocrity of the season's first two months, these three issues have to be addressed. The team has made strides in each area, but there's a long way to go. Luckily, there's a lot of season left to figure it out.