3 NY Mets player overreactions from April you're not wrong to feel

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Overreactions are needed in fandom and with April now over, New York Mets fans have had a full 30 days of feeling extremes. The team battled back to get over .500 and sunk down below it. Are they better than an even record or right there? The difference for this team may end up being just a handful of games.

The team has now put 29 games in the books entering May. What types of player overreactions have you had? If any of these three apply, you’re not wrong.

1) Mets overreaction you're not wrong to feel: Joey Wendle should be DFA’d

The Mets have been quick to execute players from the 26-man roster in ways we couldn’t have predicted. Zack Short was the first of the position players to see himself cut from the roster. This was easy to predict as his presence from Opening Day was a surprise in itself.

His veteran clone, Joey Wendle, remains with the team in part because the Mets don’t have a whole lot else they can do right now. Getting paid $2 million this year to supposedly help them with defense, mostly at third base, his recent miscue on Monday night seemed to be the last straw for many fans.

Tie ballgame in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/sfGPR6Dj42
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 30, 2024

Studying the above video, some might conclude Wendle could have rolled the ball home and gotten the runner out.

In 25 chances at the plate, Wendle has batted .250/280/.292. This might not be a case of numbers looking sour because it’s early. In over 300 trips to the plate last year with the Miami Marlins, Wendle hit .212/.248/.306. Three errors already this year on top of it and it’s easy to understand why fans are fed up.

You’re not wrong to want Wendle gone. Because he is new to the team and making more than league minimum, his leash is a little longer than many would like it to be.

2) Mets overreaction you're not wrong to feel: Christian Scott needs to be called up

The starting pitching for the Mets hasn’t been as atrocious as some advertised it to be. They started off great, had a stretch in the middle of the month where they weren’t, and are now back to being the lifeblood of the ball club. The lone exception, Adrian Houser, should be looking over his shoulder. He is replaceable and the guy many want to see in his place is prospect Christian Scott.

Now in Triple-A, the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2023 has been fantastic outside of allowing more than a home run per game. It’s a minor problem that can explode with fury in the majors when up against major league hitters.

You’re not wrong for this overreaction. The Mets can’t keep running Houser out there every few days to give them the low-quality outings he has thus far. It’s only an overreaction because the Mets have yet to even run through the starting pitching depth. Tylor Megill and David Peterson are currently rehabbing to provide some reprieve in case they do pull the plug on the former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher.

Scott replacing Houser would be a bit of an extreme move at the moment. Only 5 starts into his Triple-A career after a dozen in Double-A last season, his performance has been promising yet not exactly on-par with what the team will need. Scott, who turns 25 in June, hasn’t had the chance to pile up innings as a professional. His 87.2 last year is the most and he’s already at 25.1.

These games right now count just as much as the ones in September. Given the choice, I’d rather have him available when the Mets truly need this guy and not when they have many other candidates.

3) Mets overreaction you're not wrong to feel: Brett Baty should be sent to the minors

A debate nobody figured would happen with the start he had, Brett Baty’s job could now be in jeopardy. Mark Vientos’ unexpected promotion during Starling Marte’s time on the bereavement list has fans thinking about the possibility of swapping the two. This is a “too early to call” situation with Vientos spending most of his days in the big leagues thus far coming off the bench in place of Baty.

Baty is batting .256/.319/.314 this year with a homerless streak throughout all of April. He hit his one and only long ball on March 30. Criticized for some dumpy hits that weren’t barreled or exiting with great velocity, Baty’s numbers are a bit deceptive. They should be much worse.

The only way the Mets can tinker a little further to see who their third baseman is would be to send DJ Stewart to the minors. A limited player himself, it’s not exactly fair with how many big hits he has had for the team. Stewart’s batting average leaves a lot to be desired. However, he has been an on-base machine through the first month of the season.

Sending Baty to the minor leagues doesn’t do much other than ruin the confidence he gained. Still thought of as the superior defensive player, the problem Vientos runs into is the presence of J.D. Martinez on the roster.

The problem solves itself with Joey Wendle getting designated for assignment to clear space. However, this then creates a whole new problem. The Mets wouldn’t have a backup second baseman or shortstop.

An offense-happy roster at the moment without much consistent production from the bats, you’re not incorrect in wanting to see any kind of a change. Sending Baty down to the minor leagues in favor of Vientos means more Wendle late in games. The Mets chose Baty over Vientos on Tuesday with the return of Starling Marte. A game-winning home run from Stewart will help his case to stay. Baty, meanwhile, is only aided by the ability to play a defensive position.

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