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3 Mets playoff roadblocks that could get in the way of playing October baseball
The Mets will need to blast through these roadblocks to make it into the playoffs.
In the second-half of September, the New York Mets are playing relevant baseball. It’s the bare minimum of what we demanded heading into this season; at least make a push to get into the playoffs.
Your expectations might’ve changed. Seeing a playoff spot right there for the taking, putting the foot on the gas and blasting through the roadblocks ahead is the only way to satisfy the majority of us.
Want October Mets baseball? You better hope they can drive through these three roadblocks that could get in the way.
1) The Francisco Lindor injury
One player shouldn’t make or break a team’s shot at the playoffs. Somehow it’s precisely where the Mets lie. It’s especially interesting that without Francisco Lindor in the lineup they’re able to easily put Jose Iglesias in at shortstop (or Luisangel Acuna if they choose). The drop off from Lindor to whoever replaces him in the lineup is big, but larger is the presence of Lindor at the top of the order.
The moment the Mets moved Lindor to the leadoff spot was when things started to turn for the better. Although they had to go through their rocky finish in May to eventually get on the right path, it was the decision to bat Lindor first that altered his season and completely reinvigorated the lineup.
Lindor’s back injury is expected to last a few more days. A vague “2-3 days” followed by a “3-5 days” from the man himself doesn’t give a close enough estimate.
The troubling fact about the Mets is that they haven’t hit much at all in September. Lindor has remained their most prolific offensive player. With no signs of someone else about to break out and take home Player of the Month honors, his absence is as noticeable as a bite mark on a burger you just unwrapped from your favorite fast food joint.
2) The remaining Mets schedule
After these next two with the Washington Nationals, the Mets don’t have any kind of easy street in their final games. Four against the Philadelphia Phillies who just took 2 of 3. A series in Atlanta against the Braves with the playoffs on the line. Finally, three versus the Milwaukee Brewers who could be playing for a first-round bye.
The Mets showed a lot of guts in late August by racking up wins against the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks—leaving a few on the table in winnable games. How many more of those big games do they have left to win?
If the Mets miss the postseason, we’ll look back at every one of those bad losses this season as a source. Losing in August to the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics is feeling more unacceptable. What about blowing that one against the Miami Marlins?
One thing the Mets cannot control is who they play. All they can do is wake up for those games no matter where the game takes place, who’s in the other dugouts, and what their record is. The best-case scenario for the Mets involves another team vying for a Wild Card spot collapsing. Because the Mets do play the Braves for three, they’re one team they can have some control over.
3) An untrustworthy Mets offense and bullpen
Even with Francisco Lindor inserted at the top of the lineup, the Mets weren’t doing a whole lot of hitting. Their victory on Monday was a perfect example of what we’ve seen. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Then boom! A run. Sometimes it’s an explosion of them.
The Mets have somehow managed to be one of the more prolific run-scoring teams in September but that’s mostly based on one big inning a few times this month. Their biggest roadblock of all is the assembled roster that has a whole lot of heart but lacks in some other departments.
It isn’t only the offense that has struggled enough to lose our trust. The bullpen, which looks immaculate one day and a pushover the next, has far too many untrustworthy players in there. What is Adam Ottavino still doing on this team? Only because the Mets don’t have a better option has he been able to survive this long.
The saving grace for the Mets has been their starting pitchers dominating even when the rest of the team hasn’t clicked right. Going deep into games has helped eliminate the need to turn to the bullpen as often as Carlos Mendoza had to early on in the season. And because outings from everyone have been so effective, the team constantly has a chance to put together its big inning late in order to seal a victory.
A shaky bullpen and a way too often absent offense can sink the Mets this year. On the other hand, if those two just become average, there’s little that can stop them from being a team of destiny.
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