3 things we need to see from the Mets players before the season is over

New York Mets v Miami Marlins
New York Mets v Miami Marlins / Eric Espada/GettyImages
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The New York Mets are in a slobber-knocker against the Atlanta Braves for National League East supremacy. With lots of games on the schedule left for the two sides to swap a lead in the division, it’s important we see the Mets finish the season strong even if they do pull away from the Braves because of an Atlanta collapse.

Heading into the postseason with good momentum is important even if the Mets get a first-round bye. Nobody wants their team to take the foot off the gas just as games become even more important to win.

In these final weeks of the year, members of the Flushing faithful are hoping to see these three things out of their team.

1 )NY Mets fans want to see consistency out of the DH spot

It doesn’t matter who it is or which batter’s box he stands in. Mets fans just want a DH they can trust. From the start of the season until this very moment, the Mets haven’t had a designated hitter they could rely on consistently.

The season began with a plan to have a mix of Robinson Cano, J.D. Davis, and Dominic Smith in the role along with Pete Alonso on a regular basis. At the trade deadline, the Mets changed the plan. A platoon of Darin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach took over. Now they have company with Mark Vientos.

As frustrated as fans are with Ruf, there isn’t a single one that would accept him figuring things out and becoming the everyday DH. Any production out of this spot would be accepted even if it’s coming from a player that has caused a ton of frustration already.

What makes the DH spot stand out most is that the Mets were supposed to have one of the best combination of players in it at the start of the year. Having DHs that can’t hit well is a complete waste.

If anyone can step up in some capacity, Mets fans will have a tough time rubbing the smiles off their faces.

2) NY Mets fans want to see Mychal Givens, other relievers step up

Mychal Givens hasn’t been as absolutely brutal as he was at the start of his time with the Mets. He and several other relievers need to step up in order to give fans full faith in the team.

Bullpens are fickle and you’ll have a tough time finding any fanbase that has full trust in their relief corps. The Mets have the best closer in baseball this year and a very capable setup man named Adam Ottavino. Beyond those two, there are a bunch of guys who need to prove themselves.

Having even one more reliever pitching lights out could make a major difference for the team. It would be tough to go into the postseason with only a pair of pitchers they can turn to with any faith after the starter is removed. As much as the plan would be to have the starters go about seven innings, it’s not the most practical way to approach the entire postseason.

Someone will need to join Diaz and Ottavino as arms they can trust. Seth Lugo and Trevor May would be two candidates. A starter, like Tylor Megill, moving to the bullpen would also be welcomed.

Again, it doesn’t matter who it is. Although, if David Peterson could flip himself into a relief role and look unhittable, it might finally solve the question of who will get big lefty hitters out in the playoffs.

3) NY Mets fans want to see the healthiest team possible

It’s a given. Mets fans want a healthy team. This means Max Scherzer returning. It means Starling Marte is in the starting lineup and playing his best baseball. This also includes fewer players getting added to the IL. September is the month where season-ending injuries pop up more frequently if only because there is less time to recuperate, rehab, and return.

Injuries have doomed plenty of past Mets teams and one major blow can certainly have the same effect on this year’s squad. The Mets need at least two of their top three pitchers available in the postseason to have any serious shot at winning things. The trio of Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and even Chris Bassitt can be counted on to take the team far. They won’t get the chance if they’re hurt.

Unfortunately, with the battle going on in the division with the Braves, the Mets might not get an opportunity to take their foot off the gas. They’ll need to keep their best pitchers on the hill every fifth day until they clinch the best seed possible.

The final weeks of the MLB regular season doesn’t determine how far a team can go. For a little less anxiety, though, Mets fans are eager to see these areas improve.

Start hitting. Continue pitching. Get healthy. Those are three ingredients every team needs.

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