These Mets have a chance to be All-Stars this year

The New York Mets carry the best record in the National League into Monday's action following a thrilling series split with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, the site of this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Mets have several high-performing players that will get a long look by the league's coaches and the voters to be a part of the National League All-Star team.

Mets All Star No. 1: 1B Pete Alonso

What more can we possibly say about Pete Alonso's first half to the season. He has driven in the most runs in the majors with 54 RBI's, and is tied with Mookie Betts of the Dodgers for the National League home run lead with 16, so he has at least a share of the lead in two of the three hitting Triple Crown territories.

Additionally, he is tied for 7th in the National League with 35 runs scored and 33 extra base hits, 9th in hits with 60, tied for 4th with 117 total bases, 5th with a .552 slugging percentage and 6th with a .911 OPS.

Now, the National League first base category will be quite competitive, with the likes of Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers, Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals, Josh Bell of the Nationals, and C.J. Cron of the Rockies all making cases to join the team.

There is a chance that Cron will make the team by default because every team is required to have at least one representative on the team and Cron is the only Rockies player that is deserving, so at least one of these first basemen will be snubbed. So Alonso's status on the All-Star team, as deserving as it gets, might boil down to the ballot box, so Mets fans will have to be loud on the online exclusive ballot to get Alonso on.

Mets All Star No. 2: 2B Jeff McNeil

Jeff McNeil has a good consideration to be named an All-Star too. McNeil is fourth in the National League with a .311 batting average and ranks in the top 15 with 57 hits and a .365 on-base percentage.

McNeil got off to a tremendous start to his 2022 season by going back to the basic fundamentals that got him to his first All-Star nod in 2019, by not falling in love with the long ball. And McNeil only has three home runs this year.

And he's been remarkably consistent, especially over the past three weeks, keeping his average consistently high, inserting himself into many of the Mets' comebacks, and putting the ball in play at an elite level. Fans should not let his temporary benching following a disappointing at-bat on Saturday distract themselves from what a ferocious competitor McNeil is.

The National League starting second baseman race may be a three horse race between Jeff McNeil, Jazz Chisholm, Jr. of the Marlins and Tommy Edman of the Cardinals. McNeil seems like a good bet to make the team at least as a reserve, but that race may also be decided amongst the voters.

But, when compared to Chisholm and Edman, McNeil's stats prove he is the best all-around second baseman in the National League and is a deserving candidate to start in the All-Star Game.

Mets All-Star No. 3: SS Francisco Lindor

Lindor has been one of the two best shortstops in the National League bar none through two months of this season. He is currently batting .259 with 9 home runs, 45 RBI's (ranked third among all National League players), 39 runs scored (fifth in the league), and a .789 OPS (second best among all league shortstops).

He's been a dynamic playmaker both offensively and defensively all season, and it is much needed as he began his new $341 million contract this season, and is as important a player as any, with the leadership he brings and shear talent. This has been, though, a bounce back campaign for Lindor, who only got his 45th run batted in on September 7 last year and his ninth home run on July 11. The differences between Lindor last season and this season have been overwhelming.

Lindor is currenty on pace for 26 doubles, 26 home runs, 131 RBI, 113 runs scored, 160 hits, and 20 stolen bases. That's pretty good for a shortstop, huh?

Both Lindor and Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner have the two best cases to start at shortstop for the National League. And that too will be an interesting race, as Turner helped his All-Star case with his home run in Sunday's loss to the Mets. Turner has 44 RBI's and six homers, along with both a .299 batting average and an .821 OPS, both better than Lindor. But nonetheless, like we saw in the Mets-Dodgers series this weekend, the Mets shortstop and Dodgers shortstop are on a class of their own right now.

So barring something dramatic, Lindor is on the fast track to returning to Dodger Stadium in six weeks on his fifth All-Star team and first as a met.

Mets All Star No. 5: RP Edwin Diaz

A typical All-Star roster usually yields four relief pitchers, typically all closers, and Edwin Diaz has done enough to be part of that select group, for now.

Diaz leads all National League relievers with 41 strikeouts in 22.0 innings pitched and is tied for fourth with 11 saves, and among the seven closers with 11 saves, he has the second lowest ERA with a mark of 2.38. He has also struck out 45.5 percent of batters faced, which is the best mark in all of baseball through two months.

The name recognition alone, is enough for the coaching staff to consider when making thes decisions, but the value alone is what should drive Diaz's case to them. After all, baseball scouts have raved at Diaz's electric arsenal of pitches since he was a prospect with the Mariners several years ago, and now in 2022, Diaz is putting together arguably his best stretch of pitching since getting traded to the Mets four years ago.

Now, there should be some givens for the staff already with David Bednar of the Pirates, Josh Hader of the Brewers, and Taylor Rogers of the Padres as leaders. So the fourth and final relief pitcher selection will be a pure toss-up between Diaz, Devin Williams of the Brewers, and Kenley Jansen of the Braves. So nobody will know who will distinguish himself from the others, but Diaz has a chance and the talent to make the team.