3 biggest musts for the Mets to have any chance at winning the 2022 World Series

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New year, not the same old New York Mets. At least this is the hope for anyone whose baseball fandom lives in Queens.

The Mets haven’t had a full offseason to fully rebuild the team and point themselves in the direction they want. MLB’s lockout has put a stop to any further action but there’s no doubt they have already begun the process.

With World Series aspirations in the coming season, there are three absolute musts for the team in order to get to the stage of planning a parade route. Take away any of these, Mets fans may have their Octobers free once again.

The Mets need Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer to stay healthy

The duo of Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer at the front of the club’s starting rotation should have you staying awake at night with excitement. Their combined five Cy Young Awards and lack of signs that either is on the decline is enough to have fans excited about what lies ahead for this team.

Unfortunately, unforeseen injuries can make those plans go astray very quickly.

deGrom missed about half of the 2021 season and the Mets suffered because of it. Getting him back for a full season is necessary. They can survive him missing a few starts. More than just a handful, though, can completely tank the year if they’re not getting much else from their starters.

Scherzer will provide the Mets with more than deGrom insurance. Another one of baseball’s true aces, he’ll need to also stay on the field and take the mound every fifth day.

The rotation does have a few wild cards in it. Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker have pitched well before, but after last year, there are reasons to doubt them. The other spot in the rotation is up in the air with the club possibly looking to add someone from outside of the organization. Everyone else should be viewed as nothing more than a depth piece.

deGrom and Scherzer are key for the Mets to win the World Series. In particular, each will need to be ready to go for the postseason. Losing even one of them could put the team at a huge disadvantage.

New York Mets v Milwaukee Brewers
New York Mets v Milwaukee Brewers / John Fisher/GettyImages

An average season from Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor completely changes the offense

An average season from Francisco Lindor would include a .278/.343/.478 slash line, 28 home runs, 85 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and Gold Glove-caliber defense. At least this is what he has averaged per 162 games in his seven big league seasons.

Lindor wasn’t close to his average self during the 2021 season. He finished with a .230/.322/.412 slash line, 20 home runs, 63 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and Gold Glove-caliber defense.

According to Meatloaf, two out of three ain’t bad. What does he think about one out of five?

Lindor did finish last season well with a .257/.346/.549 slash line in September/October. It was his most powerful month, too. He blasted 9 home runs (including 3 against the New York Yankees in one night) and added 25 RBI. The home run and RBI total were equal to or greater than the combination of any other month from his 2021 season.

The Mets can conceivably still win it all even if Lindor comes up shy to these averages from his career. Even a horrific season from him is possible to overcome if a lot of things swing their way. He is, after all, just one man.

It’s still hard to see the Mets landing in the Promised Land with Lindor limping there with them. At the very least, he needs to be closer to his own average performance. Otherwise, he may get a visit from the Boos of Citi Field Past.

Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets / Sarah Stier/GettyImages

Mets closer Edwin Diaz must return to an elite closer level

Mets closer Edwin Diaz remains questionable. His 2019 performance put him in the doghouse. The fantastic yet wasted rebound he made in 2020 won a few fans over. When he returned for his third season with the Mets in 2021, he was somewhere in the middle.

Thus far, in three seasons with the Mets, Diaz is now 9-14 with a 4.00 ERA and 64 saves. It’s not exactly the result you want from your last line of defense in the bullpen. Closers should have an ERA below 3.00—maybe stretching it to somewhere closer to 3.30 if you’re feeling generous. Anything higher and he probably has a few too many blown saves on his stat sheet for the season.

Before coming to New York, Diaz was coming off a season with the Seattle Mariners where he posted a 1.96 ERA and saved a league-best 57 games. He was eighth in the Cy Young voting that season as well.

Had the 2020 season been a full one, maybe he could have maintained his success. In his 26 games during the shortened campaign, Diaz did have a 1.75 ERA and over 17 strikeouts per nine innings. The biggest downside was how unimportant his success became as the Mets performed poorly as a team overall.

Every successful baseball team needs a closer they can count on. A bad year from Diaz could force the Mets to make a change in the closer spot. However, this also means they have one less bullpen arm they can turn to.

There are certain roles on the team that can underperform and the team can still win it all. Closer is not one of them.

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