Edwin Diaz and 3 other players who’ve hurt their cause by playing in the WBC

2) NY Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has been an absent bat for Team USA

Pete Alonso has done exactly what Escobar has at the plate except his 1 for 10 doesn’t include a dinger. The Mets slugger has struck out four times in the WBC. We’re not about to dismiss what he can give to his big league club, but it definitely didn’t do him any favors.

Jeff McNeil hasn’t been any better, going only 1 for 8. The pair of Mets we were excited to see represent the US haven’t come close to winning any Captain America title away from David Wright. On the contrary, their weak performances plus the Diaz injury could have them and other players within the organization thinking twice about participating in the future.

Again, it’s great to see this pair represent the USA as long as everyone has fun and nobody gets hurt. That said, it would have been much better to see them at Mets Camp where the games matter even less but the importance of working together as a team for the long 162-game haul comes into play.

Alonso and McNeil have been around long enough with the Mets. There really isn’t much more chemistry building or work to do that they haven’t already done. Maybe they haven’t so much hurt their cause as much as they’ve unnecessarily put themselves at risk for an injury. Keep your fingers crossed they get through the finale of the WBC unscathed.