4 Mets highlights from the first half of the 2022 season

The New York Mets were set to make waves in 2022 after a very disappointing 2021 season. They started off in the offseason by reshaping the organization from top to bottom. By hiring Billy Eppler as General Manager and the very well-respected Buck Showalter as manager, they set a precedent that the team from Queens meant business.

On top of that, the Mets retooled the roster bringing in veteran leader Max Scherzer to help Jacob deGrom lead the starting rotation. They also brought in star outfielder Starling Marte and role players, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha.

Everything was coming together until deGrom went down with an injury but the Mets still had Scherzer to lead the charge. As the season started and progressed we got a taste of how good this team could be and then Scherzer went down for 6 weeks with a strained oblique muscle. What seemed like doom and gloom only propelled the Mets.

The Mets overcame the obstacles in front of them and played better than anyone could have ever imagined. They not only have led the division for most of the season but they also have the 2nd best record to start a season in franchise history just below the 1986 team (and we all know what that team accomplished in the end).

The first half of the 2022 season has been filled with many great Mets moments but these 4 are at the top:

Mets Highlight: April 29th, The Combined No-Hitter

People will try and denounce this accomplishment but a no-hitter is a no-hitter no matter how you play it.

Playing against their division rivals from Philly, five Mets pitchers combined to shut out and shut down a potent Phillies lineup led by Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, JT Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber.

Tylor Megill got the start and mowed down the Phillies offense for 5 innings including 5 strikeouts. Drew Smith came in relief and had a very impressive outing striking out four in 1.1 innings pitched. Smith was on a historic start of his own not allowing any runs in the first month of the season.

The no-no didn’t seem real until the Mets scored in the 5th and 6th inning capped off with a Polar Bear Blast from Pete Alonso. Once the runs were in place Seth Lugo and Joely Rodriguez came in and continued the Mets pitching brilliance. Rodriguez got into a little trouble giving up two walks but kept the Phillies hitless and Lugo got out the only two batters he ended up facing.

In the 9th, in front of a raucous crowd at Citi Field, Edwin Diaz came in against the heart of the Phillies order: Harper, Castellanos, and Realmuto. Not only does Diaz set them down in order, but he also finishes with a flourish, striking out the side.

The combined no-hitter was the second no-hitter in Mets history; ten years after Johan Santana pitched one in Queens as well.

Mets Highlight: May 2nd, Mets DFA Robinson Canó

A few days after the combined no-hitter, the Mets made a tough decision to designate Robinson Canó for assignment.

It was a tough decision considering that he still had two years left on his deal and close to $38mil left on his contract but it had to be done. Canó had struggled to start the season hitting .195 with one home run and 3 runs batted in.

With a roster move needing to be made and a four-hit game from an also struggling Dom Smith the day before, the Mets decided to make a “baseball decision” and drop Robinson Cano.

The move set a couple of things in motion. For one it showed that the front office meant business and that they weren’t afraid to make the right decisions just because of a contract. Something that was lacking from previous ownership. It definitely felt that the remnants of the Wilpon Era were washed away for good.

The move to bring in Canó was not really met with much fanfare. Yes, it brought over All-Star closer Edwin Diaz but the deal in itself was panned due to the fact that the Mets gave up two highly touted prospects, including top outfield prospect Jared Kelenic. An aging Canó at the end of his career was not what this fan base wanted, especially at the money he was making.

It’s all over now and all sides have moved on, and moved on for the better.

Mets Highlight: July 9th, Keith Hernandez number retirement ceremony

What a journey it has been for Keith Hernandez in Queens. It all started off with a trade back in 1983 that brought the Gold Glove, Co-MVP, and World Champion to Queens from St. Louis.

Reluctant to want to be here at first, Hernandez became a legend in Queens and has been here ever since.

He transformed the team and provided leadership on and off the field that could not be compared. Just ask his teammates. This leadership led to a great second half of the 80s culminating with a World Series championship in 1986.

Following the World Series championship, Hernandez shared co-captain duties with Gary Carter. This lasted until the end of 1989 when his contract ran out.

After retiring, he became a fixture in New York by making a guest appearance on the popular comedy sitcom, Seinfeld.

Hernandez returned to the Mets organization, but this time as a play-by-announcer on SNY along with Gary Cohen and former teammate Ron Darling. Not only did he succeed on the field but has become one-third of possibly the best broadcast team in all of baseball.

I never got to see Hernandez play, but being in attendance for his retirement ceremony showed me just how important he was not only to this organization but to the fan base in Queens as well.

A sold-out crowd packed Citi Field to see one of the greatest get his number retired. From the video package to Keith’s speech it was a beautiful ceremony and day to honor this Mets legend.

On top of that, there was baseball to be played after the ceremony and the Mets defeated the Marlins in a comeback that even the 1986 championship team would be proud of.