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3 random A+ grades the Mets deserve after the first 81 games of the season
The official midway point is here. Where have the Mets earned an A+?
The New York Mets have played 81 games. Math tells us they have another 81 left to go. We’re at the official midway point of the season, conveniently taking place at the start of a new month.
There isn’t a shortage of analysis to make. Free agent signings from the offseason. Player performances. Decisions by the front office. All deserve to be discussed.
We’re in an unexpected place with the Mets on July 1 with the team right there in contention for a Wild Card spot. Rather than say anything negative about them, which there has been plenty, let’s stick with only the good. These three random aspects of the 2024 season all deserve an A+.
1) Give Carlos Mendoza and A+ for his starting lineup changes
Carlos Mendoza saw a puzzle with the starting lineup. Comically, we began with a regular lineup of Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil. The arrival of J.D. Martinez added a new kind of element, but it wasn’t the kick the Mets needed.
Mendoza began to mix up the lineup. A struggling Lindor and Alonso were moved. Lindor took off. Alonso was okay. Nimmo did poorly in his new role batting third. Then came the more recent change. The foursome of Lindor, Nimmo, Martinez, and Alonso in that order seemed to fit them all perfectly. Lindor gets to go back to the spot in the lineup where he had the most success in his career. Nimmo more naturally fit in as a number two hitter rather than three. Martinez and Alonso get to drive in the runs in their spots.
The only part of this process that wouldn’t deserve an A+ is how long it took. Throughout the first few weeks of the season, the Mets stuck with a predictable starting lineup. Not until the changes did we begin to see life in the bats, starting with Lindor as the most significantly improved.
Mendoza adds some extra credit for successfully mixing Harrison Bader in and out of the starting lineup. He has been kept healthy thanks to playing a little less than the average starting center fielder. Pass along a high-five for Tyrone Taylor for being able to manage Bader and Marte’s load when they needed a breather.
2) Give the Mets an A+ for constantly having new unofficial mascots
If nothing else comes out of the 2024 Mets season, at least we’ll have an onslaught of fun unofficial mascots. The Mets players never cease to embrace the weirdness. This year seems to have a non-stop cavalcade of rallying cries.
It began with the Rally Pimp in the team’s first win of the season. They would later cool off only for a more familiar hero to step up and take the torch. Grimace’s first pitch took place at the front end of a winning streak that yanked the Mets back to .500 and into playoff relevancy.
All the while, the greatest hero of all was in the background. Jose Iglesias helped give the Mets a different kind of energy. As both a roster replacement for Joey Wendle and an improved starter for the struggling Jeff McNeil, he injected a better bat onto the team. More important is the attitude and hustle. Asking for the ball from his first Mets hit proved he was taking things seriously and with a humble approach.
Iglesias’ Mets teammates have embraced him just as much. His musical career hasn’t even had to go on hold as OMG is now the team’s song of the season.
The Mets are fun, likable, and playing well. Another unofficial mascot could be on the way in the next 81 games. For now, we’ll enjoy Iglesias and his music.
3) Give David Stearns and A+ for dumping inferior players
Remind me to never play David Stearns in a card game. An unassuming personality he shows publicly, Stearns has a ruthless nature about him when it comes to decision-making. It’s what has made him a success in MLB and will keep the Mets competitive.
The Mets haven’t been shy about dumping players. From the Opening Day roster, the list includes Jorge Lopez, Michael Tonkin, Yohan Ramirez, Omar Narvaez, Joey Wendle, and Zack Short. The team has DFA’d even more players this season. Julio Teheran was shown the door quickly. Even Tyler Jay who waited years to make his MLB debut was DFA’d despite pitching well.
Previous regimes would’ve kept these players around. Not this one. The Mets might not have gone full bore in the offseason, but they’re not allowing straphangers any free ride.
Best of all, many of those dearly departed Mets players have been replaced by notably better ones. We went from Narvaez to Luis Torrens. From Wendle to Iglesias. From Short to Mark Vientos. The relievers have been a bit tougher to replace. However, decisions like promoting Dedniel Nunez and signing Danny Young in the offseason have already paid off. Lest we forget about keeping Reed Garrett altogether when he showed nothing in his past to indicate he was worth a closer look.
Yes, the Mets were imperfect over those first 81 games and will remain a troubling bunch for the final 81. Thanks to Stearns’ ruthless nature, Mendoza’s constant adjustments to the lineup, and a fun cast of unofficial mascots, there are a couple of places where we can hand the Mets an A+.
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