3 Mets predictions we all got wrong this year

We all think we know what the New York Mets will do, who will perform well, and what the final results will be. There’s a reason they play the games. It’s to shut us self-proclaimed Nostradamus up.

Each of us definitely got some predictions correct. We figured Francisco Lindor would be better. We knew the starting rotation would be superb. Each of us guaranteed behind the leadership of Buck Showalter things would run smoothly.

Not all of the predictions we made were 100% accurate. Whether you put them in ink, wrote them on a post-it, or sold it as an NFT, these are three predictions all of us—or at least move of us—failed to get correct.

1) NY Mets prediction we got wrong: NL East race would have been tighter

Who knew winning the National League East would come this easily to the 2022 Mets? The Braves did inch within a half game of the Mets earlier this summer but New York saw the urgency and spread things out once again shortly after.

The season is hardly over with and there is plenty of time for the Braves to surge, the Mets to fall, and anyone who thought the National League East chase would be tighter to be current.

Who wouldn’t have predicted a more evenly matched division, though? On paper, the strengths of the Mets and Braves are much closer. Even the Philadelphia Phillies had the potential to be at least within spitting distance of the division lead.

Instead, the Mets have actually had things come to them rather easily.

This doesn’t come across like a ball club that’ll get too cocky about it. They need to remain vigilant in winning however they can and as often as possible. For an updated prediction: they will.

2) NY Mets prediction we got wrong: Eduardo Escobar would be a productive player

Eduardo Escobar has been a major disappointment this year. Many of us saw this as a favorable move by the Mets. He could play third base until one of the kids was prepared. Whether that time came this year or next, Escobar was a solid fit for what the Mets needed at the hot corner.

He hasn’t hit particularly well for any length of time. He isn’t having a Joey Gallo-Yankees experience but he also has been one of the team’s most ineffective starters.

It is a short-term deal and not for a whole lot of money to hamper the team from spending in other areas. Escobar has been a nice locker room addition but those guys can be found in much smaller roles than the one he was meant to take on.

When the Mets signed Escobar, he was meant to be one of their primary power hitters. Inserting him into the middle of the lineup with Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor would give them just enough pop. Instead, Escobar has been a guy some would rather see benched in favor of Luis Guillorme.

If Escobar isn’t able to figure things out by the end of the season, he could become a part-time player at the start of next year. Because he has experience at more than third base, it’s not such a bad thing for a team with unlimited financial resources. It will really depend on how prepared the team’s third base prospects are.