2 truths, and 1 lie about the Mets season so far

Apr 5, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) walks off the field
Apr 5, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) walks off the field / Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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Two truths and a lie. It can be a fun and revealing game between friends. After a week of New York Mets baseball, we’ve seen a much different team than many of us expected.

At 3-4 after the two series, what have we witnessed thus far that is a truth and what is pure humbug?

NY Mets truth: The offense is not great

The Mets offense didn’t show up in their first two games against the Milwaukee Brewers. The pitching got pummeled (more on that later) while the bats went completely silent.

The truth for these Mets is they may have overachieved somewhat with last season’s ability to piece together runs without the home run. Pete Alonso did manage to rip a pair of dingers on Wednesday but it wasn’t enough as they fell yet again to the Brewers.

What we’ve seen from the offense so far is alarming. It’s the worst-case scenario for a group where there were doubts about heading into the year. The lineup has a bunch of number one or two hitters surrounding their lone slugger, Alonso.

The inability for Daniel Vogelbach to play against lefties is absurd. We’re going to be relying on Tommy Pham to sit regularly and perform at a high level when he does play. 

The Mets offense has been settling for singles early on. Station-to-station baseball is not a winning recipe. You need the occasional home run. Alonso has 3, Pham has 1, and Mark Canha has the other.

An inability to hit for power was a known worry for Mets fans coming into the season. Those concerns are proving true.

Insert one true big bopper into this lineup and everything changes. It’s one of the reasons why fans were so excited to see the Mets swoop in and sign Carlos Correa. It’s exactly why we were all rooting for Brett Baty to make the Opening Day roster.

NY Mets truth: The pitching staff is missing its injured starters

The absence of Justin Verlander has elevated every other pitcher in the rotation other than maybe Max Scherzer who was already tapped to start for the club on Opening Day. He has his own issues this year. Has he gotten too old all of a sudden? Worried Mets fans seem to believe so.

The truth with the pitching staff is that they are going to miss Verlander every time they go through the rotation without him. Even if Tylor Megill pitches well in his place, clunkers like David Peterson’s most recent outing will hurt much more. The Mets have no one they can realistically turn to for help right now to make any of us feel good.

Despite my own mediocre expectations for Jose Quintana, Carlos Carrasco’s first start of the year has me wondering if they’d be better off with him instead.

Eventually, the same could happen with Edwin Diaz out. David Robertson has been effective in the closer role. In Wednesday’s walk-off loss, however, we saw Buck Showalter turn to Adam Ottavino in the ninth only for him to allow a home run. The choice may not have changed with Diaz around. Diaz’s absence is more about how unraveled things are going to get when the Mets have no choice but to pitch Stephen Nogosek, Dennis Santana, and others in big situations.

Right now, the starting rotation is definitely the bigger concern for this team. The cold-hard fact: it might not be as stellar as it looked.

NY Mets lie: The season is over

Let’s calm down. The truth hurts. Yes, the lineup isn’t so great. The starting rotation is battered and it does seem like Scherzer has lost a step. Carrasco was unimpressive. Peterson might not be able to hold down the fort. The bullpen is very meh without Diaz.

We’re also only seven games into the season. This is a disaster if we’re in late September and the Mets are falling in the standings. We haven’t even forgiven our spouses for the cruel April Fool’s joke they played on us. R-E-L-A-X.

It’s a lie to believe the Mets are done for. The Brewers narrowly missed the playoffs last season. They are a pretty good team. The Mets even did damage against Corbin Burnes days after they handled themselves against Sandy Alcantara. This must count for something.

A 3-4 NFL team isn’t cooked. Why should an MLB team with this record wave the white flag? If these last three losses came against the Washington Nationals it might be a tough truth to accept. The Mets got hammered by a team with power and pitching. It’s unacceptable to lose the way they did. It’s also expected throughout the course of a season.

I know MLB is trying to speed up the game but they haven’t done anything to shorten the season. Panic. Shout. Drop a swear. The playoffs remain attainable. You may not feel so good today but the truth is, the Mets can solve these issues.

dark. Next. 5 minor leaguers who will be key for the Mets in the first half

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