6 positives in a Mets season full of despair

It's not easy being a New York Mets fan. We've always known this, and yet season after season we keep coming back for more. This year has been the quintessential Mets experience. Get excited, get kicked in the teeth, wash rinse repeat.

Despite a record payroll, the Mets have numerous flaws, and they've all been exposed. Committing large contracts to players past their primes hasn't worked out, nor has failing to fully address a bullpen that needed help after losing Edwin Diaz for the year.

Buck Showalter and Billy Eppler have been the objects of Mets fans' ire all year, but Steve Cohen has assured us that the duo is safe, at least until the end of the season.

The Mets are a whopping 18.5 games out of first place in the NL East and seven games back of the final wild card spot. What gives us hope that they can mount a second half comeback? And what kept us sane through a worst case scenario start to the year?

1) Pete Alonso's first two months

Every Pete Alonso at-bat comes with the chance that he will hit the ball very, very far. The Mets brawny first baseman got off to a scorching start to the season, pacing the majors in home runs with nine in April and another ten in May, including a walk-off bomb to beat the Tampa Bay Rays on May 17th.

Alonso was far from the only Met that saw their production drop off in June, but his struggles at the plate have been among the most noticeable. He's stayed cold into July, meaning the All-Star break could be coming at a perfect time.

Alonso's difficulties weren't enough to keep him off the All-Star team, and he once again represented the Mets in the Home Run Derby last night.

2) The Baby Mets have shown us a glimpse of the future

The Mets are the oldest roster in the league, but it's been their youngsters that have stolen many of the headlines. Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty have seized the starting jobs and established themselves as cornerstone pieces for the franchise.

Alvarez was asked to step up after free agent signee and presumptive starter Omar Narvaez's early season injury, and he has already proven himself to be one of the premier power-hitting catchers in the game. His success has led to Tomas Nido being designated for assignment, and even with Narvaez healthy once again, the veteran has only seen spot playing time when Alvarez needs a breather.

Alvarez's continued development is the most exciting thing the Mets have right now, and his exploits have already put him in historically elite company.

Baty hasn't put together the highlight reel that Alvarez has, but he's fit in seamlessly with the veteran Mets infield while acquitting himself well at the plate. He showed enough to take the starting third base job from Eduardo Escobar, and his steady play allowed the Mets to feel comfortable shipping Escobar to the Angels in June for two prospects.

Until Ronny Mauricio finally gets his call, the Mets won't have fully committed to the youth movement, but the early returns on the team's best prospects have been extremely encouraging, with Alvarez and Baty looking like two players that will be with the Mets for the long haul.

3) Tommy Pham and David Robertson have been the Mets' two most consistent free agent additions

If someone had told you before the season that Tommy Pham would lead the Mets in OPS, you'd think they were crazy. Yet here we are, with Pham absolutely raking. The journeyman outfielder has secured himself regular playing time, plus a trip up the batting order as the Mets have looked for a spark.

Pham has been good all year, but he was scorching in June, putting up a .349 average and a 1.029 OPS. As the Mets struggled all month, it often seemed like Pham was single-handedly giving them chances to win, hitting the ball hard nearly every time up. His inspired play has relegated Mark Canha to more of a platoon role, something that figures to continue barring any moves at the trade deadline.

When Edwin Diaz went down with a freak injury in the World Baseball Classic, it was a killer blow to the Mets chances this season. Diaz is irreplaceable, the best reliever in the game, but David Robertson has done all Mets fans could ask and more in filling his shoes. In 36 appearances, he's accrued a sterling 2.06 ERA, and he's been the one truly reliable piece in a Mets bullpen that has struggled mightily to hold leads.

Like Pham, Robertson will be another interesting name at the trade deadline as teams look for veteran help. If the Mets become sellers, these two are at the top of the list of players that could be on the move, as they are quality veterans that don't necessarily have a long term future in Queens.

4) Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor have proven that they're worth the money

One Mets signing that hasn't given team owner Steve Cohen buyer's remorse is Brandon Nimmo. The Mets center fielder has been a fixture at the top of the lineup, while also flashing a greatly improved glove. Nimmo's April placed him among the elite center fielders in the game, though he has been a bit more erratic since then.

As an everyday player, Nimmo stands to benefit from the All-Star break, as he can recharge his batteries and hopefully return to the form that saw him propel the Mets to a hot start. He's already well on his way to a career high in homers, needing only five in the season's second half to top his previous best of 17.

Francisco Lindor has been a fascinating player to follow throughout his Mets career. He's consistently ranked as one of the game's elite shortstops, but some Mets fans have struggled to embrace him. In my mind, it has to be his contract, because everything else about him is exactly what you would want in a player.

Lindor is one of the team's leaders, a player that bridges the gap from the older generation to the Baby Mets. He's selfless, declaring that Brandon Nimmo deserves an All-Star spot over him, and his attitude is consistently positive and uplifting.

He also has one of the best gloves in the game, and though his average is lower than fans would like, he's come through when it counts time and again this year. His 60 RBIs rank 12th in the majors, and they are eight more than Corey Seager, the next closest shortstop.

Lindor is currently enjoying his best stretch of the season. His five-hit game against the Diamondbacks last week was thrilling, and he followed that a day later with another three hits in an extra-inning win against the Padres.

Nimmo and Lindor are two players that Mets fans know they can build around in the future, and their presence at the top of the lineup provides hope that this season isn't over yet.

5) Kodai Senga has been even better than the hype

When the Mets signed Japanese sensation Kodai Senga in the offseason, it was seen as a complementary piece to a rotation that would be carried by future Hall-of-Famers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

Instead, Senga has clearly been the Mets' best starter. Some of this is due to the disappointing (by their lofty standards) seasons that Verlander and Scherzer have endured to this point, but Senga has been outstanding by any metric, which is why he was rewarded with a spot on the National League All-Star roster.

Senga ranks sixth among all major league starters in strikeouts per nine innings, and his ghost fork pitch is the main reason why. Senga's signature pitch has been the most unhittable single pitch in baseball, generating nearly a 60% whiff rate.

Senga ended the first half on a high note, giving up one run to the Diamondbacks while striking out 12 over eight masterful innings. He's walked only seven batters in his last four starts, a tremendous sign of progress in the one area in which he struggled earlier in the year.

The Mets rotation is full of question marks, but Senga isn't one of them.