2 parts to love about the Mets starting lineup, 1 part to dread

We love that the Mets starting lineup still continually draws walks

It’s early and a part of this may fall on the Miami Marlins pitching staff, but we should give some credit to the Mets hitters for their patience. The Mets had amazing OBP numbers as a team last season. It looks like it could continue into the 2023 season. Even guys who aren’t hitting the ball well are working deep counts and regularly drawing a fourth ball.

The benefits of this are clear. Tiring out the opponent, earning a free pass, and clogging up the bases all come from it. The drawback is the Mets can get a little too caught up in looking for a walk. Vogelbach is one of the guiltier players when it comes to this. We may be more of a .230 hitter this season but at least he does find ways to get on base.

Strangely, the Mets might benefit a lot more from having a freer swinger somewhere in the lineup. This is a team that loves to walk and get plunked. It’s great. Have too many of those guys and your team because of a station-to-station lineup. The Mets were, in many ways, lucky to score as many runs as they did last year with this style of play. One of the reasons was consistency. They rarely lost a series. Steady pitching allowed them to be victorious without a whole lot of offense.

Every Mets fan should appreciate this lineup’s ability to get on base. Before we fall completely in love with it, each hitter should remember their bat can do a lot more damage.