“You are what your record says you are.” .500 is exactly the way I would describe this team. From sweeping a struggling Phillies team, to getting swept by an equally inconsistent Blue Jays team. This Mets team is beyond infuriating to watch. The potential and talent is there, you cannot look at this roster and tell me that .500 baseball is acceptable. The issues with this team are all right in front of our faces, it doesn’t take a MLB executive to see it. Here’s a few I’ve noticed, and I’m sure if you’re reading this, you see it too:

Francisco Lindor: This slump is real, and It’s cringe-worthy to watch night after night. 8 strikeouts in 3 games. Forget money, and forget the trade. From just the standpoint of being a starting player on this team you cannot come out and do that 3 nights in a row. His lack of productivity is killing this team. There’s plenty of blame to go around here and the Mets didn’t just get swept solely because of Lindor’s productivity or, lack there of, but man did he miss an opportunity to salvage a series and ease the “boo birds” a bit on Sunday. It’s hard to watch this, and It’s getting increasingly harder and harder to defend Francisco. All of that being said, I still would rather have him out there at shortstop, over 95% of whatever the league has to offer. He’s playing awful baseball, but we also know that Francisco is a streaky player, sometimes he’s the guy knocking in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th, and other nights he’s striking out 3 straight times. What doesn’t help him, is when the manager keeps throwing him out there in the 2 spot of the order when he can’t make contact to save his life. Not making any excuses for him, he’s a superstar that’s being paid accordingly, a guy like him should be self motivated and able to work through slumps like this, but I think it would benefit him (just like it benefitted Marte) to spend the next couple of weeks batting 6th or 7th. Benching him not only hurts Lindor but it hurts us. Guillorme is no longer here so you have no legitimate defensive substitution, and if you just read that and thought to yourself “I don’t give a shit about defense” remember, we aren’t very far removed from watching Rosario bobble routine ground balls with 2 outs and a runner on third. The grass is usually not greener on the other side, and as much as you can criticize the bat of Lindor, there isn’t much you can complain about him defensively. I’m confident he can turn this season around, but we need to see it sooner rather than later.

The Approach At The Plate: I’m no hitting coach, so I’m going to tread lightly here, but some things are once again so evident, idiots like me can see it from the couch. In 2022, the Mets did everything possible to get on base, so much so that they were leading the league all season long in getting hit by pitches. They didn’t rush their at bats and they worked pitcher’s pitch counts up. They typically sent teams into their bullpen by the 5th inning and that’s basically the recipe to 101 wins. This year it’s the total opposite, they’re fishing for balls out of the strike zone, and watching meatballs go right down the middle. It’s hard to win games when you’re making it easy for the opposing team’s starter. I will admit I’ve seen some brutal officiating behind the plate but that’s no excuse, shitting umps are part of the game until we get an automated strike zone.

Buck Showalter: I think it’s a little unfair to kill Buck and blame all of the team’s current issues on him. At the end of the day he isn’t the one pitching and hitting so he can really only do so much from his spot in the dugout, especially when the starters are giving him no length and he’s taxing an already thin bullpen. But there some things he can do differently that can help this team out. First and foremost, STOP BATTING FRANCISCO ALVEREZ 9TH!!! He has more than earned his starting role here, on both sides of the ball, and has turned himself into one of our most productive hitters in this lineup. He’s most certainly earned the right to bat 4th or 5th, especially with a struggling Francisco Lindor who should really be dropped to 7th in this lineup right now. Stop going to Dominic Leone in pressure cooked situations with the heart of the order due up! Drew Smith is ready and available (not the greatest option either but at least he is a somewhat proven MLB relief pitcher) and you go to a guy that can’t hold a lead to save his life and in all likelihood is getting sent down in the next couple of weeks. When Buck makes decisions like that it makes us feel (or at least it makes me feel this way) as if we are punting a game in preparation of tomorrow or the next day. Do everything possible to win today, not tomorrow. When you’re 10 games over .500 you can pull cute shit like that and get away with it because you do have to see the bigger picture. This Mets team is not afforded that luxury, not 5.5 games back in June with a .500 record and the highest payroll in baseball by a wide margin.

We now start a 3 game series tomorrow night in Atlanta. No time like the present to come out and play your best baseball, and find a way to grind out 2 wins. On paper, there isn’t really much a difference between the 2 rosters, the Braves have us beat in youth, but the talent is there no doubt about it. This isn’t a David and Goliath story, our Metropolitans have more than enough fire power to win this series. As always, LFGM and Keep The Faith!