New York Mets’ Offensive Woes Are Serious
By Ron Juckett
After a rough weekend where they managed four runs in three losses to the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets are fading and their offense is the reason.
The New York Mets are in trouble.
Coming off a three-game sweep at home against the Atlanta Braves, New York slipped to third place in the National League East. Now six back of the Washington Nationals, the Mets are now out of a Wild Card spot, trailing the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers by half a game.
In losing three at Citi Field to the woeful, as in 23-46, Braves, it is too clear the Mets offense is in shambles.
As a team, their slash line is .234/.307/.408. The batting average is tied for 13th in the NL with the Dodgers. Their ability to draw walks puts them 11th in the NL, while the long ball has their slugging percentage right around mid-league. A game of runs, the Mets’ 3.68 a game only beats Atlanta and the Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, the woeful Braves and moribund Phillies.
Not great company.
Yes, New York’s pitching is right up there with the Nats, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. If the defending NL champions want another crack at those teams in October, they need to hit, right now.
It is not all bad. Yoenis Cespedes has 17 home runs, is hitting .280 and has an Adjusted OPS+ of 145. Curtis Granderson, despite a .223 batting average, has legged out four triples and hits for power out of the leadoff spot. Neil Walker, who replaced Daniel Murphy at second base, also has 14 home runs.
Key injuries have not helped. First baseman Lucas Duda is out for an indefinite term. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud is due back Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. Team captain David Wright faces two potentially career-threatening injuries with a herniated disc in his neck and spinal stenosis.
Although James Loney, filling in for Duda, and Wilmer Flores, Wright’s replacement, are holding their own, Kevin Plawecki is a disaster. Slashing .194/.301/.258, Plawecki’s Adjusted OPS+ is 55.
Outside of personnel, most of the Mets’ problems stem from approach. If you are old enough to remember legendary manager Earl Weaver’s theory of relying on the three-run homer to win games, then you know what the Mets are doing now. New York does not move runners along when they reach base.
Dead last in stolen bases with 13 and attempts with 22, not only are they having a hard time stringing hits together, they fail to be aggressive on the base paths. Wright leads the team with three purloined bases, in the middle of June.
As a team, the Mets are on pace to strike out more than 1,200 times this year. Their 604 whiffs are the fourth-highest in the NL. You cannot blame that all on injuries. As a team, their approach has to change. When you can only score 250 runs in 68 games, you are doing your pitchers no favors. If their starters were not outstanding, the Mets would be on the bottom of the division with Atlanta and Philadelphia waiting for 2017.
Whether it is through a trade or dumping hitting coach Kevin Long—or both—something has to give.
The problems are systematic and 2016 is slipping away.