New York Mets may actually be dangerous down the stretch
Flying in the face of logic, the New York Mets were buyers at the trade deadline. they could end up being a dangerous team down the stretch.
The New York Mets have been consistent in their inconsistency in 2019. Seemingly every time they appear ready to truly contend for the postseason, the Mets slide back in the standings, dropping out of contention. In fact, they have not reached the .500 plateau since May 28, when they were 27-27.
Given that inconsistency, the Mets were expected to be sellers at the trade deadline. To a degree, they were – shipping Jason Vargas to the Phillies in exchange for minor league catcher Austin Bossart. However, the Mets stunned the baseball world with their acquisition of Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays, a curious move for a team that continues to languish below the break even mark.
As it turns out, the Mets are responding to that confidence in their roster. Once again, they have gone on a run, having won seven games in a row. Heading into Friday, the Mets have once again crept back to shouting distance of .500, with a 53-55 record on the season.
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Obviously, the Mets have a long way to go in the chase for the postseason. The Braves have distanced themselves from the rest of the NL East, and are 10.5 games ahead of New York. And, while the Mets are just four games out of a Wild Card berth, they need to hurdle four teams to reach the playoffs.
If the Mets can find any consistency, they may well be able to do just that. The rotation is certainly formidable enough for such a streak, with Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, and now Stroman. If Edwin Diaz can regain his form, the Mets would suddenly be a dangerous team in October.
However, they need to get there. In bringing in Stroman, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen showed confidence that could happen, thoughts that he expressed on Twitter as well. On paper, they would appear to be capable of getting to the postseason, overcoming those other teams to climb up the standings. But that is what we had thought in March as well.
Next. Why Stroman won't work out for Mets. dark
The New York Mets could be a dangerous team down the stretch. However, they would need the pitching staff to live up to their potential.