MLB
Mets Weekly Wrap-Up #14: Mets End 7-Game Skid
After a miserable road trip (and also a miserable start to their homestand), the Mets FINALLY ended their 7-game losing streak. After being swept in Philadelphia and losing the first two games of their series with Atlanta, the finally got a desperately needed win. The Mets will start off July with an off-day on Monday, then the Yankees and Phillies come into Flushing to close out the first half of the season. The Mets will look to continue to stay in the win column and get back in the playoff race.
Some Positive Takeaways
Though this week was horrible for the Mets, there were still some positive takeaways for the Mets and their fans. To start, the Mets will be sending three All-Stars to Cleveland this year in Jacob deGrom, Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso. In addition, Alonso will compete in the Home Run Derby, the first Met since David Wright back in 2013. Another positive is after Sunday’s game, Jeff McNeil now leads all of baseball with a .348 batting average. Cody Bellinger sits second batting .346, and DJ Le Mahieu is third batting .344.
What The Bullpen…
The entire month of June, not just this past week, the Mets bullpen has been awful. Going into Sunday’s game, the Mets bullpen has an ERA of 7.98 in the month of June. Edwin Díaz has not been the lights-out closer they traded for, Seth Lugo (once Mickey’s most reliable arm) has struggled a lot this past week, and Jeurys Familia had an ERA of 7.81 before landing on the IL. The Mets bullpen had a lead in all four games against the Phillies, and they coughed up the lead in every single game. The bullpen did it again in Saturday’s game against the Braves and have blown nearly 20 games altogether this year. Even if the Mets won half of those games, the standings could look a lot different than they do now.
However, the bullpen could look a lot different soon. Familia has started his rehab and has felt great, and Justin Wilson and Luis Avilan are starting to begin rehab stints. If the Mets can get all three of these guys to perform to the level expected when the Mets signed them, the Mets bullpen can turn back into a great asset for them.
Is It Too Late For The Mets?
Simple answer: no, it is not too late for the Mets. However, it is starting to get to that point. The Mets have a lot of looming decisions that depend on where they stand at the trade deadline. Guys like Zack Wheeler and Todd Frazier could be used as trade pieces to fine-tune the current roster or get the team ready for 2020. Or, the Mets could also go all-in for 2019 and try to make something happen. Either way, the Mets are going to need their bullpen to back-up their lineup and starting rotation for the Mets to get back in the playoff race. A window that is not closed yet, but can close quickly and sooner than expected.
Written By Zach Nau
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