The New York Mets Are In The Hunt But They Have Work To Do In Second Half

New York Mets manager, Terry Collins Terry Collins (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The second half of the Major League Baseball season is set to begin and the New York Mets are staring down the barrel of a crucial stretch of games. Off the All-Star break, the Mets have a nine-game road trip visiting the Phillies, Cubs, and Marlins which could help or hurt the team’s postseason chances. At 47-41, this is the time where moves need to be made in order for the Mets to make the playoffs.

The Mets begin the second half of the season tied for the second and final Wild Card spot in the National League with the Marlins, one of the teams the Metropolitans will be playing during this road trip. With the Mets six games back of the division leading Washington Nationals, the Wild Card seems to be the best option for the Mets to make the playoffs. However as last year showed, you never know how the dominos will fall after the Mets overtook the Nationals en route to the 2015 National League pennant.

But not all baseball seasons are similar. There are differences with this year’s New York Mets and here are three things that the Mets must figure out in order to compete for a spot in the MLB Postseason.

Figure Out The Pitching Situation

With Matt Harvey out for the remainder of the season, the Mets are down a pitcher. With the return of Zack Wheeler pushed back until August, Logan Verrett is in the starting rotation for the time being. The organization, if they choose to stay in house, has Verrett, Rafael Montero (4-6, 7.20 ERA in AAA), and Gabriel Ynoa (9-3, 4.19 ERA in AAA) in their back pockets to close the hole Harvey’s departure created. Of course there is always the option of making a trade, which I’m pretty sure Met fans do not want to see.

Names like the Padres’ Drew Pomeranz, Athletics’ Rich Hill, and Rays’ Jake Odorizzi are names that have been rumored to be on the trade block with the trade deadline coming up. In trading with those three teams, that would require the Mets to give up young talent like first baseman Dominic Smith or outfielder Brandon Nimmo. You almost don’t want to entertain that option because the Mets have a formidable minor league system which you don’t want to disrupt now. The team should look internally before making a rash trade and begin shipping off young talent. You do the latter only if the situation calls for it and is needed, that’s it.

Find The Hitting From Earlier This Month

Earlier in July, the Mets scored 36 runs in five games and everyone was wondering where those bats came from. As the team hit the All-Star break, the bats fell asleep again after scoring just four runs in three games in getting swept by the Nationals last weekend. It doesn’t help that the Mets depend so heavily on the long ball as 53.1 percent of their runs come via the home run. That is not sustainable for an entire season as generating runs without home runs and smart base running win pennants.

The addition of Jose Reyes has added another dimension to the Met offense but it’s one that is taking the team time to get used to. The injuries to Yoenis Cespedes and Juan Lagares did not help matters and here the Mets sit looking for an offensive spark. Cespedes will return after the All-Star break and Lucas Duda is on the verge of returning to the lineup also. Curtis Granderson hitting in the number two spot is something that will help both Reyes and Curtis as pitchers will have to pitch to both men and not around one or the other. You also have to hope that Wilmer Flores continues his hot hitting and that Terry Collins continues to get him in the lineup to keep him active in the second half of the season.

The offense will come. It’s just a matter of time. The third point is the probably the most important one of all…

DON’T PANIC

Yes, the Mets have hit a lull. Both the Mets organization and Met fans must not lose their minds and begin trading away young players and screaming “Here we go again” from the rooftops. If last year was any indication, there is still a lot of baseball left and the Mets are still in the mix for the playoffs. The next week to ten days won’t be the end but it can surely mark the beginning of a resurgence in Queens or the beginning of the end. Everyone will have to just wait and see the outcome.

SCHEDULE

The Mets will begin the second half on a nine game road trip, beginning in Philadelphia with following stops in Chicago and Miami.  For fans looking to attend, the average ticket price for Mets tickets in Philadelphia is $94, with tickets available for less than $20 each game.  The Chicago series is a little pricier, with Mets vs. Cubs tickets with an average price at $146. In Miami, the average ticket price is $105 with the cheapest tickets on Friday, July 22nd at just $23.  You can find additional MLB tickets at Razorgator all season long.