ANTHONY DASILVA, STAFF WRITER
Photo Courtesy of Joseph DeBell
The New York Mets are having a slower than usual start to the season, and many fans are beginning to panic. Despite the slow start, the Mets have had several positives, so it’s too early to hit the panic button.
Coming into the season many people were concerned about the Mets’ pitching staff, but that hasn’t been the case. As of Wednesday night, the Mets pitching staff leads the National League in earned run average.
Starting pitchers Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana have stepped up for the Mets, both pitching extremely well. Closing pitcher Edwin Diaz also appears to be returning to his all-star form after missing last season with an achilles injury.
The Mets have also had several other starting and relief pitchers play much better than expected, and star pitcher Kodai Senga is scheduled to return late May or early June after beginning the season on the injured list.
The biggest problems with the pitching staff have been Michael Tonkin and Yohan Ramirez, who have single-handedly caused the Mets to lose three games this season. Michael Tonkin imploded twice in extra innings against the Detroit Tigers, giving up eight runs in those two appearances. Then Yohan Ramirez gave up five runs in the 8th inning of a game the Mets held the lead in against the Cincinnati Reds. Michael Tonkin has since been traded to the Minnesota Twins, and maybe better performances can be seen in Ramirez in the future.
Another bright spot for the Mets has been the play of Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez on an offense that has been struggling.
Brett Baty has improved tremendously from last season, where he struggled defensively and hit .212. This season, Baty leads the Mets in hits and ranks third in RBIs, and he has made immense improvements in his defense.
Francisco Alvarez has built on his strong rookie season, during which he hit 25 home runs, drove in 63 runs and showcased his arm from behind the plate. So far, Alvarez has continued that, leading the Mets in extra-base hits and bringing life to a struggling team.
The Mets’ biggest problem this season has been their struggling offense, which currently ranks 25th in runs and 22nd in batting average. This is due to some of their best players slumping to start the season.
Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil are hitting below .200 to start the season, and Brandon Nimmo is hitting around .210.
After struggling out of the gate, starting 0-5, the Mets have gone 4-2 due to improved offensive performances from slumping players.
Brandon Nimmo is an example of this, going 4-4 with two home runs and five RBIs in a win against the Braves on Monday.
The Mets offense will also get a boost once Designated Hitter J.D Martinez makes his Mets debut. Last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez belted 33 home runs and drove in 103 runs.
Even though this isn’t a great start for the Mets, it’s too early to panic. The pitching has been much better than expected, and once the offense finds its swings, this team could be playoff-bound.
dasilvaf21@bonaventure.edu
