The Mets came into the 2023 season as a team many picked to represent the National League in the World Series., a team, with a good mix of both A team, with a good mix of both veteran talent, as well as big-name stars in the prime of their career. The pitching staff was just as talented as the players playing behind them, led by two shore fire, first ballot, Hall of Famer‘s Max Scherzer and reigning American League, Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander. Add to that the best closer in the game, Edwin Diaz at the back end to close games.
For many it wasn’t a question of if the Mets would be playing in October, but how deep into October they would go. After last year‘s disappointing first round exit at the hands of the young, but talented San Diego Padres the Mets seemed to have something to prove and the players to prove it.
Following last nights 6-4 loss in Atlanta, the Mets are anything but a lock to make it into the postseason. They are one game under .500 and 6.5 games behind the division leading Braves in a season that has plenty of road ahead of it but one that the Mets can’t seem to get any sustained traction on.
In the middle of what, on paper seems to be a talented lineup, but one that has failed to score multiple times after loading the bases with no outs and a lineup that more times than I can count come away with no runs after covering the corners with less than two outs sits Pete Alonzo, one of the best power hitters in franchise history, who just so happens to be having an MVP caliber season in one of the prime years of his career on a team that seems destined for mediocrity. last night Alonso hit his major league leading 21st home run of the season of Braves starter.Bryce Elder. A ball that traveled 448 feet. Years like the one the Mets first baseman is having and has had over the past three seasons don’t come around very often and with only three postseason games played in his career the Mets are wasting some of the best years in the career of one of the best power hitters this franchise has ever seen,
There’s still plenty of road ahead in this season. The Mets still have 101 games remaining and the players and a manager more than capable of turning this season around. Pete Alonso has done his part and if the rest of the lineup plays to the level we all expected, and the front office can fix a flawed bullpen at, or before the trade deadline the Mets could avoid wasting what is on pace to be one of the best offensive power seasons in Mets history from one of their biggest stars.
