The 2024 third place New York Mets are 1.5 games back in the wild card race. It’s clear they plan to try to make the playoffs this season, as star First Baseman Pete Alonso, 29, was not dealt at the trade deadline as per expectations. Here’s 3 things the team can’t afford to do if they expect to contend this season.
1. Stranding Runners in Scoring Position.
Every base runner counts. From now to September, every game played is crucial and critical if the team expects to make the Wild Card game.
That means when there’s runners in scoring position and you’re down 5-3, guys cannot be striking out and giving the other team key outs to escape the jam. It’s seen way too often in Mets games and this needs to be a thing of the past. Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen has invested too much money for this to still be an issue.
2. Getting too comfortable in leads or games.
As I mentioned previously, a 2 run lead isn’t an excuse to strand runners. Every runner can provide extra cushion to all but seal the deal on a win that puts the Mets closer to contention.
I don’t care if the score is 14-3. It’s not an excuse to play lackluster ball thinking they got the game in the bag.
3. Injuries.
The team might see the occasional injury here and there, but if you look at the pitching epidemic going on, the team relies on their starters to get them through the season.
Also teams like the Atlanta Braves have been plagued by injuries and it deeply affected their season. If the Mets wish to contend, injuries have to be far in between. It’s unavoidable sometimes but an abundance of injuries is detrimental to a team’s success long term.
To put things into perspective, these are just 3 things the team can’t afford to do or keep doing. There is unfortunately more, but I’ve named the ones that stick out the most to me, from a fan’s perspective.
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