photo credit: Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY Sports
First, let’s get the obvious out of the way. As the Mets have now won their first 6, yes 6, series to start 2022, there always has to be some situation to overshadow the impact that
winning finally has in Queens. With 19 hits batters in 20 games, there has to be more to the story
than inexperience, poorly made baseballs, and weather. Time will tell if this trend will continue and what will occur if this keeps happening.
On the positive side, the Mets FINALLY made the right call by placing Buck Showalter at the helm of the big league club. Experience has
made the difference, as there have been beginnings of what feels like a championship season. With the right leader, only greatness
follows. Look at what has happened in the past decade. Terry Collins righted the ship and got this club to the World Series in 2015, but then as
leadership changed, so did the demeanor of the club. Granted, the “impact” of Mickey Callaway wasn’t known until his departure, and Luis Rojas
was replaced as soon as it could be justified. Steve Cohen wanted his choice in place, and that is Showalter.
The signing of Max Scherzer has had immediate results, and he has become the face of this rotation as Jacob deGrom has finally been cleared
to strengthen his arm with the hope of starting baseball activities. deGrom looks to have a return date of mid-June, and with the acquisition of
With Chris Bassitt and Tylor Megill’s hot start, the Mets are starting to have the dominant rotation look that every fan thought was possible with the
staff from 10 years ago. Edwin Díaz is finally showing his promise as a closer, Drew Smith impresses as a late reliever, but the rest of this
relief staff needs to develop the consistency to get the ball to Díaz. Trevor May has the most prominent hill to climb, as his outings have been very
inconsistent. Monday night, for example, he came in the game in the eighth inning and imploded. While he had two good outings of the six that
he pitched, he followed what seems to be the Achilles heel of the relief core. Joely Rodriguez, acquired from crosstown, is the model that May
should follow, which leads to one pitch at a time.
While Francisco Lindor is beginning to return to form, and Eduardo Escobar has been a good signing, Jeff McNeil HAS to play a consistent two and
base. Robinson Canó’s time on the roster has to be drawing to an end. Starting off the 2022 campaign at .184, he has no time left to
figure it out. He needs to take a step back and go to AAA to attempt to salvage what’s left of his career. Dom Smith NEEDS to be this
team’s full-time DH. If Steve Cohen can spend $141 million on a statue, he can surely pay Canó to go away. Pete Alonso IS the next leader of
this ballclub. Just look at how he was ready to back up his guys after J.D. Davis got hit in the ankle in St. Louis. Like David Wright before
him, he is in a position to become the next face of this franchise. Davis and Luis Guillorme are doing what’s expected, and Tomás Nido provides
adequate relief for James McCann. The latter has the task of calling the game and supporting the starters to ensure their success and anchor
a lineup that can do significant damage night in and night out.
The outfield defense has
been superb, and their demeanor has been an excellent fit for Queens. Mark Canha and Starling Marte have given this outfield a facelift not seen since Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran. Brandon Nimmo’s hustle every day has that grit that has been absent
since the days of Wally Backman. Travis Jankowski needs to stay with the ball club. Off the bench and in a spot start, he has been the fourth
outfielder that can give the outfield roster days off. While all signs point to having exemplary leadership in place, all the roster needs to do is
play their game. Allowing the misfortunes of the first 20 games, with batters getting hit, bench-clearing brawls, and the bullpen enabling the
game to get out of hand is in the past. Making the right personnel decisions are never easy and hardly popular. However, improving the club
is the directive. Moving past all of this while maintaining a winning culture is why Showalter is in the manager’s office. His coaching staff is empowered to do what they know how to do best, which is to mentor these players to build a winner. As long as the front office is
ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to support the clubhouse through July to get the right pieces, this ball club will be primed
to take the next step. This fan, as well as all of you, should be prepared to take this season-long ride.
Up next, three games against divisional rival Philadelphia Phillies (10-10, 3 rd Place) with the pitching matchups as follows:
4/29: Aaron Nola (1-2, 3.74 ERA) vs. Tylor Megill (3-0, 2.35 ERA)
4/30: Kyle Gibson (2-1, 3.47 ERA) vs. Taijuan Walker (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
5/1: Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.20 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (3-0, 1.80 ERA)
Players to watch:
Kyle Schwarber has always been a tough out, but an improved Phillies lineup will give the Mets a challenge. Bryce Harper, another nemesis,
Pitching has always been
Consistent, with old friends Zack Wheeler, who won’t pitch in this series, and Jeurys Familia ready to make a triumphant return to Queens, albeit
on the other side. As well as Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, Didi Gregorius, and Nick Castellanos are poised to make a run of their own. All in all, this will be another of many tests to prove that the Mets are legitimate contenders.
