20/20 Hindsight: Mets Earn Disappointing Split With Phillies
The New York Mets had an opportunity to make some headway in the postseason race with a four game series against the Phillies. They had their chance, but instead, they could only muster a split.
1. Jacob deGrom AGAIN established he’s the best pitcher in baseball by striking out 12 Phillies over seven.
2. deGrom and Zack Wheeler would’ve been the best 1-2 punch in baseball, but unfortunately, Brodie Van Wagenen is a terrible GM.
3. If the Mets had the starting pitching, they’d easily be the top team in the division. It’s weird saying that knowing where the Mets have been, and downright hilarious considering Van Wagenen’s preseason declarations.
4. As we continue to see, Seth Lugo can start. That wasn’t really the issue. The issue always was who takes over his role. The answer so far is nobody.
5. Miguel Castro looks like a modern day Mel Rojas or Guillermo Mota.
6. It was past time for Andres Gimenez to take the starting job from Amed Rosario. Now, it’s time to make Rosario the 2021 center fielder.
7. Obtaining Todd Frazier made sense because he gave the Mets the third baseman they didn’t have, and apparently, he was a great presence for this Mets team.
8. The Mets didn’t obtain Frazier for his bat, but maybe they should’ve because Pete Alonso started hitting again using Frazier’s bats.
9. Speaking of hitting again, it’s nice to see Jeff McNeil raking again.
10. Game-in, game-out, Michael Conforto proves the Mets need to extend him.
11. Somehow, someway, Dominic Smith has emerged as the Mets best hitter so far this year, and he’s leading the league in doubles. He wasn’t given an opportunity. He forced it.
12. Luis Guillorme is batting .395, and he plays good to great defense at three different positions. His not being able to crack this starting lineup is another example of why Van Wagenen has to go.
13. J.D. Davis has proven he can’t play in the field. Without the juiced ball, his GB rate is climbing back up to career norms, and his BABIP is dropping. In total, he’s regressing to the mean. Insisting on playing him everyday is holding this team back.
14. The rally yesterday was great, but it doesn’t mean a whole lot when you see the Mets lose in extras.
15. Right now, the only Mets reliever you might be able to trust is Brad Brach, who has been having a very good year. You’d like to see him more, but that may not be possible when his dealing with the after effects of COVID19.
16. To be fair, Edwin Diaz appears to be returning to form. The Mets just need to find a way to prevent those Armando Benitez like blown saves and to have him have fewer of those incidents.
17. The Tom Seaver patch is nice, but it’s perfunctory. It seems Mets fans want more with renaming Citi Field in his honor as a popular one. Personally, I’d like to see the dirt patch be permanent, and/or a 41 permanently on the pitching rubber at Citi Field.
18. It’s funny to think the Toronto Blue Jays are currently the best team in New York. One of the reasons why is Anthony Kay who has a 176 ERA+. The Mets sure could’ve used him this year.
19. We’re counting down the days until the Wilpons are gone. Hopefully, Van Wagenen, who turned a great core and minor league depth into a team four games under .500 f outside looking in on an expanded postseason, follows them out the door.
20. Despite everything, the Mets are just two games out of a postseason spot (five in the loss column). They’re better than the Marlins, Giants, Rockies, and Brewers (or should be). There’s still a chance.
Some thoughts on JD –
He’s emerged as reliable defensive third baseman with upside in his first regular playing time at the position. in the majors. He’s done great job being game ready after switching to third base with season already underway. His 3B defense is bound to get even better in the coming years.
He’s increased his foot speed exactly as I said he could and set out to do this past offseason to work on that.
He’s having solid offensive season despite some mechanical and approach flaws he needs to correct to reduce GB % which he did last season. when he emerged as very dangerous hitter, and still is. Only matter of time before those adjustments are made.
Davis has been objectively terrible at third. This is now the second straight year he’s proving he can’t play the position.
That makes him nothing more than a first baseman in the field, and he’s the third best first baseman on the roster.
Overall, this ground ball machine is what he really is.
You can’t possibly be watching the games this season and accurately reporting 2020 3B defensive statistics to correctly to come up with the defensive profile you’re claiming..
Davis said he was going to work in the offseason on speed and defense, and is what he did.
The only way you come up with -13, and -15 DRS, is by ignoring his improvement and hard work this offseason, and opt to post career DRS. . It’s beyond your pay grade to acknowledge players improve, and also slump sometimes and then recover, when you have vested interest in an agenda.
As for GB% it’s 52.5% this season. Last season, 46.0% after starting the season with rather high GB rate in the 50’s..
JD has to go back to a neutral stance he used successfully last season. It’s open this season.