Musings
The bad news was that Noah Syndergaard struggled. It was to be expected from the scheduled times the Mets have had the past four games. The good news is that the aforementioned issues didn’t matter because the Mets were playing the Reds yet again.
Syndergaard needed 95 pitches just to get through five innings. He didn’t have one 1-2-3 inning. He tied a career high by issuing four walks. Still, he was able to keep the Reds at bay because he struck out seven batters, and because, well, you’ll never believe it – there were three base runners nailed on the basepaths.
Rene Rivera would nail two base runners alone in the second inning. First, it was Brandon Phillips who was thrown out trying to steal second after leading off the inning with a single. Scott Schebler would then walk, and Rivera would throw him out when he tried to steal second.
As if that wasn’t good enough, something more impressive happened. There were runners on first and third after consecutive singles from Jose Peraza and Eugenio Suarez. Mayhem would ensure, probably as the result of the Reds not knowing how to respond to Syndergaard trying to hold on a base runner. Syndergaard caught Suarez napping on a throw over to first. Suarez broke to second to get caught in a run down. As this happened, Peraza broke for home. Asdrubal Cabrera noticed, and he threw home to nail him to get Syndergaard out of another jam.
Due in part to that, Syndergaard’s strikeouts, and the Reds suddenly morphing into the Mets with runners in scoring position, Syndergaard pitched five scoreless and got the win because of the home run.
Right out of the gate, Jose Reyes took the first pitch of the game from Anthony DeSclafani, and he deposited it into the right field stands:
Well, that escalated quickly. https://t.co/JPNMBijOeL #LGM pic.twitter.com/m9X3J4L9m5
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 7, 2016
Reyes would account for the next run in the third when he scored a proverbial “Reyes Run.” After Syndergaard led off the inning with a single, Reyes busted it out of the box to avoid the double play. It seemed as if the Reds were going to get out of the inning as DeSclafani got Yoenis Cespedes to hit a grounder to short. However, Peraza missed it allowing Reyes from first to third. With Curtis Granderson at the plate, DeSclafani unleashed a wild pitch allowing Reyes to score.
It was part of a terrific game from Reyes who was 2-5 with two runs, an RBI, and a homer. It was the rare terrific game for Reyes this year from the left-hand side of the plate. Before today, Reyes was hitting .244/.283/.353 as a left-handed batter. While it is a small sample size, it should be pointed out Reyes hit .275/.309/.374 as a left-handed batter last year, and .289/.328/.404 the year before that. While he gets reviled, we could be seeing the positive effects of Reyes working with Kevin Long.
The other run was the result of the resurgent Curtis Granderson:
.@cgrand3 hot at the dish. He rips his 25th home run of the season. #LGM https://t.co/Iz5wTy5ejB pic.twitter.com/IDEtB4GljZ
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 7, 2016
Granderson is suddenly scorching at the plate after having a poor July and a dreadful August. Over Granderson’s last four games, he has three homers and seven RBI. Given Terry Collins propensity to play him and bench Michael Conforto at all costs, the Mets are going to need more of the same from him.
Wilmer Flores would blow the game open in the eighth hitting a two run pinch hit home run off Reds reliever Wandy Peralta. For some reason or other, Reds manager Bryan Price let the left-hander actually face Flores with the game still in doubt. It was yet another sign we have seen from a Reds team that has seemingly quit on the season.
Flores’ pinch hit home run was the Mets 12th of the season, which ties the Mets single season mark set in 1983.
In addition to the Mets hitting a bunch of homers, a couple of struggling Mets relievers got some redemption. Hansel Robles would pitch a scoreless 1.2 innings. Robles went into the second inning of work because Collins emptied his bullpen yesterday, and because Robles clearly hasn’t gotten enough work all season. Jerry Blevins then relieved Robles with a runner on and two out in the seventh to face Joey Votto. Blevins snapped out of a recent funk a bit in striking out Votto.
Of course, no game would be complete without a completely baffling Collins’ managerial decision. Yesterday, after Rafael Montero couldn’t make it through five, Collins had tabbed Gabriel Ynoa to get the last out of the fifth inning after Votto’s sacrifice fly off Josh Edgin. As insane as it was to bring a minor league starter and use him for a third of an inning in a game the Mets needed a long reliever, it was even crazier to use that guy for the second game in a row.
With the Mets not knowing when Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz will be able to pitch next, and Montero showing he shouldn’t start another game, Ynoa was most likely the guy you would tab for the next start. Instead, Collins chose him to pitch today even with Sean Gilmartin and Logan Verrett fully rested. It should come as a surprise to no one what ensued.
Ynoa would immediately load the bases with no outs forcing Collins to go to Addison Reed, who is not good with inherited base runners. Reed would strike out Tyler Holt, and then things would get interesting. Tucker Barnhart would hit an RBI single, and the bases would remain loaded. After a Ramon Cabrera ground-out, with Reyes getting the force out at home, Peraza would hit a two run double over Cespedes’ head. Reed would strike out Eugenio Suarez to get out of the jam. The Mets would keep the lead even if it was shaved down to 5-3.
The Mets added an insurance run in the eighth as Cabrera and Cespedes hit back-to-back doubles of Reds reliever Tony Cingrani. Again, you have to question what the Reds were thinking with them pitching to Cespedes with an open base.
With the 6-3 lead, it was a save situation leading Collins to bring in Jeurys Familia, and he would record his 47th save of the season. It would also be the 60th game he finished this season. Reed and Familia have now pitched four times in the last five games. But hey, it was a good idea to bring in a non-reliever in Ynoa for the second straight day.
Fortunately, the Mets pulled out the win, and they are now eight games over .500, and they are a half game out of a Wild Card spot (two in the loss column). Pending what happens tonight, the Mets could find themselves in a virtual tie with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Game Notes: Gavin Cecchini didn’t play again today. Alejandro De Aza started in center with Jay Bruce and Conforto sitting. James Loney continues to hit better of late going 2-3 on the day.
Pennant Race: Everyone who matters plays later.
Early on this season, it appeared as if it would be Noah Syndergaard and Clayton Kershaw as the main competitors for the Cy Young Award. When healthy, Kershaw is always going to be the Cy Young front runner. However, Syndergaard seemed to be arriving ahead of schedule.
In his first start against the Royals, Syndergaard was doing the usual in throwing his fastball over 100 MPH. However, it was his slider that looked like a game changer. Syndergaard was striking out Royals left and right with his brand new 95 MPH slider. Syndergaard would carry it forward, and he would be utterly dominant to start the season. Up until the bone spurs became an issue, Syndergaard was 8-2 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.989 WHIP.. Before the bone spurs, Syndergaard was in the conversation to be the starting pitcher at the All Star Game. However, with the bone spurs, Syndergaard would miss the All Star Game, and he would start to regress.
In a nine start stretch, starting with a three inning outing that saw the Nationals knock him around the ballpark, Syndergaard would go 2-5 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.592 WHIP. Syndergaard was no longer in the Cy Young discussion. Rather, the discussion was whether he could continue to pitch effectively with the bone spurs. Syndergaard has found a way to do that. In his last three starts, Syndergaard is 2-1 with a 1.23 ERA and a 0.545 WHIP. He is going deep into games pitching seven, seven, and eight innings. He’s winning important games down the stretch that includes
Through it all, Syndergaard is 12-8 with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.111 WHIP. His ERA is the third best in the National League. His 188 strikeouts rank fourth in the National League. His 10.4 strikeouts per nine also ranks fourth in the National League. Additionally, Syndergaard has allowed the least amount of homers per nine innings in the majors, and he also has the best strikeout to walk ratio. Syndergaard’s quality start percentage is 69%, which is the fifth best in the National League.
Going into the more advanced numbers, Syndergaard’s 4.3 WAR ranks eighth in the Nationals League. His 157 ERA+ ranks third in the National League. Syndergaard’s 2.32 FIP is the best in the major leagues.
With Kershaw missing most of the season, the National League Cy Young race is up for grabs. Everyone can name their own personal front runner whether it is Madison Bumgarner, Kyle Hendricks, or Max Scherzer. As we have seen from Sydnergaard’s statistics, no matter the list you compile, your list is going to be incomplete if it does not include Syndergaard. In fact, if Syndergaard continues his current streak of dominance, he may very well find himself winning the Cy Young Award.
What is most interesting about the Mets calling up Gavin Cecchini is the fact that the Mets did not need him.
The Mets didn’t need him to play shortstop. Even with a lingering knee injury, Asdrubal Cabrera is able to play everyday. If and when Cabrera needs time off, the Mets have sufficient depth on their current roster to address the shortstop position. Both Jose Reyes and Wilmer Flores can slide over in a pinch. Matt Reynolds has shown himself to be a good defender at the position. In an emergency, Eric Campbell and Kelly Johnson have played there and have not embarrassed themselves.
Recently, Cecchini has been playing at second base. He has worked there over the season, and he has played three of his last four AAA games at the position. Even with Neil Walker‘s season ending surgery, he isn’t needed there either. Flores and Johnson are more than capable of replicating Walker’s numbers with their platoon splits and hot hitting. Reynolds has shown he can handle the position adeptly. In an emergency situation, both Campbell and Ty Kelly are more than capable of playing second base.
While Cecchini hasn’t played third, the Mets have an incredible amount of depth over there, and that was even before the expanded rosters. So, again, it begs the question: why was Cecchini called up?
It’s an important question because with the Mets calling up Cecchini, the team is starting the clock on him. It doesn’t make sense for the Mets to start the clock on Cecchini when he could reasonably be considered the Mets second baseman of the future. Given Walker’s back and the Mets trading Dilson Herrera, maintaining control over Cecchini has become more important than it once was. It’s why it is very interesting the Mets are now adding Cecchini to the 40 man roster, a few months before they needed, and called him up now.
The move would only make sense if the Mets were actually intending upon playing Cecchini everyday at second base. If the Mets were to do that, it would allow the team to let Flores and Johnson platoon at first base instead of second thereby removing James Loney‘s poor offensive production from the lineup. Now, there is some danger in this. As we have seen with Terry Collins handling of Michael Conforto and other young talent, Collins doesn’t trust young players, and he gives them very little rope. As we have seen with Conforto, this could have a detrimental effect on a young player’s development. It’s a strange position to put Cecchini in, but it is the only one that makes sense.
Because at the end of the day, if the Mets are bringing up Cecchini just to sit on the bench, they’re not helping him. Worse yet, they are losing important control time over a player that could be their second baseman for years to come.
The Mets who were long said to have organizational pitching depth are once again at the point where they are pitching Rafael Montero in a pennant race. Worse yet, the Mets are pitching Montero in this spot because Jon Niese cannot make the start because he had knee surgery. With that said, it’s Montero who his making the start in place of the injured Jacob deGrom.
Keep in mind this is the same Montero who the Mets were apparently done with Montero this season.
The Mets were disgusted with him last year because they wanted him to pitch because there was a fundamental disagreement between him and the team regarding whether his shoulder was injured enough to pitch. After pitching horribly in his first Spring Training start, he was one of the first players sent down to minor league Spring Training. The Mets called him up briefly in April to help a struggling bullpen, but Collins almost refused to pitch him. After being put on the shelf for a week, he struggled. Montero then struggled in AAA when he was sent back down leading to his demotion to AA. With important prospects like Amed Rosario needing to be added to the 40 man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, it appeared Montero’s days in the Mets organization were coming to an end.
Now, with a rash of injuries, the Mets turn again to Montero to make a critical start during a pennant race. Once again, the Mets hope Montero can be the pitcher they always thought he would be.
In Montero’s first start of the season, he pitched five shutout innings against a Marlins team that was ahead of the Mets in the Wild Card standings. In those five shutout innings, he gave the Mets a chance to at least outlast Jose Fernandez and get into the Marlins bullpen to eke out a victory. On the glass half-empty side, you see a pitcher who allowed six walks and was constantly on the brink of disaster. He was a pitcher who needed 100 pitches to get through those five innings helping tax the Mets bullpen. On the glass half-full side, you see a pitcher who, despite getting squeezed by the home plate umpire, battled his way and kept his team in the game. You finally saw Montero persevere.
Tonight, we’re going to find out once again if the glass is half-empty or half-full. Montero is pitching against a bad Reds team in a hitter’s ballpark. The glass half-full Montero beats a team that he needs to beat. The glass half-empty Montero struggles in a hitter’s park. So far, the glass has been half-empty with Montero, but there is still time to change that.
As the Mets head into the stretch drive with only 25 games remaining on the schedule, Terry Collins has made it abundantly clear he is going to rely heavily on his veterans down the stretch.
In Michael Conforto‘s first game back from AAA, he was 1-3 with a double and a hit by pitch. He sat the next day. In his second start, Conforto would go 1-3 with another double and a walk. On top of that, he had a game changing diving stop in center field. Despite Collins’ “You hit, you play” mantra, Conforto is sitting.
In his stead, Curtis Granderson is playing. Granderson is playing despite struggling himself most of the season. He’s struggling more so with runners in scoring position. He’s also miscast as a center fielder despite his having been a pretty good one earlier in his career.
With that in mind, the Mets need Granderson out there producing. The team needs the Granderson who was the Mets MVP of the 2015 season. They need the guy who hit three homers in last year’s World Series.
After what has been a season to forget, that Granderson seems to finally be reemerging. In his first at bat with runners in scoring position as the newly and implausibly minted cleanup hitter, Granderson delivered with a two run single.
On Sunday night, Granderson followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Jose Reyes from third. Later in the game, Granderson hit a go-ahead two run home run. In two games as the cleanup hitter, Granderson has five RBI.
If the Mets are going to finish off this run and win the Wild Card, the Mets are going to need this Granderson to help lead the way. They need him because he’s an important part of this team. They need him because the Mets need something resembling lineup protection for Yoenis Cespedes. They need him because no matter what, Collins is going to play him.
Sometimes all you need is a chance.
We saw it in Jacob deGrom in 2014. The 26 year old got a chance due to injuries, and the most of it. He not only showed the Mets he was a better pitcher than then well regarded prospect Rafael Montero, he also showed he was an important part of the Mets rotation going forward. From there, deGrom won the Rookie of the Year award, was named an All Star, and pitched the opener of the 2015 postseason. This all happened because he got a chance.
Seth Lugo is getting his chance, and like deGrom, he is making the most of it.
Initially, Lugo was called up to pitch out of the bullpen. He immediately made an impression with his awesome curveball:
In a Mets organization that places such emphasis on the slider and falls in love with fastballs that go over 95+ MPH, you could somewhat understand why Lugo wasn’t more highly regarded. You can really understand it when you consider he had a 6.50 ERA in AAA. Still, Lugo had a good repertoire including that curveball.
According to Statcast, Lugo’s curveball has a higher spin rate than anyone else’s in baseball. Yes, even Clayton Kershaw. The increased spin creates two effects: (1) it created downward movement inducing ground balls; and (2) it induces a number if swings and misses. Lugo’s curveball is a tremendous pitch, and it could very well have been the best pitch in a of the Mets minor league system.
Lugo likes to evenly mix all of his pitches. Even so, the curve is the money pitch. According to Brooks Baseball, Lugo generates the highest percentage of his strikeouts on the pitch. Furthermore, the pitch generates the lowest batting average against than any of his other pitches. Perhaps the reason why it’s so effective, other than its spin rate, is the fact that he’s very selective with the pitch. Other than his change, the curveball is the pitch Lugo throws the least often.
This means he mostly relies on his 93 MPH sinker and his 94 MPH fastball. What is impressive about his fastball is his ability to dial it up over 96 MPH in pressure spots. Lugo also has an 88 MPH slider which has been an effective pitch for him. If Warthen is able to help Lugo improve his slider like he has with everyone else on the staff, Lugo’s ceiling will go into the next stratosphere.
Again, the interesting thing breaking down Lugo’s pitches is you’re breaking down the pitches of a pitcher who had the stuff to be in a big league rotation. Prior to this season, there may not have been many who believed that. As Lugo was struggling in AAA, there were probably even fewer. And yet, here he is. He’s not just a major league pitcher, but he’s also an important piece of a rotation that may well be on its way to the postseason.
And all Lugo needed to show us all this was possible was a chance. He got it, and like deGrom, he has made the most of it.
Last night, the Mets received some devastating news when it was discovered that Neil Walker was going to miss the rest of the season due to a herniated disc that is going to require surgery. With Walker done for the year, the Mets are missing not only a good defender, but also a good bat. Someway, somehow the Mets are going to have to replace Walker’s .282/.347/.476 batting line and his 23 homers. It is no easy task.
The obvious solution is a Wilmer Flores – Kelly Johnson platoon. That tandem should be able to replicate Walker’s production as both are incredibly hot at the plate. Flores hit .306/.346/.542 in August with five homers and 19 RBI. Better yet, he is hitting .340/.386/.691 with 10 homers and 26 RBI off lefties this season. For his part, Johnson is hitting .289/.353/.511 with eight homers and 20 RBI in 60 games for the Mets. Over the last month, he is hitting .288/.348/.576 with five homers and 14 RBI. Johnson also had that game winning bases clearing RBI double last night that helped the Mets win the game.
If second base were the only issue, that would be fine. However, the Mets have issues at first base and shortstop that needs to be addressed.
At first base, the Mets have a floundering James Loney. In the month of August, he hit .213/.222/.447 with just one extra base hit. Worse yet, these numbers were with Terry Collins shielding him against left-handed pitching. As we saw last night, Collins is going to be forced to play Flores at first and Johnson at second. When you couple that with Asdrubal Cabrera dealing with a knee injury, the Mets do not have much margin for error.
Even with the rosters expanding today, that remains to be true as the players on the 40 man roster leave a lot to be desired as an everyday replacement.
the 40 man roster, the Mets have enigmatic options.
Eric Campbell is once again dominating AAA hitting .297/.396/.428 with 13 doubles, four triples, five homers, and 40 RBI. Yes, four triples. However, this follows a stint where he didn’t hit in the majors going .159/.270/.222.
Ty Kelly is coming off a decent stint in the majors where Collins shielded the switch-hitter against left-handed pitching. Since his demotion Kelly is hitting .258/.314/.290 with only one extra base hit in the extremely hitter friendly Pacific Coast League.
Finally, there is Matt Reynolds who hit .211/.231/.382 in 37 games with the Mets. After the AAA All Star Break, Reynolds has been hitting .255/.333/.294 with only four doubles in 102 at bats.
Keep in mind, T.J. Rivera is not an option at the moment as he needs to remain in the minors until next week because he was sent down to make room for Rafael Montero‘s spot start. This means that even though the Mets have warm bodies available to play the middle infield, they do not have players who can play everyday at the major league level.
With these three not hitting or having established they are not capable of hitting at the major league level, the Mets need to turn in another direction for help. With that in mind, the Mets best option is their 2012 first round draft pick Gavin Cecchini.
While playing shortstop this season, Cecchini has been hitting .327/.388/.449 with 27 doubles, two triples, seven homers, and 53 RBI. Over the past month, Cecchini is hitting .358/.378/.480 with nine doubles, two homers, and 12 RBI. While many have knocked his defense as he has a woeful .929 fielding percentage, it is notable that Cecchini has gone his last 14 games without an error.
For what it is worth, Cecchini has only played one game at secondin his minor league career, and that was Thursday. It should be noted with the rise of Amed Rosario and the trade of Dilson Herrera, Cecchini’s future will be second base. Given the fact that Collins had no issue throwing Reynolds into left field in a game without him having ever played there before, the concerns about him not being a second baseman are a bit overblown.
In reality, the only thing preventing the Mets from calling up Cecchini right now is the fact that he’s not on the 40 man roster. However, with the Jon Niese and Neil Walker injuries, the Mets have the opportunity to move either of them to the 60 day disabled list freeing up a spot for Cecchini. Keep in mind, the Mets are going to have to add Cecchini this offseason anyway to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
With the Mets needing to patch things together on the right side of their infield, they need as many options as possible. They also need some insurance for Cabrera’s knee. They could use another shortstop who could take over for Cabrera late in games to allow him to rest his knee. Furthermore, given the Mets team speed, they could use someone who could be available to pinch run late in games.
Cecchini could fulfill each of these roles quite well. Furthermore, if given the opportunity, he might just prove more valuable than that. At this point, there is really no good reason to keep Cecchini in AAA. He needs to be up in the majors now helping the Mets return to the postseason.
Editor’s Note: this article also appeared on Mets Minors
After a long and inexplicable exile, Michael Conforto is finally back with the Mets. He was gone mostly because Terry Collins had to back up this threat “And those that don’t want to get after it, I’ll find some who do. Because in Las Vegas there is a whole clubhouse of guys that want to sit in this room.” (nj.com) after an embarrassing 9-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at home.
Since that time, here is how the outfielders who the Mets decided “really wanted to get after it” have performed between the time of Conforto’s August 12th demotion and his September 1st call-up:
Granderson has been hitting .173/.274/.442 with 11 runs, two doubles, four homers, and seven RBI. Keep in mind, most of that damage started a couple of days ago when Granderson came off the bench to hit two homers against the Marlins. At least with Granderson, Collins followed through on this threat benching him against left-handed pitching.
Bruce has been the team’s main right fielder hitting .190/.277/.259 with four doubles, two homers, and two RBI. Unfortunately, that isn’t too much different than the .183/.262/.290 batting line he has had while joining the Mets. Naturally, since joining the Mets, he has had to deal with nagging leg injuries, which presumably have affected his production at the plate as well as his play in the outfield.
De Aza has had two great games since Conforto’s demotion. On August 16th, he went 2-4 with two runs, two doubles, a walks, and an RBI in a 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks. On August 25th, he went 2-4 with two runs, a homer, a walk, and five RBI in a 10-6 win over the Cardinals. In his other 17 games, De Aza has gone 5-42 with one extra base hit and five RBI.
Ruggiano came off the disabled list, played extremely well in five games, and he has found his way back onto the disabled list. Ruggiano has now been transferred to the 60 day disabled list meaning he’s done for the season. When he initially went on the 15 day disabled list, the Mets called up T.J. Rivera instead of Conforto.
Michael Conforto
Since his demotion, Conforto has played in 15 games hitting .493/.541/.821 with four doubles, six homers, and 13 RBI while playing both center and left field. Against lefties, Conforto has been hitting .488/.553/.732 with a double, three homers, and 11 RBI in 41 AAA at bats this season. He’s been thriving while the outfielder the Mets kept who Collins dubbed “really wanted to get after it” struggled, were injured, or both.
In his first game back, Conforto went 1-3 with a double and a HBP. In the eighth, he hit into a back breaking double play. With that double play, Collins may have his ammunition to bench Conforto again.
It’s a shame too because Conforto can really hit when he is actually given a chance. It’s also a shame because the Mets have shown they’d rather send a group of outfielders hitting below the Mendoza Line rather than let Conforto go out there and hit.
After the Mets taking three of four from the Marlins, Mets fans feel much better about their chances of making the postseason. After that sweep, the Mets are now just two games back of the free falling St. Louis Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot, and they are also just four games behind the struggling San Francisco Giants for the top Wild Card spot. While nothing is guaranteed, especially with Neil Walker being definitively done for the season, you have to like the Mets chances of returning to the postseason for a second straight season.
With the Washington Nationals rolling into town, it begs the question – is the National League East really out of reach?
For normal fan bases, the answer would be a definitive no. The current 9.5 game deficit (ten in the loss column) is way too much of a hurdle to overcome in just 28 games. However, Mets fans are the same fans that have seen a team collapse with a seven game lead with 17 games left in the season. With that, Mets fans learned that anything is possible.
For the Mets to win the National League East, a lot of things have to break the right way. With the Mets having six head-to-head matchups, the Mets have a real opportunity to become a factor in the National League East race. If the Mets sweep both series, similar to how they did last August, that 9.5 game deficit becomes a much more manageable 3.5 game deficit (four in the loss column). When viewed through that prism, a 3.5 game deficit is certainly one that can be overcome with 22 games left on the schedule.
It becomes more of a debate if the Mets are only capable of taking four out of the six from the Nationals. In that case, the Mets would the be eight games back in the loss column with 22 games remaining on the schedule. Again, better odds than the seven in 17 route.
In those remaining 22 games, the Mets have 19 games against teams with losing records. Six of those are against a Braves team who are on pace to lose 100 games. Another three are against a Twins team who is also on pace to lose 100 games. Factor in another three games against the Reds who are on pace to lose more than 90 games that’s 12 games against teams that will lose over 90 games this season.
The other team team with a losing record left on the Mets schedule is the Phillies. The Mets have gone 20-9 against the Phillies since the start of the 2015 season. That means the Mets are primed to make up some ground with seven games remaining against the Phillies.
Other than the Nationals, the only team with a winning record on the Mets schedule is the very same Miami Marlins team the Mets just beat three out of four times.
Unfortunately, the Nationals have a very similar schedule to the Mets for the rest of the season. That means if the Mets are going to win the National League East, they are not only going to have to take full advantage of their head-to-head games against the Nationals, and they are going to have to beat up on a really weak September schedule.
The chances of that happening? As we all know, it’s not very good. Fangraphs puts the Mets odds of winning the division at 0.2%. Baseball Prospectus is more optimistic putting the Mets chances at 0.4%. As Lloyd Christmas would say, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance. YEAH!”
In reality, the Mets best chance of returning to the postseason is to get one of the two Wild Card spots. With that said, for a fanbase that saw a seven game lead with 17 games left in the seasons vanish into thin air, we all know no September lead is insurmountable. The Mets have their chance to do the impossible starting tonight with a three game set against the Nationals.