As the Mets prepare to play the Yankees in the 2013 edition of the Subway Series, I thought I would examine where they are this season. I have said that the slogan for the 2012 season was, "Mets 2012: Check back in 3 years!" As of this date last season, we were 6 games over .500. This year we are 11 games underwater. So, are we headed in the wrong direction?
I don't believe so. The Mets were over performing early in the season. They had few players that could charitably be considered starters at their positions. It's now official, Daniel Murphy can hit, and at 2nd base he is not a defensive liability. Ruben Tejada showed last year that he is ready for prime time. David Wright continues to be David Wright.
I asked the question at the beginning of the season whether anyone in the Mets lineup instills fear in anyone other than manager Terry Collins. Lucas Duda and Ike Davis have the potential, but in order to hit for power you must first hit. I do see signs of life in both of their bats lately.
The starting pitching makes me wonder about the chicken and the egg. Are they pitching tightly because the offense is in soccer territory, or is the offense anemic because they are pressing to score more? I'm inclined to blame the offense. A quality start is defined as going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs or fewer. The Mets rarely score 3 runs in 9 innings, which means the game is lost before a pitch is thrown. When Matt Harvey is on the mound, they score more runs, indicating that they believe that they're more likely to win.
The Mets are a team of puppies. The offensive leader, David Wright, has really only just now hit his prime. John Niese is the de facto leader of the pitching staff until Matt Harvey puts more innings under his belt, and that's not a bad thing. Gee and Hefner are nice pitchers and Wheeler is on the way.
