OMG! The Mets finished a very up and down first half of the season at 49-46. They enter the All-Star break in sole possession of the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League.
After an 0-5 start, the first half included offsetting winning streaks, as well as prolonged slumps, legendary hot streaks, and even a team meeting that spurred some success.
As frequently happens in times of potential adversity, some leaders stepped up when necessary, while others probably could’ve stepped up and didn’t.
Overall, through the ups and downs, the Mets are about where everyone expected them to be. They are a respectable few games over .500 and fighting for a Wild Card spot entering the second half.
Let’s take a deeper look at the Top 5 items for What We Learned About the Mets in the first half.
1. David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza were ready for this
The first half has proven that owner Steve Cohen made a few good hires to run the Mets. Sure, the players win and lose games, but the front office (Stearns) brought the players in and the manager (Mendoza) puts the players in the best position to be successful. Stearns came to the Mets with a great resume from his time running the Milwaukee Brewers, and one of the bigger questions was going to be if Cohen would let him run the team the way he knows how (lower budget model from Milwaukee) or if there would be panic to continue to bring in high-priced free agents similar to years past (Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, etc.). Stearns has been patient, and got some “deals” on signings that have worked out (like Harrison Bader, J.D. Martinez, and Luis Severino). He has also been masterful at picking up key pieces throughout the first half, such as Luis Torrens to back up Francisco Alvarez at catcher, and Jose Iglesias, who has become the an everyday contributor.
Mendoza took over the manager spot this season after serving as the bench coach with the New York Yankees. “Mendy” has pushed a lot of the right buttons, and has exceeded the expectations that come along with being a rookie manager. One of the changes that was apparent early on was a much looser clubhouse vs. the prior regime with Buck Showalter. The players have responded to that. Mendoza faced a challenge right out the gates, starting the year 0-5, but has been able to rally the troops, help some of his star players through massive slumps, and currently has the team sitting in a playoff spot. Also, who can forget managing through a player (Jorge Lopez) throwing his glove in the stands and making questionable comments after the game. Mendoza even got his first ejection recently, defending Iglesias on questionable strike calls at the plate. It’s safe to say Mendoza is not a rookie manager anymore.
The team can be confident about who is leading the franchise moving forward. The next challenge for Stearns will be navigating the contract situation of Pete Alonso, a fan favorite who is set to be a free agent in the off-season.
2. OMG! Grimace, Rally Pimp, and Glizzy Iggy Keep Things Interesting
The Major League Baseball season is a long one, and over the span of 162 regular season games, fanbases could naturally hit lulls. The Mets fanbase has been receiving constant jolts of extra energy through the first half of the year, driven by goings-on in the stands or elsewhere.
Iglesias, one of Stearns’ better signings, has talent off the field as well. He is a recording artist that goes by the name Candelita, and has come out with a single titled OMG. Iglesias performed the song for the fans at Citi Field after a Mets game, and even performed it at the All-Star Game festivities before the Home Run Derby. Who would’ve thought he’d be the better singer between him and the National Anthem performer?! We’ll leave the national anthem performance for another day…. The Mets have rallied around OMG, and have used it as a rallying cry. It’s a window of the unity seen on the team, evidenced by the sign the team uses after hitting home runs, and how the song is played at Citi Field after home runs.
Who could forget about the impact Grimace has had on this team? The purple blob of McDonald’s fame came along to throw out a first pitch at just the right team, when the team was struggling. The Mets won seven in a row immediately following the June 12th first pitch, and have gone 21-9 in the Grimace Era.
The Rally Pimp was the first non-player super hero to hit the radar for the Mets. Decked out in his best Rally Pimp attire, @maxisawiener brought good fortune to the Mets, and an entertaining interview with the Detroit Tigers broadcast team to introduce himself.
Glizzy Iggy is the latest installment, and is a hot dog eating, well, dog. Only time will tell if the hot dog-eating Italian Greyhound will have the staying power of the other quirky mascots like the Rally Pimp and Grimace, but so far so good.
Fans have really embraced the “only the Mets” impact of the fun stuff off the field. In fact, only Mr. and Mrs. Met, the actual mascots of the team, would likely have an issue, fearing they’d be replaced!
3. Francisco Lindor is Really That Good
Lindor is the easiest representation of the optimism, and big checkbook, that came along with Cohen buying the team from the Wilpons. Signing Lindor was Cohen’s way to put a stamp on the team, and show the rest of MLB that he is here to win, and things were going to be different with the Mets. The results for the team have largely been disappointing, and it’s been debatable if Lindor has been living up to his 10-year, $341 million contract signed in 2021.
There is no arguing Lindor’s prowess in the field. He handles the glove at shortstop extremely well, and is a two-time Gold Glove winner (in 2016 and 2019, both while with Cleveland). Lindor has also been awarded the Silver Slugger award three times, twice with Cleveland and once (2023) with the Mets. He always plays too, appearing in 161 games in 2022 and 160 games in 2023. This season, he has appeared in all 95 games.
At the same time, Lindor has been a .254 hitter during his time in New York (vs. .285 in Cleveland) with an OPS of .781 with the Mets (.833 in Cleveland). The four-time American League All-Star has yet to be named to the Mid-Summer Classic as a Met.
The 2024 season can be seen as a microcosm of who and what Lindor is. He struggled mightily early on, with his average fairly consistently below .200 until May 21st. The light came on in that game, ironically against Cleveland. It started an 11-game hitting streak for him, and he has not looked back. He entered the All-Star break hitting .253 on the season with 17 home runs, 52 RBIs and an OPS of .784. Lindor also moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup and has thrived there. After the very tough start, Lindor was noted as an All-Star snub as he did not make the team.
More important, Lindor has continued to show leadership and did not let his offensive struggles affect him in the field. When the team needed a meeting, Lindor organized it. That meeting was noted as a turning point by veterans like Martinez, not only for the team but for him personally. To build camaraderie, Lindor was one of the veterans to buy dinner for the whole team, to continue to build the team culture.
Lindor has started doing it all for the Mets.
4. The Next Captain is Probably Already on the Roster
The Captain title is not required, and arguably not as important in baseball relative to other sports. However, having the right player named Captain can elevate the clubhouse culture, and ultimately the performance on the field for the rest of the team. Just ask the Yankees, relative to Derek Jeter and more recently Aaron Judge.
The Mets have only had four Captains in the team’s history. They have not named one since David Wright, who held the title from 2013-2018. Before that, the Mets captains were Keith Hernandez (1987-1989), Gary Carter (1988-1989), and John Franco (2001-2004).
There are three potential Captains on the Mets roster right now, with another potential candidate emerging.
First, there is Lindor. As noted above, he has stepped up and plays everyday at one of the most important positions in all of sports (shortstop). Lindor brings charisma, ability, and leadership to the ballpark everyday. He is also signed through 2031, so should be here for the long-term.
Next, there is Brandon Nimmo. A Mets draftee out of Wyoming, he has grown up through the organization and there is no player who hustles more than Nimmo. He is a fan favorite, and is very easy to root for. Nimmo had his own struggles to start the year, with his averaging moving to .209 on May 30th. Since then he has taken turns with Lindor carrying the team, and at the break he has an average of .248 with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs and an OPS of .815. He was also a notable All-Star snub. Nimmo is also expected to be in New York for the long run, as he is signed through 2030.
The third consideration goes to Alonso. He has brought a swagger to the team, and is also a draftee of the Mets (out of the University of Florida). The two-time Home Run Derby champion is a fan favorite. He also coined the “LFGM” phrase, connecting with fans on a more fundamental level. Alonso could easily finish his career with 500 home runs, which would likely put him in consideration for his #20 to be retired if they all come as a member of the Mets. Complicating his candidacy is his contract situation. Due to be a free agent at the end of the year, and a Scott Boras client, Alonso is not a sure thing to be with the team past this season. Interestingly, as Lindor and Nimmo were sponsoring team dinners, Alonso was not mentioned as one of the check-payers.
The up and comer to watch is Alvarez. The Mets are 31-14 with him, and 18-32 without Alvarez, mostly when he was out with an injured left (catching) thumb. His attitude is infectious. His hitting is timely and he has power. His handling of the pitchers is admirable and they love throwing to him. Alvarez also worked extremely hard to learn English to conduct interviews in English. The fans, and his teammates, all love him.
Given Mendoza’s familiarity with “The Yankee Way”, and the impact that veteran leadership actions from Lindor and Nimmo have had on this team, it would not be a surprise to see the team name a Captain in the not-too-distant future. The good news is, that Captain is probably here already.
5. The Pitching Staff is Deep, with Reinforcements on the Way
The Mets received some very bad news during Spring Training, as ace Kodai Senga had a shoulder strain. The Ghost Fork pitcher was set to be the undisputed ace of the staff, which needed one after Scherzer and Verlander were jettisoned via trade last season.
Senga was expected to return on May 27th. However, he suffered a setback in his rehab, and still has not returned to the big league club. He has made three minor league rehab starts recently and has done well. He is due to make another start at AAA on Sunday. He is building his number of pitches and is expected to throw 60-65 in his next rehab start. The team has not committed to when Senga would return but it feels like it is close.
The rest of the staff has alternated the “ace” duties. Jose Quintana started opening day, and has been up and down through the first half. Severino has proven to be a very good signing, and if not traded at the deadline he should be talked to about extending. Not only is he pitching well, but he is also in charge of the OMG sign in the dugout. Quintana leads the team with 19 starts, but 10 pitchers have made starts in the first half. For two of those pitchers, those starts were the only games with the Mets this season. Joey Lucchesi still has a chance for more, but it is safe to assume Julio Teheran will not get another opportunity with the Mets.
Looking at the bullpen, it has also been a wild ride. There have been a few bright spots, including the emergence of players like Reed Garrett and Dedniel Nunez. Garrett (3.64 ERA) has since cooled down, but Nunez (2.35 ERA) has pitched well. Closer Edwin Díaz found himself in a sticky situation, getting caught with sticky stuff on his hands and given a 10-day suspension. The bullpen and team struggled through that time, but Diaz has returned strong. He was also the victim of a very tough patch in the first half, and has five blown saves so far to go along with his 10 saves. Nine different Mets pitchers have earned saves so far this season.
So, both the starting staff and the bullpen are deep and have shown the next man up mentality. With Senga coming back relatively soon, and Diaz looking more like himself recently, organic reinforcements are the way. These should be supplemented by opportunistic deals, similar to the trade that Stearns pulled off for reliever Phil Maton.
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