“The New York Mets are a Total Disaster,” “…Chaos and Uncertainty,” “Here we Go Again, The Mets are Bad.” Those are just a handful of the horrible headlines about the 2024 New York Mets. 2023 was a nightmare and now fans and the front office may be settling in for another long night.
The Mets have the highest payroll in the major leagues – $307 million, they are eight games under .500 and already 15 games out of first place. The far-from-amazing Mets may be thanking the weather man for Monday’s rainout against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Owner Steve Cohen is paying those salaries and he’s as flummoxed as the rest of Mets’ nation.
What’s Wrong With The Mets? The Bullpen
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I’ll first serve up closer Edwin Diaz. He’s blown four of his last five save opportunities. The pen hasn’t just stalled, its tires have come off. Saturday at Citi Field in Flushing the Mets had a 2-1 lead over the San Francisco Giants entering the ninth inning.
After Diaz gave up the tying run in the top of the ninth, an error by first baseman Pete Alonso allowed five unearned runs to score in the top of the tenth, giving the Giants a 7-2 win. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said:
They’re professionals. We have to find a way to get the job done. Right now, we’re not finishing games and they’re tough losses. At the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way. We’ve got to continue to work, continue to fight and find a way to get the job done.
The Mets are also walking a lot of batters. In 52 games they’ve walked 221 batters. That’s tops in baseball.
What Else is Wrong With the Mets? The Bats
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It’s not just the pitching, the offense isn’t helping. Center Fielder Harrison Bader is having a pretty good year at the plate. He’s hitting .279, but he’s only got 16 runs driven in as an everyday player. After Bader the numbers plunge. Take a look at the Mets big names:
| Player | Batting Average | OPS | Home Runs | RBI |
| Starline Marte | .259 | .701 | 2 | 19 |
| Jeff McNeil | .238 | .656 | 3 | 14 |
| Pete Alonso | .230 | .768 | 12 | 26 |
| Brandon Nimmo | .217 | .745 | 7 | 29 |
| Francisco Lindor | .210 | .646 | 7 | 24 |
Mets owner Steven Cohen would go on to state in a talk with SNY’s Andy Martino:
“I believe in this team. I believe in the back of the baseball card. It’s way too early to speculate on anything.”
What Will the Mets Need To Turn It Around?
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In New York some are already talking about the trade deadline and who the Mets can unload. That’s a long way off, but it’s no surprise what needs to happen with this team
First the bullpen has to pitch up to its ability. The starting pitching has been pretty good but the pen isn’t able to hold leads. Twice this season Luis Severino has taken no-hitters into the fifth inning only to come away with no decision in either game.
Four years ago a reporter asked Mets die-hard Jerry Seinfeld why he didn’t buy the team, and he said,
Why? So, I could have more people yelling at me on the street when they lose?
Cohen continues to have faith in his team as he once again told Martino:
I expect to make the playoffs. I know the fan base is frustrated, but it’s still early. We’re still very capable of making the playoffs. I fully expect to make the playoffs.
Maybe he should have consulted the comedian.
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Bradley Tachco is a career journalist. I spent 12+ years at CNN as a writer and producer. My sports are the NHL, MLB, and NFL. My goal: unique content. And my teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills (yes, I’m a masochist), and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I have been a Dodgers fan since I was old enough to think. I have gone through decades of despair with all three franchises. You can follow Bradley on X @p09691
