Importance Score: 42 / 100 🔵
Mets Await Hitting Surge Despite Pitching Prowess
The New York Mets boast the best record in Major League Baseball at 18-7, fueled by what statistics indicate is the league’s top pitching staff. While their pitching has been stellar to start the season, the team acknowledges that this level of dominance might not be sustainable. Therefore, the focus shifts towards improving the team’s batting performance.
Hoping for Offensive Improvement
The club anticipates that as their pitching inevitably cools off, their hitting will intensify, providing a more balanced attack.
“We’re not even close to hitting on all cylinders, and guys are still kind of feeling their way through April,” noted co-hitting coach Eric Chavez recently, indicating there’s room for significant progress.
Pete Alonso has been shouldering the offensive load for nearly a month, with Francisco Lindor contributing significantly over the past few weeks.
However, beyond these key players, the offensive production has been fairly average.
Offensive Performance Analysis
Entering the Thursday off day in Washington, the Mets’ offense was slightly below average, scoring 4.20 runs per game. This puts pressure on the team’s pitching to maintain their high level of performance.
Their only other everyday player with a superior OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging) is Juan Soto, whose productivity is mainly driven by walks, although his overall performance hasn’t reached his peak in his initial month with the team.
Brandon Nimmo has been making solid contact, but the results have been lacking.
- He has adopted a more aggressive approach, swinging at the first pitch in approximately 41 percent of his at-bats this season, up from his career average of 29 percent.
- Chavez points out that this rate is “too high”.
- Nimmo’s current average (.196) falls short of his expected average (.246).
Mark Vientos has experienced similar challenges. Despite a slow start, he has improved his OPS from .393 to .579 over his past nine games.
“I’m finding holes now,” Vientos commented after a recent home run. “That’s the hardest part about this game is just not getting away from yourself, no matter if you have results or not.”
Reinforcements on the Horizon
Help is forthcoming with the anticipated activation of Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez, expected to join the active roster soon. Their return should bolster the team’s offensive capabilities.
In McNeil’s absence, Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty have increasingly shown promise at second base, while Luis Torrens (.241 average, .675 OPS) has performed respectably at catcher.
The Mets expect their optimal batting lineup to include McNeil and Alvarez, enhancing their overall offensive capabilities.
Looking Ahead
“I’m really looking forward to the summer,” Chavez stated, expressing confidence in the offense’s potential to excel.
Schedule Update: The Mets’ game against the Cubs on May 11 has been rescheduled from 11:35 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.
The game will be broadcast exclusively on Roku.