The Mets were expected to snap out of whatever it is that has prevented them from hitting with runners in scoring position with two bad opponents visiting Citi Field this week. So far, that hasn’t exactly happened.
They could still feast on bad pitching against a Colorado Rockies team that is on pace to obliterate the league record for losses, but against the Chicago White Sox, the same frustrating tendencies remained. Maybe the White Sox are a different team than last season, one that now has divine intervention and the Pope on their side, and to be fair, the Mets did take two of three games from the South Siders to win the series.
As it stands Saturday, the Mets are hitting just .210 with runners in scoring position, the third-worst mark in the league. President of baseball operations David Stearns thinks the results are somewhat random and the sample sizes are small, but with a lineup possessing elite hitters like Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Juan Soto, the Mets have to figure out whether it’s as random as they think it is or if it’s an issue with the group’s approach.
“We clearly have not been good in that in that spot over the course of the year, and more recently, over the last 10 days or two weeks,” Stearns said this week at Citi Field. “And so I do think we have to start from the position of, is there something we can control? Is there something we can look at to get better? We’re certainly doing that work, that investigation. Our players are extremely aware of this.”
Stearns acknowledges that some players are built for high-pressure situations and some simply get lucky with the right pitch, but the continual lack of results with top hitters is confounding.
“There are some times that even if you have that skill and are doing everything right, that the results aren’t going to follow,” Stearns said.
It’s an issue the Mets were able to overcome in April when they could do no wrong, but in May, they’ve hovered around .500 mostly because of missed offensive opportunities and less-than-crisp defense. With a division-heavy schedule in June, there is some urgency to figure out if it’s something that can be remedied.
Still, the Mets continue to find ways to win. They’re currently 2.0 games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East and have the best run differential in the division. Brett Baty has provided the lineup with a boost since he was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse with five home runs and 13 RBI, and Mark Vientos has started to come around hitting in the No. 2 spot with Soto behind him, and Soto had an RBI double Friday night against Colorado.
The production is still somewhat inconsistent, but the Mets think the lineup will start to stabilize. The team insists they aren’t pressing at the plate and Stearns doesn’t necessarily see that either. They’ve kept a level head about the issue in part due to coaching, and in part due to character.
The pressure is going to continue to build every time the Mets strand the bases loaded in key situations, so they have to keep finding ways to win.
“It’s always the balance of, you can’t address something unless you’re aware of it, you can’t improve in an area unless you understand that that area needs improvement, but if we continue to harp on it and talk about it, it leads to pressure,” Stearns said. “Which can lead to reactions that maybe are not the most constructive. So it’s a balance. I think our coaches and [manager Carlos Mendoza] do a great job of walking that line, and I’m confident we’re going to get it sorted out.”
UPCOMING ROTATION
Right-hander Paul Blackburn will make his 2025 debut Monday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. If the Mets stay on rotation, that would line up Blackburn, right-hander Tylor Megill, right-hander Griffin Canning and left-hander David Peterson for a four-game series against the defending World Series champs. The Mets then head to Denver for another series against the Rockies, where they would line up right-hander Kodai Senga, right-hander Clay Holmes and Blackburn.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Left-hander Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) will throw to hitters again Monday in another up-and-down live batting practice session. In his last live BP, Manaea threw 20 pitches. Monday, he will throw two simulated innings. If he comes through without setbacks, the Mets could send him out on a rehab assignment, but it’s more likely he throws another live BP before getting into minor league games.
Right-hander Frankie Montas (lat strain) will make his third rehab start Tuesday. At the moment, the Mets are unsure of where he will make his next start because of the weather. Montas has made two starts with High-A Brooklyn, allowing four earned runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings.
