2021 New York Mets season thread

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

And on another note, though we’ve had the occasional “Same Old Mets” moments here and there (both off and on the field), there’s things that aren’t happening like we’d see in past seasons.  Some of the past Met teams would find a way to get swept by the Pirates in this series before the ASB.  Or we’d see one of deGrom’s ailments turn into something serious.  Take a look at the Nats…they blow an 8-0 lead and lose a game, and just when they seem like they’re going to get on a real extended roll, they lose the one guy they could ill afford to.

Not like the Mets haven’t had their share of injuries to deal with, but with both the Nats and Braves suffering major blows…if anything, I’d say the Nats have had more of a “Same Ol Mets” kind of season than, well, the Mets.  

[NJDevs4978]

It does figure the ASB is coming right when maybe possibly Lindor is getting out of the black hole.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Well, the Mets decided to treat this like a throwaway game, and the offense decided that the ASB came after the first inning, so now it’s a game.  The Pirates may have a ways to go, but I give them some credit…they do try.

Oh, and in case anyone forgot, Familia still sucks.  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Diaz gonna Diaz.

Mets clearly packed up for the ASB after the first inning…well done boys.  

Edited July 11, 2021 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

Well this would be a Mets like loss 🤬

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

And another reminder:  Diaz is a loser. Look into Kimbrel please.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Kinda sad that the Pirates wanted this one more than the Mets did.  Infuriating.

[NJDevs4978]

10 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Kinda sad that the Pirates wanted this one more than the Mets did.  Infuriating.

Yeah after the first inning I thought this was the Pirates who gives a fvck getaway day. Nothing’s ever a given when you have to roll out Eickoff, Loup, Familia and Castro before even getting to Armando Diaz though.

Edited July 11, 2021 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Like I said, Mets treated the game like it was a throwaway from the start, so they got what they deserved.  I know it’s just one game, one loss, but this one has me pissed.

And the Pirates may not even win 70, and they’ll occasionally get blown out, but they’re at least going to give an honest effort most games.  Gained some respect for them. 

[NJDevs4978]

I don't see why deGrom couldn't have pitched a couple of innings either given they had him do his throw day over say, Eickhoff.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

29 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

I don't see why deGrom couldn't have pitched a couple of innings either given they had him do his throw day over say, Eickhoff.

On that one I can give the Mets a pass…Heaven forbid something had happened to him in-game.  Mets would have been CRUIFICIED if that had been the case.  

[NJDevs4978]

The Mets actually got Kumar Rocker (part of the dynamic duo at Vandy with Al's kid) at 10 in the draft, I thought he was supposed to be a top three pick...guess signability issues?  The thing I actually liked about Brodie's draft philosophy is he paid out over slot for the top guys and got them signed, looks like we're doing that here too.

Edited July 12, 2021 by NJDevs4978

['7']

Yea was happy to see them snag Rocker. Though there is something about that surname that still makes my skin crawl

MLB is really trying hard to make their draft something closer to NFL/NBA/NHL where it's an actual televised event...thing is collegiate baseball is barely on the national radar. Most even die hard baseball fans have no clue who these players are, and we may not see them for a few years unlike the other sports where the top guys play and have an impact right away

Edited July 12, 2021 by '7'

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Yeah until I saw how happy Has was to see the Mets draft Rocker, all I could think was "Who?  I guess it's good!"  Baseball just feels so much more like a crapshoot...especially since you may not see high-schoolers picked in the first round for several years, no matter how high they're picked.

It's funny, I asked for 18-15 over the last 33 GP, and got 17-16.  It makes no sense that one bad loss should taint the whole sample, but yesterday still has me aggravated.  In a nutshell...who do these guys think they are?  Sure guys, you're a first-place team, but you're a whopping seven games over .500 (and just 12-15 in their last 27).  You rank 5th out of 15 teams in the NL, as far as winning% goes...offensively, most of the season you've been painful to watch, and even the "Big 3" starting pitchers have cooled a bit lately...not that they've been bad, but not what they were earlier (deGrom is still a fvcking beast though, even if he's daring to give up some runs now).  Had they just won the fvcking game yesterday, I was going to post a nice write-up, about how they'd managed to get through a difficult part of the schedule without falling apart, how they'd managed to avoid any major slumps and overcome injuries, etc.  But the way they just seemed to take a "Up 5 early, let's just put it on cruise control" approach...like they're 10+ games up instead of less than 5...left a very rotten taste in my mouth.  Even some of the guys who were brought in yesterday...after Loup, did they have to keep dipping into the Second Rate Well?  I get going to Diaz (I may not trust him, but he IS the closer), but how many innings do they think a guy like Eichkoff has in him, before hitters catch on?  Familia and Castro are wildcards at best.  Guess with the ASB coming, I would've liked to have seen this team take much more of a "We gotta get this one" tact.  I think the fact that they've been able to tread water without anyone else in the East able to truly threaten yet has them lacking urgency.

Anyway, assuming 88 games is the target to reach, here's where the Mets stand (and what the rest of the East has to do to reach 89 to finish ahead of the Mets)

Mets:  47-40 (41-34)

Phillies:  44-44 (45-29)

Braves:  44-45 (45-28)

Nationals:  42-47 (47-26)

To be clear, it's still a tough road for the teams chasing the Mets...the other teams have to take a quantum leap forward over what they've managed to date.  August could be rough for Mets though...13 games in a row against the Giants and Dodgers (a 7-game West Coast swing, followed by 6 at home).  Also 5 games in 4 days against the Braves in a couple of weeks.  

Edited July 12, 2021 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

21 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

It does figure the ASB is coming right when maybe possibly Lindor is getting out of the black hole.

I know Lindor is still wildly up-and-down at times (and not a guy you feel like is going to come through at the plate when you really need him to), but here's what he's (rather quietly) done over his last 44 GP:

.273/.364/.487 (.851 OPS), 8 HR, 27 RBI

Compare that to .182/.289/.266 (.555 OPS), 3 HR and 9 RBI over his first 42 GP

If he can approximate this going forward (and become a little less feast-or-famine) over similar-sized samples, I can definitely live with it.  His start was just SO bad that his overall season numbers still don't exactly thrill.  And there's a reason why his numbers don't feel as good as they look for these 44 GP...namely, the lack of clutch, and so much inconsistency.  I'm guessing if you presented these numbers to most Met fans, they'd be stunned at how solid they actually are.

[NJDevs4978]

4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I know Lindor is still wildly up-and-down at times (and not a guy you feel like is going to come through at the plate when you really need him to), but here's what he's (rather quietly) done over his last 44 GP:

.273/.364/.487 (.851 OPS), 8 HR, 27 RBI

Compare that to .182/.289/.266 (.555 OPS), 3 HR and 9 RBI over his first 42 GP

If he can approximate this going forward (and become a little less feast-or-famine) over similar-sized samples, I can definitely live with it.  His start was just SO bad that his overall season numbers still don't exactly thrill.  And there's a reason why his numbers don't feel as good as they look for these 44 GP...namely, the lack of clutch, and so much inconsistency.  I'm guessing if you presented these numbers to most Met fans, they'd be stunned at how solid they actually are.

I'm one of them.  It's like you said there's been so much wild inconsistency within those 44 games it doesn't feel like a sustained solid stretch, and it's always tricky doing a 'last x number of games' comparison cause it seems like every time that happens with Lindor he takes another 0-for the next day, but those are some pretty stark overall splits. 

4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Yeah until I saw how happy Has was to see the Mets draft Rocker, all I could think was "Who?  I guess it's good!"  Baseball just feels so much more like a crapshoot...especially since you may not see high-schoolers picked in the first round for several years, no matter how high they're picked.

Yeah I'm the farthest thing from a draftnik there is, especially since I dropped doing my fantasy dynasty baseball leagues this year - mostly cause of the impending labor strife and what happened to the minor leagues/prospects in general during the pandemic.  It's not really a stretch to say the only two prospects I knew of beforehand were Rocker and Jack Leiter.  I even forgot to watch the darn thing but I saw someone say the Mets got a steal on Twitter, that's when I looked and was shocked it was Rocker lol

I guess he had other issues with command and consistency this year, but a 22-year old pitcher coming out of a college factory has got a better chance to hit than most.

Edited July 12, 2021 by NJDevs4978

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

6 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

I'm one of them.  It's like you said there's been so much wild inconsistency within those 44 games it doesn't feel like a sustained solid stretch, and it's always tricky doing a 'last x number of games' comparison cause it seems like every time that happens with Lindor he takes another 0-for the next day, but those are some pretty stark overall splits. 

Oh me too...if someone asked me "What do you think Lindor's hitting over his last 44 games?", I would've guessed .230-something, tops.  And I would've guessed maybe 20 RBI, if that.  If Lindor had STARTED the season with this 44-game slash and the solid power numbers, we'd all have been pretty happy with that.  But it's going to be an uphill battle for him, because 1) his overall numbers are still not very good, and 2) he's failed a LOT in the bigger moments.  I remember when he hit his grand slam, my first thought was a sem-disgusted "Oh of course NOW you hit one out!"

What's buoyed this sample is that he was hot in the beginning and end of it:

First 8 GP:  .400/.417/.714

Next 26 GP:  .193/.290/.375

Last 10 GP:  .355/.500/.548

It's those 26 GP that have felt more like the "real" Lindor, as far as this season has gone.

[NJDevs4978]

LOL I didn’t realize you could call timeout in the HR Derby until I turned it on in time for the Final. Kinda lame but I wouldn’t hate Mancini winning after everything he went through the last year plus.

Alonso does win it again, geez he’s good at this.

Edited July 13, 2021 by NJDevs4978

['7']

I used to get into the home run derby but I guess I sort of grew out of it. But very happy for Pete, and this is all great PR for him and the Mets on a national level. That kind of stuff is always welcome for our franchise. Of course the balls they use are super juiced and manufactured specifically for this event, plus the thin air. Still this was very impressive, and I hope it continues to build his confidence. The Mets have 75 games left and I'd like to see him hit at least 20 home runs and keep that batting average no lower than the .250 he's at now

['7']

On 7/12/2021 at 10:56 AM, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Yeah until I saw how happy Has was to see the Mets draft Rocker, all I could think was "Who?  I guess it's good!"  Baseball just feels so much more like a crapshoot...especially since you may not see high-schoolers picked in the first round for several years, no matter how high they're picked.

It's funny, I asked for 18-15 over the last 33 GP, and got 17-16.  It makes no sense that one bad loss should taint the whole sample, but yesterday still has me aggravated.  In a nutshell...who do these guys think they are?  Sure guys, you're a first-place team, but you're a whopping seven games over .500 (and just 12-15 in their last 27).  You rank 5th out of 15 teams in the NL, as far as winning% goes...offensively, most of the season you've been painful to watch, and even the "Big 3" starting pitchers have cooled a bit lately...not that they've been bad, but not what they were earlier (deGrom is still a fvcking beast though, even if he's daring to give up some runs now).  Had they just won the fvcking game yesterday, I was going to post a nice write-up, about how they'd managed to get through a difficult part of the schedule without falling apart, how they'd managed to avoid any major slumps and overcome injuries, etc.  But the way they just seemed to take a "Up 5 early, let's just put it on cruise control" approach...like they're 10+ games up instead of less than 5...left a very rotten taste in my mouth.  Even some of the guys who were brought in yesterday...after Loup, did they have to keep dipping into the Second Rate Well?  I get going to Diaz (I may not trust him, but he IS the closer), but how many innings do they think a guy like Eichkoff has in him, before hitters catch on?  Familia and Castro are wildcards at best.  Guess with the ASB coming, I would've liked to have seen this team take much more of a "We gotta get this one" tact.  I think the fact that they've been able to tread water without anyone else in the East able to truly threaten yet has them lacking urgency.

Anyway, assuming 88 games is the target to reach, here's where the Mets stand (and what the rest of the East has to do to reach 89 to finish ahead of the Mets)

Mets:  47-40 (41-34)

Phillies:  44-44 (45-29)

Braves:  44-45 (45-28)

Nationals:  42-47 (47-26)

To be clear, it's still a tough road for the teams chasing the Mets...the other teams have to take a quantum leap forward over what they've managed to date.  August could be rough for Mets though...13 games in a row against the Giants and Dodgers (a 7-game West Coast swing, followed by 6 at home).  Also 5 games in 4 days against the Braves in a couple of weeks.  

 

Braves could be in some trouble now with what happened to Acuna (and you hate to see it to one of the exciting young stars of the game...but this majorly benefits the Mets). They're 4 behind us and 7 out of the 2nd Wild Card. I really don't see them packing it in as they probably see the Mets as very vulnerable...they'll probably be active in the trade market as long as they're no worse than 6 or 7 games out by July 30th. Though I would love to see the bottom fall out of that team completely

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 hours ago, '7' said:

Braves could be in some trouble now with what happened to Acuna (and you hate to see it to one of the exciting young stars of the game...but this majorly benefits the Mets). They're 4 behind us and 7 out of the 2nd Wild Card. I really don't see them packing it in as they probably see the Mets as very vulnerable...they'll probably be active in the trade market as long as they're no worse than 6 or 7 games out by July 30th. Though I would love to see the bottom fall out of that team completely

If anything, the Phillies, the Braves, and even the Nats have to feel like they're not dead yet.  Would be nice to see the Mets get on some kind of roll out of the ASB...and stop hovering around 7 games over .500.  Ending the season at 6 over gives them 84 wins...8 over gives them 85.  Suddenly that's much less daunting for one of the teams trailing them.   I still feel like 90 wins would be an "out of reach" number for everyone else but the Mets, but given how up-and-down they've been for a while now, I'm not so sure the Mets can go 43-32 the rest of the way.  I think they top out at 88, max.  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Stroman looking more and more like the very ordinary pitcher that he really is as of late.

Way to go Francisco.

And then Smith strikes out, because of course he does.  This fvcking “offense”…Jesus Christ.  

Edited July 17, 2021 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

0-for-11 so far this game with RISP.  Make that 0-for-12.  This is so Mets.

So sad that the Pirates want these games more than the Mets do.

Edited July 17, 2021 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevs4978]

Now Lindor has an apparent oblique injury on top of it lol

This is so 2007-ish, and probably gonna finish the same way with the Phillies being the ones to take advantage of us pissing away a gift division.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I keep forgetting what soft p*ssies baseball players have become in 2021.