The Mets’ lineup remains a work in progress
The Mets are a competent team. Led by first-year manager Carlos Mendoza, they were 19-22 and in fourth place in the National League (NL) East after a 4-0 loss to the division leading Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field in Queens on Tuesday. The Mets were 18th in runs scored in Major League Baseball, with 172 in 41 games played prior to last night’s game versus the Philadelphia Phillies.
Veteran first baseman and designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who was signed as a free agent in March less than a week before Opening Day, has provided protection for the other hitters, particularly All Star first baseman Pete Alonso. Martinez has been a very good hitter for most of his 14-year career, with 305 home runs, 1,655 hits, and 1,007 RBI when the Mets’ four-game, home-and-home series against the Phillies moved to Philadelphia last night for Game 3. The series finale is tonight.
Martinez has shown the ability to be a consistent run producer in the middle of a lineup. Alonso, while still one of baseball’s best power hitters with nine home runs and 22 RBI before last night’s game, has seen his batting average decrease. A career .250 hitter, he finished at .218 last year and was batting .226 after going 0-3 on Tuesday.
Teams are pitching around Alonso due to his low average. He’s not getting enough good pitches to hit. However, as Martinez rounds into form, Alonso has begun to heat up and looks more comfortable with Martinez hitting behind him. Martinez has also helped others further down in the lineup, including second baseman Jeff McNeil.
The 2022 NL batting champion at .326, McNeil’s average dropped 56 points last year (.270). He was counted on to be a run producer last season, which he is not. He’s averaging less than 50 runs batted in per year. Martinez, a gap hitter with power, has moved McNeil to sixth in the order where he can be more effective.
Martinez, who spent the beginning of the year in the minors, has begun to hit his stride. He hit a ninth-inning home run to avert the Mets being no-hit by a trio of Atlanta Braves pitchers in a 4-1 loss on Saturday. As of yesterday, Martinez was batting .288 with one homer, five RBI, and 16 hits in 17 games.
Four-time All Star shortstop Francisco Lindor is adding punch with seven homers and 21 RBI in 162 at-bats from the three-spot batting in front of Alonso. Thus far, the Mets have not looked like a playoff contender, but they are a respectable work in progress that could emerge as a wildcard challenger.
Their schedule has them playing the Miami Marlins on the road for three games this weekend beginning tomorrow, followed by a three-game set versus the Cleveland Guardians next Monday through Wednesday.
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