It’s almost hard to believe how much has changed for the New York Mets in the last two weeks.
After completing a sweep over the Washington Nationals on June 12, the Mets boasted the best record in Major League Baseball at 45-24 and held a 5.5 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Juan Soto had finally begun to get going, the bullpen was rounding into form, and the rotation continued to have the major’s best ERA. Though the Mets looked to still need another bat or two to lengthen the lineup, they had a strong argument as the most complete teams in baseball.
It was in that victory over the Nationals, however, where the first sign of trouble emerged. Ace Kodai Senga injured his right hamstring covering first base, landing him on the 10-day IL. Tylor Megill would soon follow, and the Mets league-best rotation began to crumble. Over the past 11 games, the Mets have received just a single quality start: A seven-inning, three-run performance from David Peterson against the Atlanta Braves that became a moot point when Reed Garrett blew the lead in the eighth.
Without their rotation carrying them, the Mets’ top-heavy lineup has become even more of an issue. Even with Soto (4 home runs, 1.022 OPS) and Brandon Nimmo (.342 average, .957 OPS) continuing to produce during this span, the Mets have scored just 3.4 runs a game, a product of getting almost nothing from the bottom of the order. Luisangel Acuña and Francisco Alvarez were recently optioned to the minor leagues, Brett Baty (.666 OPS) and Ronny Mauricio (.574 OPS) may soon follow, and fill-ins like Jared Young and Tyrone Taylor have failed to provide any impact. The result has been a brutal 1-10 stretch that has dropped them behind the Phillies and has even closed the once-massive gap with the Braves to just eight games.
The shocking collapse has completely flipped the script on what looked like a storybook season for the Mets and has left President of Baseball Operations David Stearns searching for answers. In comments to The New York Post’s Joel Sherman after the Mets’ most recent loss, Stearns hinted at what could be ahead for his struggling club at the trade deadline.
“In a one-on-one moment afterward, he conceded this downturn has changed the picture of what he thinks his team needs to add before the July 31 trade deadline,” Sherman wrote. “He said he would not share what he sees as the current priority but did add, ‘It will probably change again in the next 10 days.'”
Though much of what the Mets choose to do with the rotation depends on the health of Senga and Sean Manaea, it’s clear that they will need to add to a scuffling lineup. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins and Chicago White Sox Luis Robert Jr. are two possible targets, and Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran could be one as well if the Red Sox choose to sell.
More MLB: Cubs ‘keeping a close eye’ on 2-time Yankees All-Star after Ben Brown news
