Today, the New York Mets completed their sweep of the often-mocked Colorado Rockies, putting the Mets at 37-22 on the season. New York has won 8 of their last 10 and taken sole control of 1st place in the National League East from their hated rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies. Can the Miracle Mets keep winning?
The Mets are back in first place in the NL East pic.twitter.com/umJt1QhRSK
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The Mets Have Taken Sole Control of 1st in the NL East
Key Players in Mets Winning
The Mets have been propelled in their winning ways by a superstar lineup with a big three of All-Star hitters. Francisco Lindor has been one of the best players in the league this year. The shortstop has put up 12 home runs with a .283/.356/.483 slash line. That comes out to an OPS+ of 138, meaning he is 38% better than the league-average hitter. He has somehow managed to do this while being a premium defender at the most difficult defensive position in the game. Furthermore, Pete Alonso has been having the best season of his career after a disappointing free agency for him. He is sporting a 161 OPS+, meaning he is 61% better than the average hitter. In the past, the perception of his offense has been inflated by gaudy home run totals. However, this year, he has been the real deal. Rounding out that lineup is superstar free agent acquisition Juan Soto, who has not been producing as much as hoped. Still, he remains on track for a 4-5 WAR season with a 125 OPS+.
Furthermore, the pitching has been a surprising bright spot for the team. This is especially true for Kodai Senga, whose 1.60 ERA is the best in the league and whose 2.2 WAR is the best on the team. Beyond him, David Peterson, Griffin Canning, and Reed Garrett have all been amazing for the Mets. This might be the best pitching the Mets have assembled in recent memory, even surpassing the Justin Verlander/Max Scherzer rotation from a few years back.
Flagging Rivals Contributing to Mets’ Climb
The NL East has usually been one of the best divisions in the league (aside from the Miami Marlins). However, this year, the normally unstoppable Atlanta Braves have been decidedly below average. They are currently sitting at 27-31 with a 3-7 record in their last 10. They could always turn it around, but this year’s Braves don’t look like the juggernaut Braves teams of years past. Beyond them, the Philadelphia Phillies have been good this year, just not as good as the Mets. The Phillies are at 36-23, one game behind the Mets. They’re still a threat, but they’ve just been treading water at 5-5 in their last 10. The Nationals are a young team and even after winning 7 of their last 10, are still 8 1/2 games out of 1st place. Finally, the Marlins are who we thought they were. It’s less than a third of the way into the season and they’re already 13 games out of first place.
In the NL East, it looks like a two-horse race between the Mets and Phillies. However, it currently looks like the Mets are surging and the Phillies are flagging, so the Mets have a chance to pull ahead.
The Last Word on Mets Winning
The Mets are on a roll so far this year. As a result, it has borne fruit in terms of growing the fanbase. Last year, the Mets finished 18th in attendance. This year, they are currently 5th in the league. That just goes to show how actually investing in the team can yield growth in the fanbase. The owners of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, and Athlteics should all be taking notes. However, beyond that, the Mets keep winning, and it’s unclear how sustainable that is. But, the game is better when the Mets are good and in their classic rivalries with the Phillies, Yankees, and Braves. We’ll see if they can keep it up.
