A few weeks ago, it seemed like the Mets’ playoff chances were nearly finished. They were 6.5 games behind in the Wild Card race and were dealing with a slew of injuries. To paraphrase Al Pacino’s character from The Godfather III, “Just when we thought we were out, the Mets pulled us back in.”
Going into Wednesday night’s game against the Miami Marlins, the “Amazins” have won eight out of their last 10, have a record of 68-64 and are 2.5 games behind the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot. They seem to be peaking at the right time and gaining momentum. Last season, the Mets went on a great run in August and September. Can they do it again? Below is a breakdown of the good and the bad during the team’s recent hot streak.
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The Good:
Bartolo Colon: Coming into the season Colon was considered the 5th starter or even a long reliever. The man they call “Big Sexy” is tied with Noah Syndergaard for the team lead with 12 wins. At 43-years-old, he can still “hang” with the young arms on the staff.
Neil Walker: Former Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy could certainly win the NL MVP this year. Murphy is batting .344 with 25 home runs and 98 RBIs. Despite losing Murphy to the Nationals in free agency, Walker has been a great acquisition at second base. He has provided stability in the field and leads the team with 116 hits and is second on the team with 23 home runs. Walker has been solid from day one.
Asdrubal Cabrera: The 30-year-old shortstop has been on a tear since coming back from an injury. In his past seven games, he is batting .500 (11-for-22 with four homers). He has made both the routine play and some spectacular plays in the field. He appears to be a better defender than scouting reports suggested. Plus, he was named the NL Player of the week as a reward for his standout stretch.
Wilmer Flores: In 93 games, he has 14 home runs and 45 RBIs. Just when he gets on a hot streak, manager Terry Collins benches him. He has been a great part-time player.
Yoenis Cespedes: On Monday night “Yo-Ces” hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning. He has been battling leg injuries, but the man is a “gamer.” He leads the Mets in home runs (27) and RBIs (68).
Jeurys Familia: The Mets closer has 43 saves on the year. He has been Mariano Rivera-like — almost always an automatic three outs.
The Bad:
Curtis Granderson: The man they call “Grandy” has had a horrible stretch. He’s hit just .118 in 85 at-bats with runners in scoring position this year.. He’s batting .223 overall and continues to struggle at the plate. I expect him to see less and less playing time moving forward.
Jay Bruce: Mets fans are waiting for this slugger to come alive. Bruce is batting .169 since he was acquired prior to the non-waiver Trade Deadline.
Terry Collins: His moves on a weekly, daily and game-to-game basis boggles my mind. He continues to sit players during “hot” streaks and the way he handles his bullpen has left me scratching my head.
Coming off a World Series appearance in 2015, the Mets have underachieved. But, they are still battling and will play meaningful games in September. With a little luck, they can make the playoffs and that is all any New York fan can ask for. Just think of the slogan Tug McGraw coined in 1973: “Ya gotta believe!”
For more from Monte Perez, follow The Sports Whisperer on Twitter @Montetjwitter11.
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