Who In The Hell Are The 2024 Mets, Anyway?

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It’s a special time of year in Queens. People remember that they have balconies, turf racing is starting at the Aqueduct and everyone is walking around with no jacket because 55 degrees never felt more tropical. And most of all, the Mets season is underway. Fans are piling into Citi Field, usually underdressed for the cold marina winds, to watch their beloved underdogs play. But what team are they even watching? They certainly not “The Second Best Team Money Can Buy Sponsored By Uncle Steve”. They’re also not the “Same Ol’ Mets”, despite what your defeatist cousin says on Facebook. They’re somewhere in between. For the last few weeks, I’ve been watching the Mets, trying to figure out their identity crisis. This is what I learned about the 2024 New York Mets:


They’re a team that looks out for their fans.


I’m not talking about community outreach, which I know they do plenty of. I’m talking about the courtesy they give to New Yorkers that are rushing to watch the game. Let’s be real: the trains have been running like garbage lately. It is harder than ever to get to Flushing before first pitch. Likewise, it’s also hard for the fans watching at home. If you work a 9-5, it’s probably actually a 9-5:30. By the time you navigate your way home, scream into the void and wait for Seamless to deliver your sandwich which for some reason is sitting in Jackson Heights, it’s already 7:30. With the way Rob Manfred has been running things, the Mets game could already be in the third inning. But not to fret, the Mets have your back. In all of the weekday games that started in the standard 7:00 hour, they haven’t scored a run before the 3rd inning. And that’s not due to ineptitude, as the later innings are filled with runs. They just understand how hard it is to be a New Yorker and want to make sure that we see all of the relevant action. That’s something we could all appreciate.


The guys that you think are bad actually aren’t. And vice versa.


Looking at the opening day lineup, fans scoffed at the likes of Brett Baty, Harrison Bader, Starling Marte, Tyrone Taylor and Francisco Alvarez. And I get it. Baty has felt like a failed prospect with a bad glove since day one. I hate to tell you, but in 17 games, Baty has yet to commit a fielding error, is batting .305 and has been incredibly clutch more than once. Anybody that tells you that Harrison Bader is washed probably also cites his source as “Trust me, bro”. His defense has been spectacular, including Tuesday night’s sliding ice cream cone catch that doesn’t even sound possible on paper. And also, he’s batting .294 with 3 stolen bags. For the first time in his Mets tenure, Starling Marte isn’t broken and it shows. Tyrone Taylor is batting over .300 and he is not the former Jets QB. Francisco Alvarez is the same as last year, but he stole a base. His hustle is unlike any Mets catcher I’ve ever seen. These guys simply aren’t bad. But because they’re not murderer’s row and the home run apple has been less than active, people are quick to assume that the season’s already over. Well, if Lindor keeps swinging a pool noodle and Nimmo keeps swinging for the fences, it’ll be an uphill battle.


Their bullpen is elite. Probably more elite than ever.


This plays into my first point of saving the best of the game for the end. The starting rotation leaves a lot to be desired. But if the starter can muster 5 innings, the bullpen can take care of the rest. Only 2 of their 8 losses have come from relievers. As of Wednesday morning, their top 6 relief pitchers are 5-0 with a 1.21 ERA and a 10.63 K/9 average. The trumpets are playing nightly and Edwin Diaz didn’t miss a beat after being out all of last season. This is not something Mets fans are used to. People used to leave in droves after the starting pitcher was pulled, knowing that the bullpen would blow it. Now it’s the opposite. It’s made for a much more exciting team to watch on both sides of the plate.


Who are the 2024 New York Mets? They’re a lot of things. But most of all, they’re a lean 10-8 and sitting firmly in the middle of a surprisingly milquetoast NL East. They swept their first home series for the first time since last June. This is a team that can surprise us, this is a team that can contend, this is a team that can break our hearts and implode before the first heat wave. Regardless, it will make for an interesting summer in Queens. Their next road trip will prove interesting, as they have a 3 game series against the fallible juggernaut Dodgers and the “will they, won’t they” Giants. If they cant come back home next weekend above .500, they can travel with their heads held high.

Category : Baseball For Dinner