It was a weekend both the Mets and their fans would like to forget as they were swept by the Brewers in their first series of the season. This is something the Mets aren’t used to as they have the best record for any MLB team on Opening Day. In fact, it is the first time since 2014 that the Mets have lost the first three games of the season.
Now, of course, baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. With 162 games you can’t draw major conclusions about the rest of the season after only three games. The 1986 Mets lost three of the first five games of the season and went on to win the World Series. So it’s unfair to make judgments after such a short time frame. However here are a few takeaways for the Mets after this weekend.
The Starting Pitching Is A Problem
Going into the season, the biggest question mark was the starting pitching. Sure, the Mets have some well-known names who have had major league success. Guys like Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, and Sean Manaea. However, recently those three have not found much success at the major league level. The hope was that the Mets could fix whatever problems they had and revitalize their careers.
However in a short sample size, it seems like the struggles will continue for these pitchers. The Mets starters gave up nine earned runs over the first three games. The pitcher who has struggled the most is Severino, who gave up six earned runs over five innings on Saturday. How can you expect to win a game if your starters are constantly putting you in a hole?
Saturday’s game is the perfect example of how most games this season are going to go, where the Mets offense looks good and scores a lot of points. However, the starter is going to give up a bunch of runs early and the team will never going to be able to recover. The Mets scored six runs on Saturday, however since Severino gave up six, and the bullpen gave up a run, they lost 7-6.
Now sure it’s still early in the season, and we haven’t seen guys like Manaea, Adrian Houser, or Kodai Senga pitch yet. However, so far the Mets’ worst nightmare has come true.
The Kids Are Alright
One of the major storylines coming into the season was to see what the young players can do. The Mets have accumulated lots of young talented players over the past few seasons and they are just starting to make the big league club. Now usually when talking about young players, people are referring to minor leaguers Jett Williams, Luisangel Acuna, and Drew Gilbert. However, lost in that mix are former top prospects Fransisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. Both of them have had decent starts to the season.
Fransisco Alvarez
Without question, Alvarez has been the Mets’ best hitter in the young season. In three games the catcher is five for ten with a home run and two RBIs. This season is a big test for Alvarez. Many are expecting him to take a major step forward. For him to be a 30-plus home run guy, as well as getting his average up to around league average, this first weekend is a good sign that these wishes are going to come true.
Brett Baty
To most, this is seen as Baty’s last chance with the Mets. With many young talented infielders in the Mets system, if Baty struggles again, it’s very easy to move on and replace him. However, he’s made the most of his opportunity so far. He’s two for eight with a pinch-hit home run and three RBIs. That home run came in a huge spot with the Mets down 7-2 in the bottom of the 8th. His home run reinvigorated the team and helped them almost tie the game in the ninth. If Baty can build off that success he’ll have a future in Queens.
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