The expression is there is no crying in baseball, but if you have watched the New York Mets this season then chances are you probably shed a few tears. The pitching staff that was hyped up to be the “greatest rotation in MLB history” now owns the worst ERA in the league. Â Their bullpen has been terrible, unable to hold on to any leads recently no matter how large. Â The Mets’ bullpen is one of the most used in all of baseball as it is. Injuries have ravaged this line up, but that happens to all teams. Â Surprisingly despite the loss of Yoenis Cespedes, this team has continued to score runs.
Currently, the Mets sit at 16-23, nine games behind division leader’s Washington Nationals. Â They have currently lose seven straight games, including sweeps by the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks, two teams they should have easily swept. Â Down a total of EIGHT players, this team looks defeated. Â Yeah they go out there and play every day, but that vigor that once led them to the World Series just a couple of season ago is gone. Â This team used to live by the motto “next man up” and now it just looks ready to accept its fate of missing the playoffs. Â This seem like pretty ominous predictions so early in the season, but this team does not have much hope to hold onto if it continues this level of play.
While the Mets can easily just blame injuries for the season, but that is only half of the story. Â The players who are healthy simply are just not stepping up. I’m looking at you Matt “Dark Knight” Harvey. Â It has been easy to dump on Harvey this season who just came back from a three day suspension for inappropriate conduct. Â The Mets never officially said what he did, but it appears that he did not show up for a game despite not pitching that day. Â Some have speculated that he was distraught over supermodel Adriana Lima getting back with Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman. Â No matter what the excuse, the guy has not pitched like Matt Harvey who fans fell deeply in love with. Â The same guy who was a beast in the World Series and refused to be taken out in the ninth inning of Game five.
He is coming off major arm surgery, but he has just not been good this season. Â He continues to make small, but positive steps every time he takes the mound. Unfortunately, this is not a time where they can wait and let him develop as Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz still sit on the shelf unable to do anymore than watch. Â Harvey’s ERA is 5.56 and he has issued 22 walks, an issue he has been dealing with all season.
It will be up to the Mets and their manager Terry Collins if they are able to right the ship before it gets out of hand. Â Players will start to come off the disabled list, but this team needs more than that. Â They need to believe that they can do this no matter who is on the field.
