The Mets won game 27 last night, putting them through roughly 17% of the season. They are 12-16 and currently last in the NL East. The team got off to a miserable start, but are not as bad as their record suggests. After a somewhat unusual April, teams all across MLB have begun to regress towards the mean, and the Mets have started winning games again. Most recently the Mets lost 2/3 to the Phillies, but showed some resiliency against the best team in baseball. Game 2 was a legitimate pitching duel between Jon Niese and Roy Halladay, while last night the Amazins hung in to win by one run in extra innings.
For what it is worth, this team appears to have more "heart/grit/toughness" than years past. I'm not sure if that's due to a new manager who appears to have half a brain cell, the absence of Luis Castillio in the clubhouse, or a byproduct of having fewer automatic outs in the starting lineup. Either way, this team may not have the same kind of high profile talent as the premier teams in the league, but that doesn't mean they can't win ball games. So far, there have been a few key factors which have greatly affected the Met's chances to win on any given night. Let's go through them.
#1: Daniel Murphy. Murph has always proven himself to be a capable hitter. He may not be the most graceful or talented defensive Major Leaguer, but he hits the ball well and often when it counts. I think Murphy's presence is underrated and his absence last year hurt the team significantly. As long as Murphy's defense isn't costing the team more runs than his offense produces, and so far it hasn't, young Daniel will remain a big part of the Met offense.
#2: Mike Pelfrey. Big Pelf is off to his worst start since joining the rotation. Personally, I think he is putting way too much pressure on himself to be the "Ace", and it's affecting his pitch execution. Right now the team does not need him to be an Ace, only to be himself. The rest of the rotation has performed adequately, keeping the team in each ballgame, if not providing a chance to win. Pelfrey only needs to do the same; provide length, keep the team in the game and let the offense do the rest. I'm not sure if a trip to the minors would help Pelfrey catch his breath and return to form, but if he were to leave the rotation, I feel that Dillion Gee would provide the kind of consistent reliable effort that the team needs in his stead.
#3: Beato to Isringhausen to Rodriguez. For the first time in a long time, the Mets bullpen seems to have solidified a formula to close games, and so far it has proven successful. If the Mets can keep using this formula it will mean that their starting rotation will be providing the necessary length to keep the bullpen healthy as well as consistently putting the best pitching out against opponents late in games. These two factors are essential for the team to be competitive this season.
In summary, I feel that this team has above average offense and infield defense, and that their rotation can generally provide an opportunity to win every single night. Bearing in mind the three points outlined above, the Mets should be able to manhandle lesser teams while giving the elite competition in the league a bit of a fight. Moreover, I finally see this team developing an identity and moving towards a model of sustainable success. With a GM that has a vision for the future, rather than constantly shopping for the final "puzzle piece", we could see postseason baseball return to Flushing in the coming years.
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