Injury Notes: Winker, Lindor, Phillies, Brewers

How is it that the ‘bench mob’ was able to have the Mets solidly in first place the entire first half, even while playing against top of the heap teams?

Yes, deGrom was 20% of that equation. But the hitters were also scoring runs, too. I didn’t think it would be true, but the tacky substance ban seems to have wiped out this staff, outside of Stroman.
-Everybody in their common sense mind knew that Walker was going to hit a wall after pitching so little the past three years.
-Carrasco, missing half the year, shouldn’t have been counted on for anything.
-Stroman is a very good #3.
-WAY too many games were sacrificed with starting pitchers like Eickhoff, bullpen games, Peterson (when he was obviously out of whack), Lucchesi was only decent when he had his glue in his glove and so on.
-Syndergaard should have been assumed to be available for zero innings, and plan accordingly.
-Jake needed to reign in his velocity and pitch to some 96 mph ground balls. He threw ONE curve ball this year. Throwing all those 102 fastballs along with all those sliders worked out well. An ace pitcher is useless sitting on the bench for half the season. Look at Scherzer. That’s a smart pitcher who knows how to get himself through 30 starts.
-The front office has failed horribly to address known team needs as these injuries mounted. The Mets haven’t had an opportunity like this in a LONG time (5-8 games over with every other team under .500) and should have pushed to bolster their roster, not sit back and wait (hope) for players to get healthy.
-The entire training staff, philosophy, application and players’ efforts to get ready really needs to be addressed. Year after year, this team is decimated by non contact, soft tissue injuries.
-Firing the hitting instructor that mentored all our young hitters, driving them to homerun titles (Alonso), looking like batting title contenders (McNeil), experienced career years (Conforto, Smith), improved and adjusted with every at bat (Nimmo, Davis), who actually knew HOW to hit and what goes on in a player’s mind during a long season, replacing him with data assessing, binder toting librarians telling the manager who should and shouldn’t play based on ‘the binder’ who couldn’t get out of A ball? Every single home grown hitter has essentially FAILED under the new ‘thinking’ system of hitting. Whoever decided to replace Chili Davis needs lose his job immediately.

The bottom line is that the front office, just like every fan, saw what was happening during the first half. With a few aggressive additions early during the trade period, the Mets could have put BOTH the Phils and Braves into sell mode instead of buy mode. Not adding two starting pitchers and a veteran closer was just incompetent. Carrasco and Syndergaard (IF he ever puts on a jersey) should have bolstered the bullpen instead of counted on to start. We have needed TWO more healthy front line rental starters since day one, knowing Walker’s innings were going to need to be managed and after losing Peterson along with Lucchesi who were only #4 and #5, but were depth. Only adding a forty one year old #5 and a #5 cast off were media moves. Rich Hill and Trevor Williams would have been great pick ups ALONG WITH two other starters. I say this because Stroman, Walker and Megill aren’t going to carry us through any post season series.

McCann has proven terrible in two areas: pitch framing and blocking pitches. I honestly didn’t think we could get worse than Ramos defensively, but he is terrible. His pitch blocking mechanics are non existent with runners on base and his pitch framing is lazy, often just swiping at pitches on corners, IN the strike zone. He doesn’t even give the umpire a look at the pitch. Nido is a better receiver of pitches.

-Without looking up the stats, this team has to be near the bottom in run production against opposing starting pitchers. How can you have 4 days to prepare for a starter and have no idea what he’s throwing? Just what ARE these pitching coaches preparing for the hitters?

-Rojas. If there is a positive, it’s that his players are still giving great effort. But to be honest, they all did that BEFORE he named manager. Yes, you can only put a lineup together with what you have available, but why keep struggling players at the top of the lineup? Lindor and his ego should have been hitting 7th. McNeil should be on the bench. Alonso needs a kick in the ass and told to get aggressive. Conforto and Smith both look better against lefties. Villar and Pillar are the only two hitters who don’t seem to be afraid to swing the bat. Nimmo needs to ambush some pitches and act like a guy capable of 20 homers/40 doubles. McNeil needs to make his career saving adjustment because that big bat wrap around his head and funky stance isn’t benefitting him anymore. He’s never got any pitch barreled up. Pete still can’t touch the up and in strike. So either lay off it or make a stance adjustment to get it. Not being able to hit with runners in scoring position all season long? That’s a thought process that needs to be changed. Somebody has to WANT to be the hero. The only hitter who looks like he wants to drive someone in is Villar. He’s in the lineup every day right now, hit him 4th or 5th. Heck, hit him anywhere in the top 5. Rojas doesn’t seem to understand lineup mechanics at all.
Hot players sit, cold players get more at bats, positive split players sit, pitchers left in too long or pulled with 75/80 pitches when pitching well, using 6 bullpen arms every game, using Diaz in non save situations and Familia when the game is on the line. Not letting relief pitchers go more than one inning following an easy inning but expecting them to be effective three days in a row or after 35 pitch innings. Trevor May is terrible in tight spots and prone to home runs. Lugo is hot or cold. When he’s hot, let him go more than one inning. Drew Smith has been great in covering innings when the team is behind, but not in hold situations. All these reasons are why WE needed a Kimbrel, Rodríguez, Holland type of veteran closer addition.

So much this front office could have done to insure this team’s lead coming into this west coast challenge. I said many times: we just need to play .500 ball in the second half. Instead, we lost series to the Pirates and Marlins and got swept by the Phils and Dodgers. Just terrible.