As “evolutionary” processes go, the Mets aren’t using utensils yet, but at least raw meat is off the menu.
Before the season started, general manager Sandy Alderson refused to call this a rebuilding job, instead using the term “evolutionary process” to describe the challenge at hand. That would mean mixing young with old and hoping to compete while developing new talent.
The Mets will head to July in the best of both worlds: They are alive in the playoff hunt and still have a stable of young talent — headed by pitchers Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia — that can be allowed to develop, without the front office facing outside pressure to thrust such players into the big leagues.
For that, Alderson owes a debt of gratitude to Dillon Gee and Chris Young, both of whom have outperformed projections and given the Mets a solid back end to their rotation.
If the Mets are going to survive through summer’s dog days, it will be on the strength of an evolving rotation. But the goal is to eventually start eating with a fork and knife.
A review of June:
MVP
For the third straight month, David Wright is the choice. He also remains firmly in the National League MVP conversation, entrenched among the leaders in batting average, RBIs and on-base percentage. The key to the offensive attack is finding somebody who can end Wright’s streak of monthly MVP awards, while having Wright continue to play at a high level. Ike Davis is finally heating up and Lucas Duda seems due for a breakout. The Mets need another stick to help carry them.
LVP
Daniel Murphy was hitting .331 on May 18, but watched that number shrink by nearly 60 points over the ensuing six weeks, though he has hit three homers this past week. If Murphy is going to hit into the .270s or .280s, the Mets need to get more power from him. Otherwise, Ronny Cedeno could start seeing more action against lefty pitchers. Murphy’s defense has improved enough that he can be considered an adequate major league second baseman. But his value to the Mets is as somebody who potentially can hit .320 with 10-15 homers, and he isn’t nearly on that pace.
Looking ahead
The schedule gets rough immediately after the All-Star break, so getting victories in this next homestand against the hurting Phillies and awful Cubs will be important.
After the break, the Mets will get thrust back into the fire, with a series in Atlanta before facing Washington six times in nine days. Then comes the longest road trip of the season — 11 games at Arizona, San Francisco and San Diego, starting in late July and spilling into August. The next month should be every bit as challenging as the just-completed stretch of
25 straight games against playoff contenders.
BIGGEST MANAGERIAL DECISION
Jason Bay could return around the All-Star break from his second concussion in three years, again leaving manager Terry Collins with a juggling act in the outfield.
Scott Hairston has played well enough to at least deserve consideration for a platoon in left field, but that likely won’t happen once Bay returns. Kirk Nieuwenhuis has slumped recently, but has proven he is a viable option against right-handed pitchers, and Andres Torres is starting to steal bases, giving the Mets a dimension they have lacked. Collins will have to make sense of it all, with five players for three spots upon Bay’s return.
BIGGEST NEED
As valuable a component as Miguel Batista has been to the Mets staff, using him to pitch the eighth inning in a save situation doesn’t exactly scream “playoff contender.” Simply, the Mets need a quality arm or two to strengthen the bullpen.
GAME OF THE MONTH:
METS 8, CARDINALS 0, June 1
Johan Santana ended the Mets’ no-hitter drought — 8,019 games, since the franchise’s inception — by dominating the Cardinals.
It didn’t come without controversy, as third-base umpire Adrian Johnson ruled that Carlos Beltran’s sixth-inning shot over the bag was foul – replays showed the ball hitting the line. Santana threw 134 pitches for his first career no-no.