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Happy Monday, and what a time to be a Mets fan! No team in the MLB has been more dominant than the New York Mets have since the All-Star break, and what fun, wild ride it’s been thus far.
(Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Heading into last weekend, the big question was: who would be sitting atop the NL East come Monday morning? The division leading New York Mets were going up against the defending World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves. The Mets had a 3.5 game division lead to protect as the Braves marched in Citi Field, looking to make a statement.
Despite a four game split between the two teams in early May, and the Mets taking 2 out of 3 against the Braves in Atlanta in July, many had wondered whether or not the Mets division lead was a result of the Braves early season struggles. People doubted, because, why not? It’s the LolMets after all, right? Surely they’d find a way to screw this up.
Sorry, haters and naysayers, but this isn’t the same Wilpon-led, incompetent Mets team that we all once knew. If you haven’t recognized yet, I think it’s about time you hop on the bandwagon and say it with me - the Mets are a very good baseball team.
The Mets took 4 out of the 5 games they played against the Braves, including a double header sweep on Saturday. The Mets offense battered the Braves in each other their 4 wins, but we’re here mainly to talk about the dominance of Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.
In his last 15 games, Lindor carries a batting average of .429, with a .500 OBP and .679 slugging. He’s hit 3 home runs and racked up 11 RBIs in that time span. We are finally seeing the elite Lindor that Mets fans have been promised since he was traded to New York from Cleveland. Lindor is finally embracing the bright lights of New York City.
In Pete Alonso’s last 15 games, his batting average is .393, with a .485 OBP, and .768 slugging. Alonso has always been known for his power, and that’s been on full display with 5 home runs and 17 RBIs.
No one is seeing the ball better than Lindor and Alonso at this point in time, and perhaps there is no better 3-4 punch in the MLB right now than these two.
To no one’s surprise, Jacob deGrom has been absolutely dominant in his first two starts back from injury, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning against Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, tacking on 12 strikeouts, and only giving up two runs before being taken out after 76 pitches.
deGrom also set a Major League record Sunday, when he threw his 1,521st strikeout, the most by any pitcher ever in their first 200 games.
Max Scherzer has quieted the naysayers, who tagged the pitcher as “washed” and “past his prime” when he signed with the Mets as a free-agent. Do you think those same people expected Scherzer to post a 1.68 ERA, throw 120 strikeouts, put up a 8-2 record and 0.90 WHIP over 95.2 innings pitched? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
And now we come full circle, as Edwin Diaz has completely revived his career this season in New York. After being the best relief pitcher in the MLB with the Seattle Mariners in 2018, Diaz had an abysmal first three seasons in a Mets uniform after being traded. But that’s all in the past now, as Edwin has very quickly become a beloved Met here in 2022. Diaz had to find out the hard way; win in New York, and you’re a legend forever. Lose in New York, and they’ll never let you forget it.
Diaz has a 1.39 ERA over 45.1 innings pitched, posting 26 saves thus far. Diaz is, without a doubt, the best closer in the MLB this season, and that showed on Saturday when Diaz came in and threw a clutch 6-out save in a 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.
The red-hot Mets begin a 3-game set against the Cincinnati Reds tonight at home, as they’ve closed the gap and tied the cross-town rival New York Yankees for the second best record in the MLB at 70-39, and are now 6.5 games ahead of the Braves in the NL East.
This 2022 New York Mets team are on pace to post the best record this team has had since the 108-win World Series Champion 1986 Mets. Will there be October magic in Queens in 2022? Sound the trumpets!