By Mark Halpern
The New York Mets have had a great rotation to start the season (Please Read Mike Rifken’s recent post on our blogs that covers this), but the Mets lineup has been burning and turning. Usually throughout the first two weeks of the season you see lopsided stats cause some teams take longer to get going. So batting averages usually favor mostly all-stars, and then the rest of the team is everywhere. In the case of the New York Mets every player that has had a chance to start has produced.
Last year the Mets made a massive splash by trading for Francisco Lindor and signing him to a vast 10-year contract. In his first year in New York, we saw a shell of the player he was in Cleveland. He dealt with injuries and other adjustment problems that caused his offensive output to be below subpar. However, this year you can see he is a much different player. He has started very hot, batting .273 with 3HR 7RBI’s and 2SB. His defense last year was the one thing that was constant from when he came to the Mets. This year he seems to have more energy and looks healthier and is starting to look like the player Steve Cohen wanted in New York.
Pete “Polar Bear” Alonso is off to the hottest starts of any Mets player. With Pete either playing first base (which he prefers) or he is the designated hitter, his bat is doing the talking. He currently leads the major leagues with 14RBI’s in the first two weeks. His glove has been impeccable and definitely improved from last year. Anytime the ball hits his bat, you can hear the polar bear growl.
The Mets weren’t playing around in Free Agency and got one of the most coveted outfielders out there in Starling Marte. He has had no problem adjusting to New York Baseball as he has come out hot, batting .270 2HR and 10RBI’s. He is fearless in the outfield and has proved that no ball is uncatchable.
One of the players I was pulling for has come out and has proved that last year’s injury is behind him, and that is Jeff McNeil. Currently, McNeil is batting .344 with 1HR and 4RBI’s. His start is far better than his out-put last year, and I understood the rumors to trade him over the offseason with an entire team, but I am so happy they decided to keep him, and he has been a pleasant surprise. My expectations for him are .285 15HR 65RBI’s would be beautiful. His play in the field, whether it is in the outfield or at second, is doing better than anticipated.
Other players who have been a pleasant surprise to this powerful lineup are.
Mark Canha, who is batting .381 with 3RBI but is currently on Covid protocols and they can’t wait his return.
Brandon Nimmo, whose smile and energy lights up Citi Field, is batting .333 2HR 2RBI, but his key stat is 4BB. I love watching him track pitches as they come in, and when he walks, he sprints to first.
Eduardo Escobar, who has gotten off to a slow start but has been picking it up lately, has 5 doubles on the season and his speed on the base paths has been a significant upgrade for this Mets lineup.
Travis Jankowski has proved that his glove is not the only reason they got him. He has only had 12 at-bats this year but has 5 hits. He runs well on the base paths, and if I were to compare him to a player, he reminds me of Juan Lagares a little, with his determination to take every chance given to him and make the best of it.
I think this Mets lineup is not only scary but is the best lineup in baseball. This Mets lineup is not going to break records but rather shatter them and that’s how the old man sees it.
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