Searching For Answers

By: Mike Rifkin

On Tuesday night, the New York Mets were shut out 10-0 at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. It was the second consecutive shutout the Brewers have had over the Mets. We are six games into the MLB season, and the New York Mets have scored 17 runs in those six games. Fans and media talked all offseason long about the possibility of the Mets needing another bat. Will Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Mark Canha struggle all season? No, I don’t, but Eduardo Escobar’s struggled until September last season and has started the season slowly again. With Brett Baty leaving Syracuse’s game Tuesday with a thumb injury, for right now, Third base is Escobar’s job, but if he continues to struggle, what do the Mets do? Call up Mark Vientos. See what Robin Ventura is up to? Do they play Guillorme there? I don’t know what the plan is, but they need either Escobar to pick it up or one of the catchers and the DH spot need to pick it up. If they don’t and Carlos Correa has a great year for the Twins, people will ask the Mets why they couldn’t work things out with Correa. 

Manager Buck Showalter said after the game that he “has a lot of confidence in the group and that it will work itself out.” Is he right? Yes, this is an overreaction to the season’s first six games, but it’s very telling that something many people thought could be a problem for the Mets has become one so quickly in the season. If the Mets want to go where they want this season, they will need their offense to produce. Last season it was part of their downfall. Will they let it happen again?