OFFENSIVE TO WATCH

BY MIKE RIFKIN

For the second consecutive day, and for the third time in four games the Mets were shutout. They lost 4-0 to the LA Dodgers. If you look at the Dodgers’ pitching staff you could understand if Ohtani or Yamamoto, the two pitchers the Mets will face over the next two games shut them down, but on Monday it was Justin Wrobleski. Wrobleski threw eight innings and gave up two hits, the Mets as a team had three (all singles) and struck out two. Entering Monday the Mets had a team slash line of .236/.305/.353. And in Monday’s lineup had two hitters hitting over .300 (Alvarez and Robert) the next closest is Mark Vientos at .244. This offense has been up and down to start the season, but without Juan Soto the holes in the lineup are glaring. 

The Mets went through a lot of changes in the offseason and felt the need to cutdown on strikeouts and get more athletic. While, they might be better defensively, right now that doesn’t matter if you cannot score runs. Now, you can’t make the playoffs in April, but you can miss the playoffs in April, and the Mets with their payroll cannot miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season. So, how do the Mets get some offense, well how about a shakeup in the lineup. Let’s use some of what Stearns did this offseason to the Mets advantage. 

Francisco Lindor has been dreadful to start the season, how about taking him out of the leadoff spot for now and try to get him a little more confidence. The Mets had four players in Monday’s lineup including Lindor hitting under .200. 

NEW LINEUP (WITHOUT SOTO) : BICHETTE, POLANCO, LINDOR ROBERT, VIENTOS, ALVAREZ, SEMIEN, PHAM/BATY/TAYLOR, BENGE. 

I’m not saying the new lineup would work, but getting shutout in three of four games is absolutely pathetic. With the next two games being against Yamamoto and Ohtani, try and shake things up, because if this isn’t rock bottom, I’d hate to see what actual rock bottom looks like (if the Mets could even hit that).