SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
And on this Thursday off day, the chili-hot New York Mets get a rest as they continue to roll like no other Major League team. But it hasn’t always been this way in a season they have turned around,
It was early in May and these Mets were on a rollercoaster ride. They went up, but they went down much more. There was no consistently, nothing was working, and the post-season wasn’t in their plans. They were a mess.
They were 11 games under .500, they were 12 ½ behind the first place Atlanta Braves, they were even in danger of contenting with the Miami Marlin for last place in the National League East, and it looked to be a two-way race between Atlanta and the Philadelphia Phillies. Worse, the Washington Nationals were confident of joining the two.
Second-year manager Mickey Callaway, who had previously been the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians, wasn’t giving up, always being optimistic, never pointing to any of his players contributing to the dismal start.
“I honestly feel we are better than we currently are,” he said. “We have some young players whom we feel are capable of all-star status, some veterans we can count on, and our pitching figures to get better.”
It was almost like this every time he addressed the media in the post-game interviews. The New York media was on his side, hoping his words would light the fuse, and things would fall into place. But it also wrote of the mess the team had created.
Suddenly, they began to improve on the strength of the young trio of Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso. Conforto had the experience, MeNeil dropped in last year and proved he had Major League talent, and Alonso was a rookie who led the minor leagues in hitting two-straight years before the Mets saw what he could do in spring training and included him on their roster.
Conforto is now only 26, McNeil 27, and Alonso 25. The veterans are infielders Todd Frazier and Robinson Cano, catcher Wilson Ramos, Golden Glove centerfielder Juan Lagares, and the starting pitchers, Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz, were expected to be one of the finest starting staff in the majors.
Now flash forward, give or take a day, the Mets began their surge midway through July, and their run as been more like a sprint.
Right now they are the hottest team in the Major League. First they began to consistently pound the long ball, second, they were now driving in runs with runners aboard. Third, they were taking better pitches, coaxing walks, and fourth, deGrom, Syndergaard, Wheeler and Matz were in control on the mound, looking like they had finally put it all together, especially since the trade talks went by and not a Met was lost.
Either right-handers Syndergaard or Wheeler were expected to be wearing a different uniform, but it was apparent they both took deep breaths. Neither one wanted to leave the Mets and Calloway was all smiles when he learned the two were not going anywhere.
There was a 7-game win streak that ended. But they shrugged it off and continued their surge, winning 12 of their last 13 and going 19-5 since the All-Star break. They are three games over .500 and only a half game from the second wild card spot. It wasn’t long ago that they were behind eight teams for this post-season position, now there are only three ahead of them.
And newcomer J.D. Davis has been a large part of it. He’s only 26, plays left field and third base and his defense and strong arm have been enlightening. He now has clouted a dozen home runs, has driven in 35, and is batting .296.
Alonso has homered 37 times and is close to setting rookie records after already overtaking former Met Daryl Strawberry. He has batted in 38 runs.
He and McNeil were chosen for the All-Star team and Alonso made headlines when won the Home Run Derby and his prize was a check for one million dollars of which he contributed 10 percent to charities he selected.
McNeil just came out of nowhere to put it mildly. He arrived in July of las season and just keep hitting the ball to all fields, and became a keeper. He now leads the National League with a .339 batting average. He has hit 15 home runs and has 52 RBI. He is equally adept at playing second base, third base and the outfield. He has a strong arm, runs the bases well, and makes plays like he’s been around for years.
Conforto is in fourth season, has blasted 25 home runs, has knocked in 54 runs, and is currently playing like the early college draft pick of the Mets. His defense in the outfield has been a big surprise, and he’s played right, left and centerfield.
Frazier, now 33, has really come together after a rough start. He has been super at third base and has hit 14 home runs and driven in 46. Cano, 33, who hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, was hitting the ball better than anytime this season, but is now on the disabled list with a torn hamstring.
Ramos, 30, has been a huge addition behind home plate and has hit 11 long-balls into the stands, while also coming up with key hits.
The fanatic fans have been coming out in droves to Citi Field, and a tunnout of 29,645 really rocked the place in the second game of a doubleheader against Miami. After winning game one 6-2, they came to bat in the seventh inning of the second game trailing 4-2.
First Davis led off by hitting a solo shot way back into the stands in centerfield. Then, three batters later, Conforto hit one seven rows into the second deck and the crowd went wild. Now 4-4, up came Alonso, and on a 3-2 pitch, found the stands in left field with a line drive home run, and the Mets held on to the 5-4 lead behind two outstanding innings pitched by Seth Lugo.
And they swept the Marlins in four games. Friday night, the newly acquired Long Island right-hander Marcus Stroman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, and will take the mound against Washington. He is ecstatic to be playing for the Mets, is only 28, and is fired-up for this appearance.
Says Alomso: “The people are giving us great support, and I love it. We want to put on a show and win for them, want to do something special.”
McNeil and the Yankees’ American League batting leader D.J. Lemahiev, could become only the fourth battings champions from the New York teams, with both in front right now. The last time was 1942 when Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit .356, and Ernie Lombardo led the National League at .330 while with the then-Boston Braves.
Says Alonso’s head coach Dennis Brown when he played for Plant High School in Florida: “Peter is amazing, the best hitter I’ve seen in high school. He has great power to all fields, a great eye at the plate, and he could probably hit like 58 home runs on season.”
Headlines during this amazing run:
Mets get back to .500 after deGrom does it all.
Red-hot Mets go over .500 on Alonso’s 35th home run.
Davis’ 4-story blast the catalyst for hot Mets.
Stroman’s debut supercharged by battery mate Ramos, who drove in six runs.
Stroman takes matters into his own (bare) hands. Callaway: “Best play I’ve ever seen a pitcher make.”
Yes, it has been a run more like a sprint.
