August 6th, 2024
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComoThis story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DENVER -- For the Mets, the final third of this season will revolve around the playoff chase. The team has done remarkably well to insert itself into the thick of the National League Wild Card conversation and, with a strong August and September, could even push the Phillies for the NL East crown. But plenty of work on that front remains.
Beyond all the postseason talk are some interesting personal subplots. Such as:
What, if anything, will Kodai Senga and Christian Scott be able to provide?
Senga is almost certainly done for the regular season due to a strained left calf. At most, he could come back for a lone start at the end of the year, but even that feels like a long shot at this point.
What isn’t implausible is the idea that Senga might return for the postseason. His progress over the next six weeks will go a long way toward determining his chances to return in October and, in turn, the Mets’ odds of making a deep run.
As for Scott, whether he’s able to begin throwing this week as scheduled -- and how the sprained UCL in his right elbow responds to a throwing program -- will be instructive in figuring out if he’ll need season-ending surgery. Scott thinks he can avoid it, but that’s far from certain as we stand here in early August.
How will Pete Alonso finish his walk year?
Alonso recently spent time publicly defending a season that, by his standards, has looked a bit pedestrian. The first baseman is sitting on career-worst slugging and OPS marks while setting a pace for 33 home runs and 85 RBIs, which would be the lowest full-season totals of his career. To be clear: Alonso isn’t having what any sort of rational person would call a poor year. It’s just not the type of campaign that’s likely to land him a record-breaking contract.
Of course, if Alonso finishes hot and plays a hero’s role in October, things could look different in a hurry.
By the way, Alonso is sitting on 215 career home runs. His down year means he no longer has a realistic shot at catching David Wright (242) for second place on the Mets’ all-time list this year, though he’ll almost certainly pass Mike Piazza (220) for third. Darryl Strawberry (252) remains uncatchable unless Alonso re-signs in Flushing.
Can Starling Marte still contribute to this team?
Marte, who flew to Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Monday to ramp up his rehab from a bone bruise in his right knee, hasn’t played since June 22. He could wind up appearing in fewer games than he did last year, when he missed the final eight weeks due to groin issues. Marte hasn’t played a full, healthy season since he was a 26-year-old back in 2015.
Whether he can even return this season remains at least somewhat in question, though Marte and team officials are optimistic he’ll be back in August. Of greater issue is the role he’ll play when he returns. Before his injury, Marte was statistically one of the worst defensive right fielders in baseball, and his offensive production -- while improved from last year -- was far from that of his prime seasons.
The Mets recently brought in Jesse Winker, who’s unquestionably had a better season than Marte, while J.D. Martinez is locked in at DH. As such, Marte’s return to health is going to leave manager Carlos Mendoza with some difficult decisions regarding his outfield alignment down the stretch.
Might Brandon Sproat become a late-season option?
Congratulations are in order for the Mets’ fifth-ranked prospect, who earned a quick promotion to Triple-A Syracuse after laying waste to Double-A Binghamton over 11 starts. Barely a year removed from his final pitch at the University of Florida, Sproat has always profiled as the type of talent who could reach the Majors fast. Could he do so quickly enough to help the big club in 2024? It’s probably unrealistic to view Sproat as a rotation savior in October, but how about a late-inning fireballer out of the bullpen, where his 101 mph fastball would offer the Mets an electric new weapon?
Outside of Sproat’s promotion to Triple-A, team officials have given no indications that they’re willing to consider him for a late-season callup. But it’s certainly worth tracking Sproat’s progress over the next month. If he continues to thrive and the Mets remain in the Wild Card mix, keeping him confined to the Minors would be a tough sell.
Can Francisco Lindor win an MVP?
The most compelling individual Mets storyline over the final two months of the season may be Lindor’s pursuit of the NL MVP. It’s a quest that Lindor made significantly more difficult with a poor first six weeks of the season, but that’s nonetheless very much alive here in August. With less than eight weeks left in the regular season, Lindor ranks third among NL position players in fWAR (5.2) and fourth in bWAR (4.7). By most metrics, he’s been the most valuable NL player since around mid-May.
But Shohei Ohtani looms. The NL’s most productive offensive player pretty much wire-to-wire, Ohtani remains as machinelike as anyone in the game today. If Lindor wants to topple him, he’s going to have to accomplish something truly special in the heat of a pennant race.
