N.Y. Mets: Fall To Par Then Pray For Rain

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

MEMORIAL DAY REPORT

This past off-season at a winter luncheon Mets COO Jeff Wilpon told reporters he believes the Mets are within a range in which they can effectively compete ... and that he does not believe they must rank among the top payrolls in baseball in order to contend for a championship.

According to Anthony DiComo at MLB.com, Jeff Wilpon said,

"I'd rather look at what we can do in terms of wins and losses.  Being top five in payroll, I don't think that won us a World Series.  So we're set out to make the playoffs and do well deep into the playoffs, and try to win the World Series - not to try and be in the top five in payroll.  If you look at what's coming back or what should be coming back that was hurt last year, that's tantamount to signing some free agents ... "

Very well ... let's eat your oatmeal pragmatism stick with wins and losses.  The latter have been piling up of late, as have the myriad of ways the Mets have gone about them.  Although the season started very promisingly with the team reeling off five straight series victories en route to a club record 11-1 start, they've since gone 15-25 dropping them to par with an 25-25 overall record, and a fourth place standing in the N.L. East.

• The nightcap of Monday's double-header is/was delayed by rain.

If nothing else the Mets did reconfirm the importance of a good start.  I say it all the time: you can't win pennants in April, but you sure can lose them.  Most fans would be apoplectic by now (if not already) were it not for their 11-1 start.  Instead, we're talking about a team just five games out of first place patiently awaiting the returns of Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier to their line-up.

About that ...

It's Memorial Day, the traditional first checkpoint of the season, and to no one's surprise the Mets are already hobbling after the first turn.  Injuries have again become a source of consternation.  Pitchers Anthony Swarzak, AJ Ramos, and position players Travis d'Arnaud, Juan Lagares, Frazier, Cespedes, and now Wilmer Flores, have all felt something either snap, crackle, or pop. 

In the meantime, the team's numbers speak for themselves:  

N.L. East: 4th Place

Record: 25-25 (.500)

Home Record: 12-13

Road Record:  13-12

Run Differential:  -21

Team ERA: 4.18 (10th)

HR Allowed: 60 (3rd)

Strikeouts: 477 (3rd)

Avg. Against: .251 (10th)

WHiP: 1.31 (9th)

Team Average: .240 (9th)

OBP: .316 (10th)

Slugging: .388 (11th)

Home Runs: 52 (11th)

Runs Scored: 206 (12th)

In other words, the Mets presently are an average team bordering on sub-par.  However, from a May 28th perspective the front office considers this being in the mix. 

My friend Sam says the Wilpons are in the business of selling hope.  And I'm like, the 1973 and 2015 teams rock forever, man!  We can do this.  Ya Gotta Believe!  After all, they twice went from being mediocre to making Mets history, right?

#LGM

Wink, wink, Jeff.