New York Sportscene Get up to date news about your favorite tri-state sports teams, read interesting interviews and check out our community driven photo gallery.
On June 2, the Mets blew a lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks to fall to a very weak 24-35. The season was looking very bleak, as the common “June swoon” came in May instead. Their fall in the standings was caused by numerous reasons, including their weak offensive production, overused bullpen, and ineffective rotation. Since June 2, the Mets have gone 16-6 to climb back around the .500 mark for the first time since early May. They were one game over .500 after Friday night for the first time in over a month! Now, there are a few different reasons on why the team has changed their record in very quick fashion.
Players-only meeting
After a grueling loss to the L.A Dodgers on May 29th, which was the game where Jorge Lopez threw his glove in the stands, the Mets held a players-only meeting that was led by Francisco Lindor, J.D Martinez, and several other players. The meeting has been very productive for the team, as Martinez’s message was to take it day by day and not to worry about the standings. In the past month, that message has woken up every hitter on the Mets (even Jeff McNeil, who went 3/4 last night), as the Mets have been the best offensive team in baseball during that span! The team has scored 10+ runs 5 times in their last 22 games, and have the 7th most runs per game (4.9). Lindor, Alvarez, Alonso, Martinez, Vientos, Iglesias, and Bader have been catalysts for the team’s offensive explosion. Currently, the Mets have more team runs than the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox, to name a few. The meeting has also spread very positive vibes throughout the organization, as Jose Iglesias sang his song OMG with the players and staff, after the Mets game on Friday night!
The return of Francisco Alvarez
Francisco Alvarez’s impact on the 2024 Mets may shock a lot of people, but it is much bigger than anticipated. Alvarez has been a beast with the bat, hitting .301/.371/.505 (.876 OPS) with 4 HR, 20 RBI, 9 2B, and 12 BB in 31 games. His WAR is also 1.4, which is already higher than his WAR total last season (0.9 in 123 games). In addition, Alvy’s framing is back towards the top of the leaderboards, and he has prevented less stolen bases against the Mets, which was a massive issue during his IL stint. All of these important stats have shown in his record, as the Mets are 17-32 without Alvarez, and 23-9 with him this season.
Grimace
Grimace can’t be left out of the discussion either, as his magic has lifted the Mets heavily. Ever since he threw out the first pitch on June 13, the team has gone 10-4 and haven’t lost a series! This has caused Grimace to become very popular in the eyes of Mets fans, as many believe that the McDonalds mascot is a reason for the Mets’ hot stretch. He’s also become a fixture at Citi Field, as Grimace shirts are being sold, worn, and he went viral during the Mets-Yankees rain delay on Wednesday night!
