Welcome to the first 3 Up, 3 Down of the 2024 regular season! I wish I were starting things off on a far more positive note as far as the New York Mets are concerned.
Instead, I don’t think even the most negative of fans/pundits could have predicted just how much of a stinking dumpster fire the opening weekend of the 2024 season would be for the Mets.
It was bad. Period.
There were very few positives as the Mets were swept by the Brewers, who looked mighty impressive in all facets of the game.
For all of the juice generated by the Jeff McNeil–Rhys Hoskins feud, Milwaukee took full advantage as the Mets began the season 0-3 for the first time since 2014.
Man, it wasn’t like expectations were sky-high to begin with but, if this is the Mets team we’re going to get throughout 2024, then it could be a very long year.
Of course, we’re talking about a three-game sample size here, and things could turn around pretty quickly if the Mets can figure some things out. But, in the meantime, let’s dive into the first 3 Up, 3 Down of the regular season…
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
There wasn’t a whole lot of good to take from the first series of 2024. Edwin Díaz being back on the mound in a major league game was one major positive. Five hundred and thirty-seven days since his last outing in the bigs, Díaz made his comeback on Saturday and finally gave those inside Citi Field something to get excited about. After completing his iconic entrance, Díaz got to work and looked good, striking out one and touching 99 mph on his fastball. There wasn’t much to be happy about this weekend for Mets fans, but seeing Díaz throw a meaningful pitch was certainly something to smile about.
We’ve talked a lot about how many things need to break right for the Mets to have even a moderately successful year. One of those things was Starling Marte proving that he’s fully healthy. Well, we’re off to a good start in that department. The outfielder hit a home run in his first at-bat on Opening Day – the Mets’ only hit of the day – and he looked to be playing without any pain or restriction at the plate, in the field, and on the basepaths. Of course, it is just three games, but it was important for Marte to at least look good out there, and he ticked that box.
My X-Factor candidate for this year was Francisco Alvarez. After three games, I’m feeling mighty fine about that pick. The second-year player flashed tantalizing signs of how great he could be at the plate, going a combined 5-for-10 with a homer, a double, one walk and two RBIs. Alvarez showed his power with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second inning on Saturday before impressing with his ability to spray the ball all over the field.
The catcher came up with clutch hits on Saturday and Sunday and did his utmost to get a struggling offense going. Granted, Alvarez made a few off-target throws from behind the plate, but his hot start with the bat should get all the headlines. If this is the version of Alvarez we get all year, then the 22-year-old will have an absolute monster year at the plate. And he should never bat as low as seventh again.
Luis Severino. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Okay, so expectations were low across the board for the Mets heading into 2024 but for those expecting a push for the playoffs, this weekend served as a sobering reality check. Okay, so it is only three games. The Phillies began the 2023 season 0-3 and reached the NLCS. However, that Phillies team was every bit a contender and had the pieces to compete for a World Series. Plenty of question marks hover over this Mets team, and the first impression was far from good.
Milwaukee embarrassed the Mets and outclassed its opponent in every single department all weekend long. It wasn’t particularly close. The Brewers went 8-for-8 in steals and were uber-aggressive on the basepaths. They got good, consistent pitching from their starters and bullpen. The offense came up with clutch hit after clutch hit. There was a lot of stellar defensive play. And they handled the basics and looked good doing it. In many ways, the athletic Brewers team we saw this weekend is the team the Mets strive to become. Based on what we saw over the first three games, they have a hell of a long way to go to get to that point.
The Mets simply couldn’t get anything going offensively on Friday or Sunday. Three of their big hitters, Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil, went a combined 3-for-36 in the series. Yeah, that isn’t going to get the job done. They failed to offer up a response to the whole Rhys Hoskins saga. In other words, the Mets crapped the bed. And, it was embarrassing. Sure, it is just three games, and it would be foolish to get too carried away. However, it was how this team dropped the first three games of the year that should concern everyone. Let’s hope it isn’t a gloomy harbinger of things to come.
Where do we even begin with the starting pitching? We always knew that the rotation would be the biggest weakness of the 2024 Mets. That remained the case even though the rotation ended spring training with the best ERA in baseball. Well, there is a reason you don’t put too much stock into what happens in spring. The starting pitching was not good from start to finish in the opening series of the year. José Quintana struggled, giving up two earned runs on six hits with two walks. Luis Severino imploded, shelled for six runs on 12 hits.
Tylor Megill, the best of a bad bunch, struggled with his control throughout his start on Sunday. The righty allowed two runs on three hits and walked three while hitting a batter. He threw 78 pitches in just four innings. Overall, our early fears about the rotation were realized in just three eye-opening games. If things continue to trend in this direction, then the Mets will struggle to finish above .500 let alone do anything else. After all, you can’t win without good starting pitching.
There was a good reason why Megill only went four innings on Sunday. It was revealed after the game that the righty was going to get an MRI after experiencing tenderness in his shoulder. That isn’t great news obviously, but it could be why Megill struggled greatly with his control on Sunday. In any case, losing Megill for any amount of time will only erode the Mets’ pitching depth further. It will also act as a body blow to a rotation that looked like an absolute car crash throughout the weekend. It has been said many times already that this team will live and die by its starting rotation in 2024, so let’s hope we aren’t in the early stages of having to plan a funeral already.
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