Overall Class Grade: B-
Now the explanation… If you just walked in to this movie, 2024: Averting Disaster, you might say, “The Mets are three games over .500. What’d I miss?”
Well, you had the 0-5 start, with a rally in the ninth inning avoiding a winless opening homestand. And then the last homestand the Mets won five games in a row before the inevitable defeat. In between there were gloves thrown in the stands, errors galore, bounced helmets, leads blown, 10 games under in May, a resurgent June, a trip to merry old England, a Sunday Night Baseball ejection of Edwin Diaz, a 10-game suspension for your closer having medicated goo all over his hand, a sweep of the Yankees, a hit single, eight straight series wins or splits, and a lot of good will at Citi Field. Just like Steve Cohen and David Stearns drew it up.
Overall, the first half—that’s baseball math, since a 49-46 mark is actually 59 percent of the season—had more ups and downs than a Marvel movie. Fortunately, this has been more entertaining and less predictable than those movies while playing to the same audience since comic book lit is about as close as we get to culture in modern American society. For anyone offended by the previous sentence, please address all correspondence to: The Ghost of Stan Lee, 69-86 Spiderman Avenue, Forest Hills, NY 24414—that’s not an actual address or a Jamaica zip code; it’s what you get when you combine the retired numbers of Willie, Tom, and Gil.
Oh, and we lost Willie Mays, which made his retired number on the top of the building feel sort of reassuring while the blistering sun bore down on me Saturday on my bucket hatless head (I got there a mere 20 minutes before game time; maybe they should have more on hand—they look cheap enough to make). It was my first game since the passing of one of the greatest to ever play. We’ll miss you, Willie. Though I just missed seeing him play, watching number 24 on the field as a coach when I was a kid was the closest the late 1970s Mets got to the big time.
The Mets retired two numbers this year. Why they retired Doc’s number in chilly April is beyond me. Maybe they knew how bad May would be. Darryl had in June; the Mets at least won for Dwight on his day. While I am pontificating, I am not sure Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, or anyone who didn’t go into Cooperstown as a Met should have his number retired. I felt this way before I fell into the old man classification, too. I also liked the Mets Hall of Fame as a place to stop, instead of shop. I also enjoyed the large baseball cards that long announced the day’s lineup in the rotunda as opposed to yet more video boards announcing the batting order. I want to—as it was at Shea—run my eye down the uniform numbers and position abbreviations and know exactly who is playing at a glance. But if we are going by the numbers, I was at zero going into Saturday’s 7-3 win over Colorado. After going to a bunch of games during the dog days of May (9-19 never felt more like 40-120; more baseball math). I am now 1-5. If the Mets can come back from an 0-5 start, then so can I!
Carlos Mendoza may be a rookie manager, but he does go through pitchers like he is paid a bonus for steps taken toward the mound. They talk about up-down for relievers (pitching in multiple innings), but the real up-down with the Mets this year is getting called up to New York, pitching once or twice, and then getting sent down to Syracuse. Fifty people—that’s 5-0—have already donned a Mets uniforms this year; 31 of them are pitchers. There have been 26 Mets who played their first game for the team this year—that’s an FNG every three games or so. Last year there were 34 such Mets all season. And in 1967, which for years was the measuring stick for players shuffling in and out of Flushing, there were 35.
But if you want meaningless numbers, that’s what grades are for.
The minimums for first half grades are 50 at bats or 15 innings pitched. There were some pitchers who did not qualify for a grade but had interesting stories. It begins with lefty Danny Young, who has pitched 16 times to lead all players without grades; he is one out short of qualifying for this list—and he had many chances to get that one out. Brooks Raley was supposed to be the go-to lefty, but he’s been gone since April and won’t return until ’25 (the last of a three-year deal). Eric Orze deserves mention for pitching once, posting an infinity ERA, and taking a loss. Michael Tonkin pitched five times over two tours with the team and had three decisions (1-2). Tyler Jay persevered to finally make the majors at 30 after being a high draft pick almost a decade ago, but the story may end there with a 7.71 ERA. I liked Joey Lucchesi and his 4-0 mark in 2023, but he pitched once in New York this year and has since been DFAed. The Mets acquired much needed bullpen help from Tampa Bay in July: the soon to be overworked Phil Maton.
Relievers who neither qualify nor are worth discussing: Josh Walker, Yohan Ramirez, Grant Hartwig, Cole Suiser, Ty Adock, Julio Teheran, and Matt Festa. “Hitters” who didn’t make the cut: Ben Gamel, Zack Short, Joe Hudson, and Joey Wendle, who would have gotten an F with just a few more at bats before he was cut by the Mets in May (and then a week later by Atlanta).
First-Half 2022 Report Card
Julio Iglesias A OMG! Just 84 plate appearances, but he has hit, fielded, and swung his way to Citi’s heart: .384/.417/.582.
Francisco Alvarez A- Another high grade despite low playing time, but this is a different team when he plays.
Dedniel Nunez B+ This season is over if he didn’t come to the rescue and perform almost every time he’s been needed.
Jose Butto B+ Why has he pitched 44 innings in the minors? He must throw every pitch in the majors from now on.
Francisco Lindor B+ A true leader. He comes to play and plays well, even if his seasons start with epic slumps.
Mark Vientos B+ He’s convinced me. Only thing keeping him from a higher grade is his 3B play is sketchy.
Sean Manaea B+ He’s been consistent and he might even crack into the A’s (a former employer : ) if he pitched deeper.
Brandon Nimmo B Nimmo is the lifeblood of lineup. He is good in LF. Lotsa strikeouts (97), but it’s the price of .361 OPB.
Luis Severino B He’s been pretty consistent, but I am mostly happy he’s been healthy (knock wood).
J.D. Martinez B His arrival and influence on the Mets is telling. Professional hitter has helped elongate lineup.
Luis Torrens B His arrival at catcher coincided with the Mets suddenly playing well. Good bat, glove, arm, backup.
Pete Alonso B- I waffle constantly whether to sign him long term. Homegrown Mets sluggers are rare, yet…
David Peterson B- The lefty started the year injured and is now 4-0. He’d be 7-0 if he could make it past the fifth.
Jose Quintana C+ He has been very good or very bad. He takes the ball and provides much needed innings.
Edwin Diaz C+ He has been a better than average closer, but his 10-game suspension put the team in a serious bind.
Reed Garrett C+ Mendoza practically pitched his arm off. Garrett’s a gamer who sometimes costs you the game.
Sean Reid-Foley C+ How does he have a 1.66 ERA? Well, I guess he’d better hurry up and get better.
Harrison Bader C His numbers are startlingly similar to Starling’s. He’s settled in at .273/.312/.420, 13 SB.
Starling Marte C When he’s hurt, right field is a mess. Front office is counting days until his deal ends in ’25.
Dwight Smith C This guy has had some tough luck and is one of the longer serving Mets. Speedy recovery, sir.
Tyrone Taylor C- He swings at anything, but he has some big hits—mostly against righties. Good defense.
Christian Scott C- No luck when for the rookie it comes to wins or relief behind him. Feels like the next Tylor Megill.
Tylor Megill D+ So what does that make Megill? Expendable. With all the relief issues, why not the pen?
Jeff McNeil D A truly disappointing performance for someone once considered a core player.
Brett Baty D See above. I had high hopes but now only see him as part of future where Vientos is at 1B.
Adam Ottavino D- If this team is playing like it did in May, every D- here is an F. Adam is mopup now.
Jake Diekman D- I am reluctant to give an F to a guy with 3 saves, a 2-year deal, and is needed desperately.
Adrian Houser D- A complete failure as a starter. Had some luck as a reliever, but not lately.
D.J. Stewart D- He really showed something last year, but only thing keeping him from an F in ’24 is his ability to walk.
Tomas Nido D- Why were the Mets so bad in May? Because he was the regular catcher. Now a Cubs spy.
Omar Narvaez F Couldn’t hit, throw out runners, or catch. Somehow he got a walkoff hit in a rare May win.
Jorge Lopez F His numbers aren’t bad (3.18 ERA, 2 saves), but the team is 27-13 since cutting this loser.
Manager/President
Carlos Mendoza C+ Some months he has deserved an A and some months an F. He is learning on the job and the team follows him.
David Stearns C Big grade jump if he can turn this into a playoff team while revamping the minor leagues.