On a club with the greatest record (28-15) and run differential (69) in the National League, it’s hard to pinpoint a potential vulnerability.
David Stearns, president of baseball operations for the Mets, commended his club on Wednesday for being “pretty balanced.” Additionally, he acknowledged that they could definitely do better in one area.
Stearns told reporters, “I think we can play better defense… that’s an area we can get better.” “I believe our current group of players can play better defense.”
The Mets’ defense has been mediocre at best as of May 14, just over the quarter-mark of the season. Out of 30 teams, they rank 13th with 13 defensive runs saved, and 23rd with -6 outs over average. Their.987 team fielding percentage ranks 12 and their 20 mistakes rank 18.
We’ve had some really impressive defensive performances lately, in my opinion. Stearns continued, “Brandon Nimmo has played a very solid left field.” “We’ve just made some mistakes at times, but I think there are also areas where we have some guys who are good defenders.”
Shortstop Francisco Lindor has been the primary “skilled” offender who has suffered a severe decline. Historically one of the game’s greatest shortstops, Lindor’s -4 defensive runs saved and 1 outs over average this season are his lowest totals to date.
Lindor is on track to make 22 mistakes, which would undoubtedly be the most in his career. When he played for the Cleveland Indians in 2018, he made the most mistakes—14.
It’s not because they didn’t try. By taking grounders both before games and during batting practice, Lindor is continuously improving his defense.
The Mets have also made significant progress in managing the running game.
According to Stearns, “that has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of our defense so far this year.” That speaks highly of our pitching staff overall as well as the three catchers we’ve had up here, all of whom have thrown really effectively. They kept runners near because they prioritized this.
“In some situations, moving a bit more quickly to the plate. All of these has resulted in a club that has excellent running game control.
The Mets now boast the best caught stealing percentage in Major League Baseball (MLB), with 42.4%, up from 20% the previous season, when they were 20th out of 30 clubs. Additionally, they now allow the second-fewest stolen bases in the game, down from the fifth-highest allowed the previous year.
“With our coaching staff in particular, controlling the running game did become a priority,” Stearns stated. Carlos Mendoza, the manager of the Mets, did a fantastic job of making it a top priority for our team during both the summer and spring training. We’re now in a fairly good place there, and the boys have responded.
