Not only is it not an exaggeration to say the New York Mets have played like a below-average team over the last two months, but it’s actually correct. Barely correct, but still correct.
The Mets are only 27-28 since June 1, which on its own is bad enough. That’s despite Juan Soto catching fire as the temperatures rose; the Mets’ $765 million superstar has 16 home runs, 36 RBI and a .963 OPS in 233 plate appearances over that time.
As it stands, the Mets’ 27-28 record ranks 15th leaguewide. By being slightly below average, they’re actually average. We know: Math and stats are weird like that, but that’s part of what makes sports so fun.
You won’t be surprised to see most of the teams that rank above New York in the post-June 1 standings. The Brewers (37-16 over that span) lead the sport in wins, and the Red Sox (35-19) are the AL’s top Wild Card seed. There’s no shame in ranking below those two, nor should the Mets feel bad about having a worse record than the Astros (32-23) or Cubs (29-25).
However, would you believe us if we told you that the Mets have a lower winning percentage than the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates during that same stretch? Unfortunately for Mets fans, the stats don’t lie: The Pirates are 27-27 since June 1, and that .500 winning percentage triumphs the Mets’ .491.
Interestingly, three of the four teams with interim managers — Pittsburgh, Baltimore (.536) and the Angels (.518) — have a higher winning percentage than the Mets since June 1. And, before you ask, the Rockies are 21-33, so at least the Mets are faring better than a team potentially headed for a 110-loss season.
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Does the Mets’ record since June 1 really matter?
As we said earlier, math and stats are fun in sports. There’s a reason why so many conversations regarding the greatest players, coaches and teams are so numbers-focused. Just ask anyone who pays attention to the Baseball Hall of Fame ballots each winter.
The Mets are a middle-of-the-pack team since June 1, and they’re a losing team across a 55-game period. Both of those arguments are indisputable. Then you take a deeper look into the numbers, and you realize that the Mets are actually 27-21 if you remove a seven-game losing streak in the middle of June.
It might not be much consolation after having lost six of seven, but the Mets would still be a playoff team — specifically, the NL’s second Wild Card — if the season ended today. They’re also only 1.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East with seven head-to-head matchups remaining.
So long as the Mets make the postseason, we won’t really need to talk about a 55-game stretch or the Mets’ 12-15 June. Everything changes when the playoffs start, and the Mets know that by now. Besides, there’s likely a portion of the fanbase that’s just grateful we’re talking about playoff games on Aug. 5.