MLB insider surprisingly bullish on Mets postseason potential

The New York Mets seemed to be fading into irrelevancy as the summer began to heat up. The club was largely written off after falling to a 24-35 record in the early days of June.

Conversations surrounding the Mets began to shift toward deconstructing the team ahead of the trade deadline on July 30. 

Then, all of a sudden, the club began to string together wins. First, they got their feet under them with a three-game series sweep against the Washington Nationals. Then, after stumbling a bit, the Mets suddenly caught fire. New York rattled off seven consecutive wins against the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers.

In a matter of seven days, one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball was back in the playoff race.

With such a drastic swing in standing, it’s difficult to project the Mets outlook. Are they just a bad team that had a hot streak? Were they blessed by the McDonald’s purple amorphous blob? Or are they a legitimate playoff contender? 

Jon Heyman believes the Mets are a playoff team

On the “Around the Bases” podcast, MLB insider Jon Heyman reiterated his belief in the Mets as a legitimate playoff team.

“They’re clearly better [than how they’ve played],” Heyman said. “I think they’re better than that still and I think we’ll continue to see them get better. Their lineup is much better right now.”

The Mets hit .314 with 13 home runs during their seven-game win streak, which included a three-game stretch with 32 runs. The streak ended on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, but Heyman’s confidence hasn’t wavered.

“And I’m not backing down from [saying] the Mets are going to make the playoffs,” Heyman said. 

Heyman expressed confidence in the “above average” Mets offense, calling Mark Vientos “a real threat in that lineup” in addition to J.D. Martinez being “a very good hitter.” He also noted that Francisco Lindor has always hit better in the summer and “hasn’t been that good” in the spring throughout his career. 

The Mets’ starting rotation has struggled without ace Kodai Senga. Last season, Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts, making the NL All-Star team and finishing in second place for NL Rookie of the Year. The 31-year-old suffered a capsule strain in his pitching strain during spring training, and setbacks have kept him on the shelf ever since. Senga is set to throw batting practice on Sunday, marking the first step toward his return. 

The Mets rotation is ranked 21st in team ERA (4.43), 27th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.52), and 19th in innings pitched (394). Still, Heyman has faith in the Mets’ rotation. 

“Obviously, they’re missing their ace, Senga,” Heyman said. “But … I think their starting pitching depth is better than most. You know, [Tylor] Megill and [David] Peterson were not in the top five starting this season. Megill was put in there when Senga went down, but those were their sixth and seventh starters and they’re solid major league starters. [Edwin] Diaz is back, which is a big plus. Obviously, they lost [Brooks] Raley. The bullpen is a concern, as it is with most teams at this point, but I think with the rotation being solid, the lineup being good, I’m not backing down from [saying] the Mets are going to make the playoffs.”

The team also lost pitcher Sean Reid-Foley, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday after suffering a right shoulder impingement. 

The Mets entered the weekend with a 36-38 record, placing them ninth in the National League standings. 

The Mets are only one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wildcard spot, but they aren’t alone in their attempt to chase down Arizona. The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals are within one game of the Diamondbacks and hold a slim margin over the Mets.