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Jun 05, 2023

Heart of Mets’ Order At Center Of Offensive Struggles

Posted by Dan Quiñones | Apr 27, 2023 Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY

Posted by Dan Quiñones | Apr 27, 2023

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

After a strong West Coast trip where they went 7-3, the New York Mets have fallen flat in their first two games against the Nationals.

The Mets were shut out Tuesday, and they followed that performance with just one run on Wednesday. The long West Coast trip could possibly be a factor. It also didn't help that the Nationals’ first two starters in this series were once ranked among the best pitching prospects in the game in recent years. Whatever way you look at it, the Mets’ struggles in this series have made the biggest issue with the lineup more apparent.

Last season, Starling Marte and Pete Alonso were All-Stars, and Francisco Lindor was most likely on his way before a finger injury led to a slump. Those three regularly bat 2-3-4 in the lineup, and with all three of them slumping, the Mets have not been able to find other ways to generate offense. The pieces around those three are terrific support pieces, but they don't have the power to generate runs when the middle of the order is slumping. That issue reared its head late in 2022 when the Mets struggled down the stretch.

For Marte, the struggles started in Oakland. After ending a six-game hitting streak the night before against San Diego, he went 2-for-3 to improve his batting average to .295 on the year. Since then, the veteran has hit just .143 with two RBIs and two runs scored over the past nine games.

Lindor has not hit for a high average at any point this season, but he has been extremely productive by drawing 11 walks and has 13 extra-base hits, which is 12th in baseball. His struggles started when the Mets began their series in San Francisco. Lindor has hit just .160 with one RBI and three runs scored in the last six games and has not scored a run in the last four.

"I’m getting my pitches and I’m missing them," Lindor said following the 4-1 loss on Wednesday. "I’ve definitely got to be better. I personally feel like I have to do better."

The struggles from Marte and Lindor were firmly under the spotlight on Wednesday. After Marte drove in the Mets’ lone run in the third inning, the duo came up in clutch spots in each of their next two at-bats. They came up with runners on first and second in the fifth inning trailing by one, and Marte struck out before Lindor grounded out to strand the two runners. In the bottom of the seventh, they came up again trailing by two runs with runners on second and third. They both struck out to again leave the tying runs on base. The Mets never got another chance to get back in the game and dropped their second straight to the last place Nationals.

Alonso's slump has been the most unexpected of the three given how incredibly hot he was at the plate just a week ago. In 15 games between April 5 and April 21, Alonso hit .350 with nine home runs, 21 RBIs and 14 runs scored. He had seven multi-hit games and only went hitless twice. In the four games since, Alonso is 0-16 with six strikeouts.

While the offense certainly has not looked great in this series, there is still plenty of time for the Mets to turn things around. Marte, Lindor and Alonso have proven themselves to be amongst the game's best hitters. Additionally, the Mets also have the added bonus of Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty getting more regular at-bats in the majors. The Mets’ top two prospects certainly add more home run power throughout the lineup that can help the team get through any potential slumps from the big hitters on this roster.

The Mets have relied on the trio to spark the offense since the beginning of last season, and the injury to Marte late in 2022 showed how quickly the wheels can fall off when one of those three is not in the lineup and producing. Fortunately for the Mets, all three are healthy, and they believe in their ability turn things around quickly.

"This is one of those stretches," Lindor said. "We have been a group that has been able to turn the page extremely quick."

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