The New York Mets have been up and down all season long. With a little more production from struggling guys, this team is likely in the postseason picture already.
Now, they must find a way to fix whatever holes are in the roster. Four guys, in particular, must live up to the numbers they have previously been accustomed to, so let’s look at those three now.
3. Adam Ottavino, RP
Adam Ottavino has not had a season to remember in 2024. Counted on to be a late-inning reliever, Ottavino’s 4.41 ERA has been anything but dependable as the calendar looks to flip to September. His production is a far cry from the 2.62 ERA he has averaged over the past two seasons with the Mets, and the team likely regrets re-signing him this past offseason when that money could have been used elsewhere.
Of course, hindsight is 20/20. Ottavino had been good until this season, but now the Mets will need him quickly to get back to form and figure out whatever is wrong. New York currently sits 3.0 games out of a Wild Card, so they are still in the race, but they can ill-afford not to be able to trust guys in the latter stages of any game.
2. Jose Quintana, SP
After posting a 3.56 ERA in 2023, the Mets were high on Jose Quintana into this season. Unfortunately, he has been nowhere near as efficient, one reason the Mets aren’t way higher in the Wild Card race. On the surface, Quintana’s 4.27 ERA is a little worse than the league average, but his 5.09 FIP suggests he’s been lucky. That makes sense when you remember that Francisco Lindor and Jose Iglesias are two of the better defenders in the league.
Quintana’s BABIP is also well above the league average at .262. With around .300 being the norm, you can expect regression from Quintana. Too many stats indicate that he’s barely holding on, and he will soon get shelled early in a game. In the second half of the season, his walks are up, and his strikeouts are down. He will need to find a way to be efficient if the Mets wish to crack the postseason.
1. Brandon Nimmo, OF
Brandon Nimmo has been an excellent player with the Mets for his entire career. From 2020-23, he slashed .278/.377/.451. Unfortunately, this season has been his worst year in a Mets uniform. This year, he is hitting .231/.342/.405 and lost lead-off spot privileges to Francisco Lindor. The on-base has still been good, and his expected stats suggest an uptick in batting average could be on the way due to different factors.
That would be a welcomed sight for Nimmo, who has always been consistent. The Mets need him to find his former groove and get back in rhythm for the postseason push. When he’s on his game, he’s typically at least 30% better than the league average, and getting back to there now would be a massive jolt of production for a team and further help an offense that’s already top 10 in MLB.
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