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What can the New York Mets do to get over the .500 hump?
Many people believe adding a starting pitcher will help. I don’t disagree with this notion, but it is fair to say every team is looking for starting pitching.
For me, it is imperative that the Mets get more production out of their offense.
To be more specific, consistent production. Every so often they will put together a few games where they score five or more runs.
All of a sudden, the bats get quiet and we see very few runs cross the plate.
Here are three things that need to happen with the sticks:
David Wright Needs To Get Back To Being David Wright
For the most part, I have given D. Wright a pass as he is traditionally a slow starter.
However, June is here and we are no longer beginning. This is typically where he heats up, so there is still hope.
Currently, Wright is hitting .264 and has struck out 69 times.
The strikeouts wouldn’t bother me as much if he wasn’t putting them together in bunches, two and three at a time.
Wright is a career .306 hitter. If he can make up these 42 points during the rest of the season this lineup will become very potent.
His nine home runs have been a welcome sight along with his 36 RBIs.
However, I would rather him downplay the home run, stay on the ball a little longer and start using the opposite field as he did when he first came in the league.
If you have watched him closely this year, his hot streaks start with a couple of hits to the opposite field.
Before you know it, he starts to pull off the ball again and finds himself on a cold streak.
Luis Castillo Needs To Be Placed On DL or Traded
Don’t mistake me on this point. Luis’ effort has been there and you can tell he is giving it 100% this season. I have appreciated this compared to prior years.
The problem is, the Mets don’t have enough power in their lineup to afford a slap happy, singles hitter that is batting .241.
His current issues with his feet take away his bunting ability, not to mention limit his range on defense. It is admirable watching him try to play through this but the Mets need more than what he can give.
Luis’s ailments also force Jerry Manuel to play Alex Cora extensively. It is obvious that Cora should be a spot starter at best and he is not a permanent option.
The Castillo issue is probably the most difficult one to solve. His large contract, injury history, and age make it difficult to trade him.
To exasperate the issue, the Mets do not have anyone in the minors that is close to being ready to handle the full time job at second.
It will be interesting to see what Omar Minaya does with this. It isn’t like he hasn’t been trying.
Gary Matthews Jr. Is Not an Option
Gary Matthews Jr. has been given more than enough opportunity to prove that he can help this team. Manuel is using him as his fourth outfielder so he has received plenty of at bats.
After 58 at bats, he has an abysmal .190 average and only one RBI.
I didn’t have an issue with Omar picking him up, because the gamble was worth it knowing Carlos Beltran was going to be out for an extended period of time.
However, no one knows when Beltran will return. It is time for the Mets to act as if he will not be coming back. This means finding another option other than GMJ.
Once a crowded section of the Mets roster, the outfield options seem to be scarce. Fernando Martinez is injured again, along with Jason Pridie.
This leaves Jesus Feliciano as the only option in Buffalo. His .388 batting average is awfully appealing at this point. The problem with Jesus is that he isn’t on the 40 man roster.
Don’t be surprised to see Omar make a move for a right-handed bat in the outfield.
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