Rarely has a team three games over .500 at the All-Star break generated such good vibes, but that’s clearly the state of the 2024 Mets after they turned their season around with a 27-13 run that now has them in the third NL Wild Card spot.
It was a wild ride that featured many individual ups and downs as well, and sets the stage for the Mets to be buyers at the trade deadline and be in the hunt to the end for a postseason berth.
Here are the first half grades...
DAVID STEARNS
Charged with piecing together a contender without spending big, the Mets’ president of baseball operations did a nice job of signing helpful players on short-term deals, from Luis Severino to Sean Manaea to J.D. Martinez to Harrison Bader, and obviously, Mr. OMG, Jose Iglesias. Of course, Stearns also kept Joey Wendle and Zach Short over Iglesias out of spring training, but at least he moved on from them, as he did with Omar Narvaez.
Likewise, he acted on the pitching side, pulling Adrian Houser from the rotation and promoting Christian Scott, while trying anyone and everyone to fix the bullpen -- most recently trading for Phil Maton and converting Jose Butto into a reliever. Looks like he also hired a good manager in Carlos Mendoza. Now his test will be what other trades he can make to help the leaky pen without giving away too much prospect talent.
GRADE: A
CARLOS MENDOZA
In his first go-round as manager, Mendoza has earned rave reviews for his feel for the game, his ability to develop a team-first culture and make the Mets’ leadership issues of last year a thing of the past, and his willingness to answer tough questions from the media with straight talk. Basically, he looks the part of someone who has the right stuff to manage in New York. Lately, Mendoza has left himself open for second-guessing with some of his pitching moves, but much of that is due to his lack of good options in the bullpen, as well as that organizational decision to pull Scott after 77 pitches.
GRADE: A
BRANDON NIMMO
Nimmo hit into a lot of bad luck early in the season, judging by his hard-hit numbers. But that turned for him around the time the Mets started winning, and he went on a tear that should have landed him in the All-Star Game. Most notably, his team-high 62 RBI are an indication of how well he hit in the clutch. His numbers are spectacular with runners in scoring position -- especially with two outs -- as well as categories that Baseball Reference identifies as high-leverage and late & close.
GRADE: A
FRANCISCO LINDOR
Another slow start looked as if it would be as costly as last year for the Mets, but this year Lindor’s hot June/July helped get his team back into postseason contention -- so his numbers are more meaningful. He doesn’t have the clutch numbers that Nimmo does, but his day-to-day defense has been outstanding as always, enhancing his value.
GRADE: A
MARK VIENTOS
It took Brett Baty failing this season for Vientos to finally get regular at-bats, and he has taken his opportunity and seems to be establishing himself as a cornerstone player for the Mets -- and perhaps one of the top sluggers in baseball. He always had impressive power, as seen with his 12 home runs in 198 plate appearances, but this year he has improved his plate discipline, cutting down on his strikeouts and hitting for a .291 average. He’s worked to improve his defense noticeably at third base as well.
GRADE: A+
FRANCISCO ALVAREZ
Alvarez has put up good numbers, but his real value seems to be in his presence behind the plate. He’s only 22 years old, yet veteran pitchers such as Jose Quintana and Manaea speak of him as if he’s Yadier Molina. The proof is in the team’s record, as the Mets missed him badly while out with a torn thumb ligament -- they’re 31-14 with him, 18-32 without him. And his 142 OPS+ says he’s elite offensively among catchers as well.
GRADE: A+
JOSE IGLESIAS
OMG indeed. Iglesias has not only added to the Mets’ vibe with his hit song that teammates have embraced, but he played like an All-Star both offensively and defensively. With his 4-for-4 day to finish the first half, he’s hitting .380 with a .582 slugging percentage, which would be sixth-highest in MLB if he qualified for official stats. And he’s hitting .500 (10-for-20) with runners in scoring position.
GRADE: A+
J.D. MARTINEZ
He’s filled the DH role pretty much as expected, hitting in the clutch (.975 OPS with runners in scoring position), and Martinez may well have delivered the biggest hit of the first half, with that walk-off HR on June 13 that saved the Mets from losing a series to the Marlins and launched their seven-game winning streak that changed everything.
GRADE: A
PETE ALONSO
He likely only made the All-Star team because MLB wanted him for the Home Run Derby, because he’s not having a year up to his standards, or one as good as Nimmo or Lindor. He did break a home run drought on Sunday to get to 19 for the year, but his OPS is under .800, which would be a first for him -- and he doesn’t have good clutch numbers.
GRADE: B
HARRISON BADER
Bader so far has been a very good offseason signing after inking a one-year, $10.5 million deal. He’s played excellent center field defense, as advertised. And while his offensive numbers are just OK overall, it feels as if he’s had as many big hits as anyone else on the team. Indeed, with two outs and runners in scoring position, Bader is hitting .357.
GRADE: A
JEFF MCNEIL
It’s way more than a slump at this point for McNeil. The former batting champ is hitting .216 with a .591 OPS, coming off his down year in 2023. The Mets thought he’d figured it out a few weeks ago, as he started making better contact, but it didn’t last. McNeil has lost playing time to Iglesias, and may lose more. His infield-outfield versatility still offers some value, and that’s about all that saves him from an F.
GRADE: D-
STARLING MARTE
He got hot with the bat for a while, long enough to have an above-average OPS+ of 114. But Marte never looked quite right defensively in right field, and he’s been out now for nearly a month with a knee injury.
GRADE: C
TYRONE TAYLOR
The numbers aren’t pretty (.228 AVG, .664 OPS) but Taylor has had his moments with some key hits and he’s good defensively, so he has done a solid job as an extra outfielder.
GRADE: C+
LUIS TORRENS
Essentially a gift from the Yankees as a cash transaction, Torrens has been a revelation for the Mets as their backup catcher, getting big hits (.881 OPS) and looking like one of the best catch-and-throw guys in the majors. He’s thrown out eight of 11 base-stealers -- a 73 percent clip that is miles above the league average of 22 percent.
GRADE: A
DJ STEWART
The Mets keep hoping the Stewart from last season shows up, as he gets his share of at-bats against right-handed pitching, but his 2023 is looking like an aberration. Stewart is hitting .173 with a .309 slugging percentage and may be running out of time.
GRADE: D-
LUIS SEVERINO
The Mets got the bounce-back year off his Yankee disaster in 2023 that they were hoping for when they signed Severino early to a one-year, $13 million deal. He’s pitched to a 3.78 ERA but the Mets are probably hoping for a little more consistency in the second half. When he’s on, he’s dominant, as evidenced by his eight starts allowing one or zero runs. But he’s had his share of clunkers, including five starts in which he’s allowed five or more runs.
GRADE: B
SEAN MANAEA
Similar to Severino, the Mets are getting a good return on a one-year, $14.5 million deal (with a player option for 2025) for Manaea. The lefty’s only real downfall at times has been his walks, but he’s figuring it out lately, pitching to a 1.44 ERA over his last four starts, lowering his ERA for the season to 3.46. He’s got dominant stuff, holding opposing hitters to a .214 batting average.
GRADE: B+
JOSE QUINTANA
The veteran lefty has had an up-and-down season that has been a bit disappointing overall. He had a 5.29 ERA in mid-June but then then put together five good starts before giving up four home runs Sunday against the Rockies, leaving him with a 4.13 ERA for the first half. All in all he’s a solid back-end starter, but the Mets were hoping he’d be more than that.
GRADE: C
CHRISTIAN SCOTT
The ceiling is high but how high? And how soon? The rookie has shown dominance at times but he’s also made a bunch of mistake-pitches that have hurt him, as he’s given up seven home runs in eight starts while pitching to a 4.36 ERA. It didn’t help that he was pulled from perhaps his best start last week in Pittsburgh after 77 pitches because the Mets are trying to protect his arm. He should continue to get better.
GRADE: B
DAVID PETERSON
Peterson has been sneaky good this season, with a 126 ERA+ that is well above league average and the best among Mets starters. Walks have gotten him in trouble at times and kept him from going deeper into games, but he’s allowed more than two earned runs in only one of his eight starts, and he’s pitching to a 3.09 ERA.
GRADE: B+
JOSE BUTTO
He was solid as an early-season starter, pitching to a 3.07 ERA in seven starts, but he’s been something of a savior for the bullpen since being called up to be a reliever, pitching 7.2 scoreless innings in four appearances.
GRADE: A–
ADRIAN HOUSER
Houser was pulled from the starting rotation with an 8.55 ERA after seven starts, but he contributed nicely as a reliever for a while, pitching to a sub-2.00 ERA until his last three appearances in which he has allowed seven runs. His time on the roster may be short.
GRADE: C-
EDWIN DIAZ
It’s fair to say that if Diaz were having the dominant season the Mets expected, they’d be several games better, probably ahead of the Atlanta Braves and in the first Wild Card spot. His meltdowns in May sent the Mets into a tailspin, and then his sticky stuff suspension may well have cost them a few more wins. But is he back? He’s got a 4.05 ERA and a below league average ERA+, so it’s a huge question mark going into the second half.
GRADE: D
DEDNIEL NUNEZ
For a guy who wasn’t on the radar going into the season, the 28-year old Nunez has come up from the minors to be a lifesaver for the Mets’ bullpen. He’s pitching to a 2.30 ERA in 30.2 innings, and right now he might be their most dependable late-inning arm.
GRADE: A
REED GARRETT
Garrett came crashing down to earth in recent weeks, perhaps partly because of overuse, and now he’s on the IL with elbow inflammation. But you can’t forget that he was the surprise star of the first couple of months out of the pen. As late as May 19, his ERA was 0.72 before the league seemed to start laying off his splitter.
GRADE: B–
JAKE DIEKMAN
Diekman had his moments, but way too many disastrous outings lately. Walks are the biggest culprit -- 22 in 27.2 innings -- as well as five home runs and a 5.53 ERA. An injury to Brooks Raley put Diekman in position as the primary lefty, which he’s not equipped for.
GRADE: D
ADAM OTTAVINO
The veteran right-hander actually started the season well, but a rough stretch in May and early June sent Ottavino’s ERA skyrocketing to 5.96, to the point where Mendoza stopped using him in high-leverage situations. He finished the first half with a 4.89 ERA and a lot of uncertainty about where he fits in.
GRADE: D
TYLOR MEGILL
You have to wonder if Megill will ever realize the potential for dominance he has flashed at times over the last three seasons, even this year in May when he shut out the Dodgers over seven innings. He’s got that type of stuff, but makes way too many mistake pitches, to the point where the Mets sent him and his 5.08 ERA back to the minors a few weeks ago. Mets should try him as a reliever.
GRADE: D
