Normally this would not be an ideal time for the All-Star break. The Mets are playing their best baseball of the season and building the kind of confidence and chemistry that has been difficult to maintain.
But perhaps it’s the perfect time for the Mets to rest and reflect and convince themselves their recent streak of good play is more of a stepping stone than a mirage before opening the second half with a 10-game road trip.
A 9-1 victory at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon capped a three-game sweep of the Marlins and gave the Mets an 8-2 homestand that moved them ahead of Miami into third place in the NL East.
“It’s exciting, we’re playing good baseball,” second baseman Daniel Murphy said. “It’s nice to go into the break with your feathers up a little bit.”
An objective eye has to like the look of the Mets (45-50) these days. Manager Terry Collins likes saying his team always will “compete.” Now it’s starting to believe it can win.
“If we continue to play like this, September is going to be a fun month,” Collins said.
Look, the Mets are still a long shot to challenge for a division title. But for now the baby steps are important, especially after starting the season without their ace, Matt Harvey, and closer, Bobby Parnell, both out with arm injuries.
Here are reasons to be bullish on the Mets.
- Jenrry Mejia is warming to his role as the closer. After beginning the season resisting being moved from the starting rotation, Mejia has developed some swagger as the closer, posting 10 saves since May 17. After Jose Valverde and Kyle Farnsworth failed to lock down the job, Mejia has been a pleasant surprise, giving the Mets someone they feel confident can get the job done.
Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler have proven two strong young options on the mound.Getty Images - Curtis Granderson has found a home in the leadoff spot, offering instant energy and power at the top of the lineup. After slumping early when he was hitting just .129 with one home run after 24 games, Granderson enters the break batting .237 after three hits and an RBI on Sunday.
- Lucas Duda has made trading Ike Davis look like the right move. The Mets first baseman is tied with Granderson for the team lead in home runs with 14, but also is hitting the ball the opposite way. It has prevented teams from using the shift on him, opening more holes in the power alleys. He doubled to left-center in the second inning Sunday and scored the Mets’ first run on a sacrifice fly.
- Zack Wheeler is starting to mature. The starting rotation as a whole has held its own, including a solid outing Sunday by Jacob deGrom, who allowed one run over seven innings. But Wheeler’s development is crucial and his last three starts have been promising. He has allowed just three earned runs over his last 19 ¹/₃ innings, which should put to rest any notion of trading him for more offense.
- Center fielder Juan Lagares and catcher Travis d’Arnaud have rebounded from tough starts. Lagares missed half of April with a pulled hamstring and missed most of June with an intercostal muscle strain. But when healthy, he has batted .293, including two hits Sunday, and has played a terrific center field. The Mets sent d’Arnaud to Las Vegas on June 7 when he was batting .180. But since returning on June 24, he has hit .278 and looks far more comfortable.
- The stars are starting to play like stars. David Wright is waking up. The team captain is finally getting hot, hitting safely in 17 of his last 19 games, including a pair of doubles on Sunday, while Murphy, the Mets’ rep in the All-Star Game, has the third most hits in the NL with 113.
“You’ve got to believe in yourself, you’ve got to believe in the process and you can’t back off,” Collins said. “These guys haven’t backed off. If we play fundamental baseball, we’ll get back in the hunt.”
The Mets are starting to believe.