Mets have a long way to go in second half

Photo credit: Game Face

Mets ace Johan Santana needs to regain his dominant form in the second half

By Jason Fink

Ravaged by injuries to three of their four tops hitters, 40 percent of their starting rotation and their marquee set-up man, the Mets could be in worse shape at mid-season.

However, there are huge question marks about when the Mets' star players will return and how well they will be able to perform. At six-and-a-half games back in their division, making the playoffs will take near-flawless baseball - something the team has not come close to doing.

Manager

Jerry Manuel's juggling act with the Mets' lineup has the right blend of

improvisation and steadiness at the till, but he must be faulted for the

team's jittery defense and frequent lack of focus. B-First base

Since Carlos Delgado's surgery in May, Daniel Murphy has emerged as the

leader of the replacement platoon. His defense has been surprisingly good, but the 24-year-old (.248 avg/5 HR/26 RBI) gives the impression he's not going to be much more than a deep-count battler in the box. C+

Second base

Luis Castillo has been better than he was last season, when the boos rained down on him nightly at Shea, and except for that one glaring error against the Yankees, he’s been solid defensively. His .285 average and .386 on-base percentage are both good but he’s lost a step on the bases and no longer beats out those slow rollers in the hole. B

Shortstop

The Mets may miss Jose Reyes more than anyone, as he ignites the offense and gives the team a swagger they sorely need. Alex Cora brings grit and professionalism but he’s simply not an everyday player. His .246 average and complete lack of power (0 HR and 12 RBI in 187 AB) makes him one of the most punchless hitters in a punchless lineup. D

Third base

David Wright is having his strangest offensive season. His .325 average, 24 doubles and 20 SB put him on pace for career highs but so does his 87 strikeouts. His meager five HRs continues to baffle (even away from cavernous Citi Field, he has only 2) and he has often looked overmatched by mediocre pitchers. B

Catcher

Even though they traded away Ramon Castro, their best-hitting catcher, Brian Schneider and Omir Santos have been productive, as the Mets lead the league in RBI out of the catching position, with 57. Santos, though his bat has slowed lately, has provided some of the team’s biggest clutch hits. A-

Outfield

It’s hard to overestimate the impact of losing Carlos Beltran, one of the game’s best all-around players. Newcomer Jeff Francoeur isn’t a huge upgrade from Ryan Church, though the Mets believe his ceiling is higher.

Veteran Gary Sheffield has done as much as anyone could have hoped, leading the team with 10 HR and second behind Beltran with a .478 slugging percentage, but the fact that the 40-year-old, signed to be a part-time player, is now the clean-up hitter just shows what deep trouble this lineup is in. C+

Starting pitching

The Mets need ace Johan Santana to regain the brilliance he showed early this season and past history suggests he will. Mike Pelfrey (7-4/4.47 ERA) has shown flashes of being a real No. 2 starter but he’s been inconsistent, susceptible to the big inning. Oliver Perez is, well, Oliver Perez: His 28 walks in 26.2 innings is maddening, especially because he can be so good when he’s on.

Both Livan Hernandez and Fernando Nieve started strong but are now hanging onto their spots by a thread, especially with Jonathan Niese and Nelson Figueroa pitching so well in the minors. B

Relief pitching

This was supposed to be where the most improvement was made and Francisco Rodriguez (22 saves, 1.90 ERA) has been stellar. The disappointment of J.J. Putz’s injury and the regression of Bobby Parnell (2-3/4.37 ERA), who was unhittable early in the season but has unraveled, has forced Manuel to mix and match to come up with a bridge to K-Rod.

Pedro Feliciano (10 ER and 31 SO in 35.2 IP) has been very good but he’s primarily just a lefty specialist. Of course, after last year, this group looks like the Gas House Gang. B

Max Dickstein contributed to this story.

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