QUEENS, NY — What was supposed to be the headlining aspect of the 2025 New York Mets has not necessarily arrived, just yet.
For all the power and production that their offense teases on paper, it has been inconsistent over the first nine games of the season. They are averaging just 3.6 runs per game and are batting just .137 (12-for-87) with runners in scoring position.
Yet here they are, fresh off a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays following Sunday’s 2-1 victory, sitting at 6-3.
“We just found a way to win… It’s not always going to be pretty,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “You’re not always going to have your best stuff, but just finding a way to grind it out and win ballgames, that’s what I’m most proud of over this three-game set.”
That is what it always boils down to, at the end of the day. The standings do not reflect how attractive the wins are, just the amount — and these standings are far more appealing for the Mets this time around compared to last year when they started 0-5.
“Man, this team is just pesky and determined,” reliever AJ Minter, who spent nearly a decade with the NL East-rival Atlanta Braves, said. “They never give up. They’re resilient.”
Most of the credit belongs to the pitching staff, who continued their strong start to the new year by holding the Blue Jays to just three runs across three games. The bullpen has been superb, allowing just five earned runs across 35 innings of work this season — a slim 1.29 ERA.
On Sunday, Max Kranick, Reed Garrett, Minter, and Edwin Diaz combined for 4.1 scoreless innings in which one hit (and two hit batters by Diaz) was allowed.
“This shows you that we’re a good team and we’ll continue to find ways to get the job done,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s what it’s all about at this level: Finding a way to come through to get the job done. Whether we’re not getting the big hit, because we’re creating traffic and we’re getting guys on base. If we continue to do that, we’re going to be in a good place.
“But now, the pitching, especially the bullpen, has been huge for us, and that’s what it’s going to take. They’re not going to be perfect back there. Then there’s going to be times where the offense will pick those guys up. There’s going to be stretches where the starters are going to go deep in games and that’s how it goes. It’s good that we’re getting the victories now.”
Given the track record of the lineup on paper, this early-season lull should not last forever. While Pete Alonso is currently carrying the offense with 11 RBI — 30% of the scoring — the Mets as a team are batting just .197 (third-worst in MLB) with a .637 OPS (eighth-worst).
“This is a really tough league to hit at,” Alonso said. “There’s guys doing a great job of staying in counts, and taking good swings and taking good pitches. When you say results, it’s like ‘Oh, getting on base or getting a hit.’ But the one thing that gets overlooked a lot is guys working counts, fouling off tough pitches. Even though they may not be walking or getting on base, they’re still putting up seven, eight-pitch at-bats. Having that wear and tear on opposing pitching staffs is an important attribute to have, and that’s been a huge key to our success: Having a lot of great team at-bats. I’m really proud of everybody, how everyone’s fought and really performed. Any time is important to get wins, so it’s a nice start for us.”
