The New York Mets are Looking Amazin’

The New York Mets are off to their best start and they’re just getting started. New York has been red-hot since the season began.

Surprise, surprise, everyone! The New York Mets are red hot, and they’re just getting started. New York currently owns the best record for the entire league. Nobody predicted the Mets to be this good early on, but here they are. You got to give them credit where it’s due. New York is looking hungry early on, especially after last year’s NLCS fallout to the Los Angeles Dodgers. A big reason for their early success? Their ability to win a lot of games at home. New York hasn’t started off well in their first ten home games in a while. The last time they had their best beginning ten-game home stand dates back to 2015. They started off undefeated by 10-0 and we all know what happened that season. The Mets are currently 12-1 at home. The question is now, how long can New York continue to maintain this success? It’s still early but things look promising.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

Another big reason behind New York’s success? Their starting pitching. Many people did not expect the Mets rotation to be this good early in the season. So far, they have proved a lot of doubters wrong at this point. Credit goes to Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns for putting up a solid rotation. Despite losing key players, he was still able to find pitchers to fill in their roles and dominate. You also have to give credit to pitcher coach Jeremy Hefner for turning pitchers with untapped potential into dominant ones.

As a result of their early dominance, the team currently ranks first in the entire league with a lower ERA of 2.34. That number says it all: this pitching staff isn’t just holding it down; they’re setting the tone every single night. What’s even more impressive is how it’s been a full team effort. Most of the starting pitchers have been giving the team some good quality starts. Starting pitchers like Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, Griffin Canning, and Clay Holmes have all done a fantastic job giving the team some decent starts. You just got to hope that the starting rotation stays healthy if they hope to continue the success. Staying healthy is going to be the key for New York if they want to continue this trend.

It doesn’t end there. The bullpen has also been playing a big part in the Mets recent success. They’ve done a fantastic job locking things down after the starters exit. Sporting a sparkling 2.35 ERA, the relief corps has allowed just 28 runs over 95 2/3 innings while surrendering only five home runs. Key contributors like RPs Reed Garrett, Max Kranick, A.J. Minter, and Huascar Brazobán have been lights out, combining for shut-down performances across multiple appearances. Their effectiveness has helped stabilize the team while starters work through early season inconsistencies. With the bullpen keeping games tight and protecting leads, the Mets have positioned themselves as serious contenders in the NL East.

Polar Bear Pete

It was a stressful offseason for the Mets, even after locking up OF Juan Soto to a mega deal. A big part of that tension revolved around the contract situation with fan-favorite 1B Pete Alonso. For a while, there were real fears that Alonso might walk in free agency, and the idea of him wearing another uniform felt unthinkable to Mets fans. But in the end, New York made sure their star slugger stayed home, re-signing him to a deal that brought a massive sigh of relief across the fanbase. Losing Alonso would’ve been a tough pill to swallow — his presence, leadership, and power bat are simply too important to let go. Even better, Alonso did not let his offseason drama keep him from a good season as he has shown up early thus far.

So far, the 30-year-old superstar has not disappointed to start the season. The Polar Bear has come out swinging this season, delivering big-time hits and setting the tone in the heart of the lineup. Through the first couple of weeks, Alonso is slashing .341/.440/.681 and leads the team in hits, home runs, and RBI. There’s also something else to like about a guy like a Alonso and that is being more disciplined at the plate. He hasn’t been chasing pitches as often as we seen in the past couple of seasons. With that being said, he has been a fun player to watch at the moment. Additionally, if he keeps it up like this, this season can arguably be better than his 2019 season, in which he broke a record for the most home runs by a rookie. The previous record was held by OF Aaron Judge, who sat at 52.

Alonso’s hot start isn’t just helping his own stat line — it’s also making life a lot easier for the rest of the lineup. With pitchers forced to pitch carefully around him, guys like Juan Soto and OF Starling Marte have been getting better pitches to hit.