Soto is raking, but these other Mets hitters need to step up

The Mets’ issues through the first two-plus months of the season are myriad. After all, you don’t end up 14 1/2 games back in your division and six games out of a Wild Card spot because of a single flaw.

The defense has been admittedly “sloppy”. The club ranks 21st with a minus-4 fielding run value. The baserunning has been almost just as bad with a minus-3 run value, which is tied for 26th in MLB.

But, oh, that offense. The Mets have the least valuable offense in MLB according to the run value metric -- and it’s not particularly close. Their minus-45 batting run value is a ways behind the second-to-last Padres, who are at minus-29. The Mets rank 23rd in runs scored per game (4.05) and 29th in OPS (.652).

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And just imagine where New York would be without Juan Soto. All of the headlines about how the team has underachieved have drawn attention away from how Soto is having yet another terrific year.

The 27-year-old superstar is tied with Shohei Ohtani for the National League lead in wRC+ (161). No other qualified Mets hitter has a wRC+ above 102. Soto’s 13 homers are nearly twice as many as any other player on the roster (Mark Vientos has seven dingers). Soto has compiled 1.7 FanGraphs WAR; the rest of the Mets’ qualified position-player group has 1.0 fWAR combined.

Now, it hasn’t exactly been a one-man show of late. After a frigid start to his MLB career, rookie outfielder Carson Benge has been one of the better hitters in the NL. He’s put together a .300/.368/.458 slash line with four homers and four steals over his past 31 games. That included his first multihomer game as a big leaguer during Tuesday’s loss to Seattle.

But it’s imperative that other Mets step up and help their slugging veteran outfielder. Here’s a quick look at the players who need to heat up, sorted into a few categories.

Big-ticket acquisitions
The additions of infielders Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien were integral to the Mets’ offseason overhaul. But so far, that duo has combined for a .599 OPS and a minus-20 batting run value. New York can only hope that Bichette’s four-hit game Wednesday is the beginning of a prolonged hot streak for the two-time American League hits leader.

Stars returning from injury
There might be news coming on this front as soon as today. Jorge Polanco, who has been sidelined since mid-April with left Achilles bursitis, may be activated ahead of tonight’s game against the Padres in San Diego. He’s played in five Minor League games during his rehab assignment, including two games at first base.

Meanwhile, catcher Francisco Alvarez could return at some point within the next week as his recovery from a torn right meniscus continues ahead of schedule.

The Mets will have to wait longer to welcome back Francisco Lindor (left calf strain) and Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disc herniation). No one in this quartet was performing up to expectations at the plate before landing on the injured list, but getting any of them back in the lineup would be an important development.

Veteran holdovers
Polanco’s work at first base down on the farm may lead to less playing time moving forward for Mark Vientos. He has the second-most homers on the team (seven), but he’s mired in a 6-for-41 slump over his past 12 games, owns a 78 wRC+ for the year and has graded out poorly in his first full season at first.

On the other infield corner, Brett Baty isn’t having much more success (81 wRC+ through 207 plate appearances). His playing time is more secure, at least until Lindor returns and ostensibly shifts Bichette back to the hot corner. Baty has seen time in the outfield, but that area looks a little crowded now with the recent inclusion of another highly touted rookie.

Another newcomer
We’ve talked about Benge’s recent surge; the Mets could use something similar from their other “psychopath” in the outfield, fellow rookie A.J. Ewing. The franchise’s No. 1 prospect has slashed .253/.333/.333 through his first 22 games in the Majors. He won’t provide much pop, but his 70-grade speed has been on display plenty, with five steals in eight attempts already.

The Mets don’t need all of these players to start clicking at once. But they are going to need much, much more for those not named Soto or Benge if they want to dig themselves out of the deep hole they have created.