NEW YORK -- The Mets have scored four runs in their last 40 innings. They have lost 10 times in their last 13 games. Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to the Rockies looked similar to many of the others, and the Mets never mounted a comeback against starter Austin Gomber at Citi Field.

“I still believe we have one of the best offensive teams out there,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor, who recorded two of the Mets’ seven hits. “We just haven’t put it together collectively.”

Last year, the Mets ranked fifth in the Majors in runs per game. This year, they sit 18th with largely the same roster. But how can they fix it? Here are some ideas for manager Buck Showalter and GM Billy Eppler to consider:

Shift Starling Marte down the batting order
This isn’t a criticism of Marte, who remains one of the Mets’ most talented hitters and a key piece of their offensive puzzle. It’s just an acknowledgement that right now, Marte is slumping, and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight. His expected slugging percentage and weighted on-base average are both the lowest of his career, in large part because he’s not making hard contact at nearly the rate he’s accustomed to. His average exit velocity sits in the 24th percentile of Major League hitters.

So troubled is Marte that in the third inning Saturday, after the first two Mets hitters reached base, he dropped down his first sacrifice bunt since 2021. Rather than entertain the notion of a big inning, the Mets settled for one run on a Lindor groundout.

Asked specifically about the notion of sliding Marte down the order, Showalter called that move a “challenge” considering its potential unbalancing effect on the lineup. But balance doesn’t matter much if the Mets aren’t scoring. Marte, who recently said he’s no longer bothered by the neck injury that sidelined him multiple times in April, can still serve the Mets lower in the order while he irons out his issues. Once Marte starts hitting with authority again, the Mets can easily slide him back into his familiar No. 2 hole.

Continue giving Brett Baty and Francisco Álvarez as many at-bats as possible
Shifting Marte down would mean shifting Baty even further up the order than his recent promotion to sixth. An ideal top five might have Jeff McNeil batting second and Baty slotting fifth to protect Pete Alonso. That puts two of the Mets’ best left-handed hitters back-to-back up top, which shouldn’t be an issue considering how adept Brandon Nimmo and McNeil are at hitting lefty pitchers.

Simply put, Baty has been the Mets’ best hitter over the past two weeks, batting .342 since April 22 -- no surprise given his prospect pedigree and Minor League track record. It appears sustainable, and it’s something the Mets could use as much of as possible.

“If they put the ball over the plate,” Baty said recently, “I’m going to try to put a good swing on it and hit the ball hard.”

Although Álvarez hasn’t experienced quite the same success, he’s quietly batted .273 over his past 12 games with a 23.5% strikeout rate, lower than he’s produced at any level since he was a teenager in Single-A. It’s a sign of bona fide improvement. Plus, every at-bat that goes to Álvarez is one that doesn’t go to Tomás Nido, who has six hits -- all singles -- in 51 at-bats.

Call up Mark Vientos
He doesn’t have to play every day (though it wouldn’t hurt to give Vientos a few starts against right-handers and see how he fares, considering his .322/.408/.678 slash line against them this season at Triple-A Syracuse). The point here is action.

The Mets’ .677 OPS from their designated hitters ranks 23rd in the Majors. Although primary DH Daniel Vogelbach has posted a strong on-base percentage, he’s hit one home run. Right-handed complements Tommy Pham and Mark Canha haven’t shown much power either. And while the team's No. 8-ranked prospect may not be the answer, either -- he has a long history of requiring an adjustment period at each new level -- there’s little reason not to try it.

Asked about Vientos earlier this weekend, Eppler indicated the team is considering a promotion, but he cautioned there may not be enough playing time available to make the move worthwhile.

That’s a choice, not a requirement, and it doesn’t have to be the case. Sometimes for a struggling club, Showalter acknowledged Saturday, action for the sake of action can be rewarding.

“Certainly,” the manager added, “a lot of things are being considered.”