This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo's Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
NEW YORK -- The Mets’ first half of the season was nothing if not eventful.
In April, the Mets roared out to one of the best records in baseball, climbing to 10 games over .500 less than a month into the season. They treaded water in May, wondering when Juan Soto might find his footing. Toward the end of that month and into the next one, the Mets caught fire, establishing themselves as a pitching-rich juggernaut. Then the rotation began falling apart, the injured list grew crowded and the Mets ended June on one of the worst losing runs in franchise history.
They entered the All-Star break at 55-42, a half-game out of first place in the NL East, having steadied things a bit in the first half of July. All things considered, it’s a solid spot to be, particularly with the rotation mostly healthy again. But the Mets still have plenty of issues, which they’ll need to address quickly if they hope to meet their preseason goals.
Second-half goal: Win the division
The Mets led the NL East for significant stretches of the first half, but they haven’t been quite as consistent as the Phillies. If they can win the division and avoid a best-of-three Wild Card Series, they’ll put themselves in a better position for a deep October run. Achieving this will require wise Trade Deadline investment and improved play overall, but this group is unquestionably talented enough to do it.
Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Add pitching (and maybe a bat)
The Mets haven’t featured a fully loaded bullpen since left-handers A.J. Minter and Danny Young sustained season-ending injuries in late April. New York could absolutely stand to add a lockdown lefty, and it wouldn’t hurt to tack on some starting pitching following a severe test of its rotation depth in the first half. Offensively, the Mets have been waiting for a team-wide breakout, which hasn’t quite happened. It might be time for them to splurge on an upgrade at DH or in center field. In any event, New York will be buying.
Key player: Sean Manaea
Clearly the Mets’ top starter in 2024, Manaea didn’t throw a pitch this season until the final game of the first half. As soon as he did, he began reminding everyone why he’s such a crucial part of this team. Manaea’s low-slot, crossfire delivery resulted in strikeouts of five of the first seven batters he faced in Kansas City. And while he wound up losing that game, his impact was nonetheless clear. That’s the good news. The bad is that Manaea is pitching with a loose body in his left elbow, which is at least a bit worrisome. He’ll need to prove his durability for a team very much invested (to the tune of $75 million) in his ace upside.
Prospect to watch: Nolan McLean (No. 4)
Unlike basically every other top Mets pitching prospect of recent seasons, McLean hasn’t slowed at all since he reached Triple-A Syracuse. New York officials still want him to improve against left-handed hitters, but that’s more a quibble than anything at this point. McLean’s ability to spin the ball is elite, and his 2.57 ERA with Syracuse suggests he could play a key role in the upcoming pennant race.