The Mets split a series with the Braves this week, dropping the first two games and bouncing back to take the next two games. But then they were outscored 30-4 by the league’s worst offense. A lot of that is at the feet of the pitching and rest assured that meter will bring fresh horrors to your eyes, but the hitters are certainly not blameless either. Where the Pirates put together big innings, the Mets’ woes with runners in scoring position continued. If you want to save yourself the time of reading my little blurbs—and I wouldn’t blame you—this week’s meter can be summarized thusly: Juan Soto is hitting and almost no one else is.
It really is a shame that the Mets are faltering right now in nearly every facet of the game because Juan Soto has had a historic month. In fact, as Gary Cohen pointed out on yesterday’s broadcast, he came within a few points of posting the highest OPS in any single month in Mets history. And it will mostly go unnoticed. But it will not go unnoticed in this meter where there is a second consecutive fireball next to his name for his 235 wRC+ in 27 plate appearances this week. Soto also reached another milestone this week: he went deep twice in Wednesday’s win over the Braves, giving him the most multi-homer games before age 27 of any player in major league history. The only two runs the Mets scored on Monday? A Soto homer. The only run the Mets scored on Friday night? A Soto homer. In addition to being the only Met to go deep more than once this week, Soto leads the team in runs scored (7), RBIs (6), and walks (4). He is basically carrying the offense on his own right now, but unfortunately due to the injuries and regression impacting the pitching staff, it is not enough.
The only other players to earn positive grades this week are Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, mostly for their performances during the Braves series. I guess the fact that two of the Mets’ struggling young players are in the green for a change is a small silver lining here. Baty led the team this week with nine hits, three of which were doubles. He scored a run and drove in three runs. Meanwhile, Mauricio’s home run got the Mets on the board in their desperately needed win on Wednesday and after Soto’s home run put them ahead, Baty came through with a key RBI single as well. Mauricio walked twice, scored two runs, and drove in two runs, posting a 186 wRC+ for the week, which is second only to Soto for the team lead.
But on the “glass half empty” side of the ledger, we have the fact that Mark Vientos has looked utterly lost at the plate since returning from his hamstring injury this week. It stinks to get a poop emoji in your first meter back from injury, but sadly he earned it with a -64 wRC+ in 13 plate appearances. The only time he reached base in those 13 plate appearances was via an infield single on a slow dribbler to the third base side. He also struck out five times. When Vientos was activated from the injured list, Jared Young was sent down to Triple-A. Young had one hit in four plate appearances this week before being sent down.
Vientos is not alone in poop emoji land, though. Not by a long shot. Tyrone Taylor also had just one hit this week—a double—in 14 plate appearances. Francisco Lindor put up a putrid -9 wRC+ in 31 plate appearances this week. He had just four hits, two runs scored, and one RBI this week, which is not what you want from your leadoff hitter.
Pete Alonso had a big game in Thursday’s victory and that represents his main contribution this week. Alonso went 3-for-4 in that game with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Overall, he posted a 98 wRC+ in 28 plate appearances this week. His eight hits are second only to Baty for the team lead, but only two of them were for extra bases and only one of them drove in a run. Alonso scored four runs and unfortunately led the team in strikeouts this week with nine.
Jeff McNeil also had a somewhat mixed week, but he certainly gets points for what was definitely his best catch in his small amount of time as a center fielder in which he robbed Marcell Ozuna of a homer. McNeil put up a 101 wRC+ with the bat in 24 plate appearances. He racked up six hits, two walks, three RBIs, and two runs scored.
Brandon Nimmo has unfortunately cooled off to the tune of an 84 wRC+ in 28 plate appearances this week. He matches Soto’s hit total for the week with seven, but unlike Soto only one of those was an extra base hit. Nimmo scored one run, drove in two runs, and walked once this week.
Starling Marte is in the red for the second straight week with just two singles in 12 plate appearances. He walked twice, drove in one run, and scored one run. Luis Torrens also earns his second straight poor grade with a 71 wRC+ in 17 plate appearances. He had just three hits, but one of those hits was a home run, which makes him the only Met besides Soto and Mauricio to hit a home run this week somehow.
There are two new names on the meter this week. Hayden Senger was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse when Francisco Alvarez was sent down and had one hit in eight plate appearances. Travis Jankowski was also recalled during the roster shuffling this week and has been serving the role that Luisangel Acuña served on the roster prior to being demoted. Jankowski doesn’t have a plate appearance yet, but he has come in games late as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.