MMO roundtable: Who’s to blame for the Mets’ poor start?

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John Hefti – USA TODAY Sports

I don’t need to go in there, do I? This Mets season has not lived up to our expectations. We expected so much more from this team – so much better. Yeah, there’s still a lot of season left, I know, but things aren’t looking good right now.

So, who is responsible for this bad start?

John Sheridan

Billy EpplerAll signs point to Billy Eppler.

Since taking over the Mets, his plan was to continue recruiting players in their mid to late thirties. The Mets got away with it last year, but the plan implodes this year. Eppler built an incomplete enclosure. This would have been true even if Edwin Daz was healthy. The rotation was too old. They were all broken at different times and regressed. The Vogelbach trade still haunts the Mets as the team continues to search for a squad option. Oh, and Vogelbach was one of many disappointments this year.

There are other issues, including how Buck Showalter handled the team. Seriously, Showalter might be the only person alive who thinks Marte should be second and Francisco Ivarez should have been last for this long. This is just the tip of the iceberg. All told, the Mets have a general manager who couldn’t win in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. They have a manager who led the team to collapse last season and has just one playoff win in 22 years. In the end, we should have expected it.

Patrick Glyn

Buck Showalter I don’t think there’s a wrong answer on this one. You could blame a handful of underperforming position players. You could blame Justin Verlander and/or Max Scherzer for their inconsistent play.

For this reason, I go to see their leader: Buck Showalter. He makes a handful of questionable moves that affect the team in real time every week, from roster building to bullpen use (or lack thereof). All in all, this is probably the worst way this season could have gone so far. It’s mainly about ten players. But I also think a lot of players will bounce back this year and next year. I’m not sure Buck Showalter’s ways will change, though.

James Villani

The starting pitcher A lot goes into a team’s struggles, and it’s no different with the Mets this year. However, by far the positional group most to blame is the starting pitcher. Scherzer and Verlander were each inconsistent and missed time. Although he periodically has electric tricks, Sengas’ huge gait issues (sixth percentile BB%) kept him from being a solid and consistent option. Finally, New York has exhausted several guys who are not MLB caliber right now – Carrasco (6.31 xERA), Peterson (5.17 xERA), Megill (6.00 xERA) and Lucchesi (6.77 xERA).

There is some hope for Verlander/Scherzer as their analyzes paint a picture of positive regression. However, Senga (if walking problems are not corrected) and points 4 and 5 are still troublesome. Of course, the front office is the one who built this rotation. So they can also shoulder some of the blame. But, it comes down to on-field performance, and right now the Mets aren’t getting that from some who were able to perform at a high level before (notably Peterson and Carrasco). Without forgetting the injury of Jos Quintana.

And Quiones

Pitching StaffI think the most frustrating thing about this team is that the real answer is everyone. When the team hits, they don’t throw. When they throw, they don’t hit. Buck makes too many dodgy moves and almost never gets bailed out by his players when he makes them. There are just too many different things wrong at once.

If I had to pick one specific issue that hurts the team the most, I’d say the performance of the pitching staff. Before the season, the Mets’ rotation had to be one of the best by people in baseball. Injuries were to be expected with age, but all four veterans struggled or suffered injuries while Megill and Peterson were nowhere near repeating last year’s success, it was too much for them to overcome. They’re 1-6 in their last seven games scoring at least seven points, which should be next to impossible.

The attack has shown signs of life lately, and both Verlander and Scherzer regularly show that they are still capable of dominating teams. There’s still more than half a season left, but the Mets pitcher needs to improve and be more consistent if he’s going to make a run.

The Mets are closer to the NL’s worst record (6 games) than a playoff spot (7.5 games).

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) June 24, 2023

John Luke Chaparro

PitchingThe biggest culprit is pitching. We’re beating a dead horse here but it’s clear as day. Eppler’s pitching and lack of competent backup. Even though we blame guys like Marte and Lindor for not producing, they haven’t failed like the pitcher.

Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander have been shaky and inconsistent. Although both have shown signs of improvement, there is still work to be done. Senga is experiencing changes everywhere. Then there’s David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Carlos Carrasco and the cavalcade of relievers who’ve knocked this rotation and bullpen into a crater. Non-competitive starts mixed with multiple implications have sunk this team to new lows.

I can go on and on, but the rest of my colleagues summed it up better than me. Eppler needs to find better arms for the end of the rotation and the bullpen if he wants to salvage the season. I didn’t invest my money in subscriptions to watch guys like Jeff Brigham and Zach Muckenhrin destroy the season.

Matt Mancuso

The starting pitchThe abrupt start to the Mets 2023 campaign can be attributed to many different culprits. All the different aspects of the team disappointed. If I were to point out one specific area, the starting pitch would be the place to improve.

I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, but I think it’s worth repeating that the Mets are paying Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander the highest AAV in Major League history, contracts , that frankly, pitchers haven’t been up to snuff this season. In retrospect, these deals grossly inflated teams’ wages and didn’t move clubs’ win tally much that season. The Megills and Petersons regressions of years past have been ugly to watch; I still have hope for these two pitchers.

Going forward, the state of rotations cannot be worse than it is now. LAW?

Michelle Ioannou

PitchingIt’s still pitching, isn’t it?

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