2022 Series Poll: New York Mets @ Houston Astros

Quick Notes

The Mets roll into Houston in a much different spot than one would expect from a team that has seen both of its ace pitchers on the IL for a chunk of the season. But this version of the Mets is a far cry from the hapless Mets that have started past seasons with high hopes that seemingly melt under the light of a thousand IL trips.

Not only have they been resilient, the team has absolutely thrived. Sitting at 45-24, the Mets have the best record in the NL and are second only to the Yankees league-wide. Consistency has been the name of the game, as NY has lost only three series all season, and they are yet to be swept. NY’s offense has been one of the top set of bats in the league, slashing a collective .261/.334/.402 so far, and leading the league in hits (609), OBP (.334), and BA (.261). They’re also tied with the Royals for most triples at 16.

The offense is led by Pete Alonso (.277/.357/.542), who is currently in the midst of the best season of his career since his breakout rookie year. As one would expect from your big bopper, Alonso leads the team in most power states, including home runs (19), RBI (64), walks (28), and SLG% (.542). He’s hardly the only Met having a banner year though. Jeff McNeil (.327/.386/..465) and Luis Guillorme (.331/.412/.392) both have OPS’s north of .800 as well.

Speaking of McNeil, he has easily been New York’s hottest player this past week. Slashing .400/.520/.700 in his last 7 games alone, McNeil has been an on-base machine. However, he’s currently listed as day-to-day with a hammy issue, so it’s unclear when exactly the Astros will see him this series. He’s joined by Starling Marte (.286/.400/.429 in past 7 games) and Mark Canha (.200/.455/.400 in past 7) in the “Mets who have had good weeks” category.

As for pitching, there’s not a whole lot for Mets fans to complain about in that department other than injuries. While the pitching staff has been more top ten than top five collectively, it has been more than good enough to keep the W’s rolling in for NY. The scary part is that the injury bug has kept Jacob deGrom off the mound so far this season, and Max Scherzer for almost half of it, but they are still churning out victories. Taijuan Walker (RHP, 2.88 ERA, 59.1 IP, 44 K’s) and Carlos Carrasco (RHP, 3.96 ERA, 75.0 IP, 75 K’s) have probably been the Mets’ best starters who are not currently on the IL.

Edwin Diaz (RHP, 2.30 ERA, 27.1 IP, 53 K’s) continues to hold down the closing duties for the Mets and has been on point this season. He has successfully converted 14 of his 17 save opportunities this season, which ties him for 7th in MLB. He’s joined by Seth Lugo (RHP, 3.81 ERA, 28.1 IP, 27 K’s) and Drew Smith (RHP, 2.03 ERA, 31.0, 34 K’s) for high leverage duty.

Last 10 Games: 7-3 Record, 3 Series Win, +8 Run Differential (49 scored, 41 allowed)

W/L Splits: 24-10 at home, 21-14 on the road, 25-15 against teams over .500

Injured List: Jeff McNeil: day-to-day (hamstring), Tylor Megill: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Colin Holderman: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Travis Jankowski: 10-Day IL (hand), Sean Reid-Foley: 60-Day IL (elbow), Max Scherzer: 15-Day IL (oblique), Trevor May: 60-Day IL (tricep), James McCann: 10-Day IL (hamate), Jacob deGrom: 60-Day IL (shoulder), John Curtiss: 60-Day IL (elbow), Joey Lucchesi: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Starters

Game 1: Trevor Williams (RHP, 1-3, 3.53 ERA, 33 K’s) vs Jose Urquidy (RHP, 5-3, 4.99 ERA, 47 K’s)

Game 2: Carlos Carrasco (RHP, 8-2, 3.96 ERA, 75 K’s) vs Luis Garcia (RHP, 4-5, 3.41 ERA, 69 K’s)

For Your Viewing and Listening Pleasure

Game 1: Tuesday, June 21st @ 7:10 pm CDT
Listen: Mets - WCBS 880, WEPN 1050 / Astros - KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KTRH 740 AM/99.1 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3/KLAT 1010
Watch: Mets - SNY / Astros ATT SportsNet-SW

Game 2: Wednesday, June 22nd @ 1:10 pm CDT
Listen: Mets - WCBS 880, WEPN 1050 / Astros - KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3/KLAT 1010
Watch: Mets - SNY / Astros ATT SportsNet-SW / MLB Network (out-of-market only)