New York Mets Failed Lineup Upgrades Could Cost NL East Crown

The Mets took a gamble on making minimal offensive upgrades at the trade deadline. Now, it could cost them the NL East crown.

The New York Mets are 85-50 on September 5, however, this record is only good for a one game lead in the National League East, with the surging Atlanta Braves breathing down their neck. 

New York's starting rotation, which ranks fifth in baseball with a 3.49 ERA, has helped the team win ball games, but for the past several weeks, the offense has fallen back into a rut. 

Dating back to August 12, the Mets are averaging just 3.7 runs per game in their last 23 contests. 

Ten days prior to when this cold stretch began, the trade deadline saw general manager Billy Eppler and the front office acquire a new DH platoon: Daniel Vogelbach (6 for his last 33) and Darin Ruf (7-for-42), as well as corner outfielder Tyler Naquin (13-for-60). 

Overall, Vogelbach has been a solid addition against right-handed pitching with an .840 OPS as a Met, but he has since hit a cold streak, while Ruf and Naquin haven't made enough of an impact to a lineup that was in need of a jolt. 

Now, to be fair, the two big bats that the Mets were in on prior to the deadline, Willson Contreras and J.D. Martinez, had significant price tags of a top-five prospect, plus more pieces. The cost acquisition on these rental bats never came down as the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox both opted to keep these sluggers.

Big bopping first baseman Pete Alonso has also fallen into a cold spell, slashing .223/.304/.330, with just three home runs and 15 RBIs across his last 30 games. 

According to Tankathon, the Mets have the easiest remaining schedule, as their opponents have a combined .426 winning percentage in the final 27 games. Regardless, they just lost two out of three from the last place Washington Nationals who are 37.5 games behind them in the NL East. 

As good as the Mets' pitching staff has been, if the offense doesn't turn things around, and fast, New York will find themselves trailing the Braves soon enough. Should the Mets fall short of the division, thus likely winning a Wild Card spot, the gamble they took at the trade deadline of upgrading via multiple platoons will be a strategy they will be forced to take a long look in the mirror at moving forward. 

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- Mets Catcher James McCann's Silver Lining in Injury Riddled Season

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