The Mets are about to begin a stretch of games against some of the top teams in the NL, or at least teams that can give you trouble. Their upcoming schedule shows the Mets playing Florida, Atlanta, Washington, the Yankees, Philadelphia, and San Diego. This may be the run of games that will show you what the Mets are all about.
Most people are saying that they feel good about the lineup when Carlos Beltran returns. He may not return until sometime around the All-Star break. That means the Mets must do well in these upcoming games. If the Mets can win at least three of the upcoming six series ahead, and perhaps squeeze out a fourth, they can at least breathe heading into June with Beltran on the horizon.
That's a big if though. The Mets never seem to do well in Florida. Atlanta has always been a house of horrors for the Mets. Maybe before this season, the Mets could've taken the Nationals lightly. Not anymore.
The Mets would be lucky to win one of those two games considering the way the Nats have played the Mets so far this season. They even found a new Met-killer in Roger Bernadina. Then of course is the old Subway Series. Does anyone actually think the Mets are going to win a game against the Yankees? Well, maybe the Mets are running into the Yankees at the right time. The Yankees, who just lost 3 of 4 to the Tigers, are pretty beat up right now. At the same time, the Yankees have a pretty good starting rotation to throw out at the Mets.
After that, the Mets will welcome the Phillies in for the first time this season. I don't think anyone knows yet what kind of team the Phillies are this season. Although they've played inconsistently so far, they still post a 20-13 record and lead the NL East. Then, it's the shocker of them all, the San Diego Padres. The Padres have a record of 21-12. How the heck is that? As far as I know, or thought in spring training, they had no hitting. Their .636 winning percentage is not only the best in the entire NL, it's the third best in all of Major League Baseball. Will the Mets win any of those games?
The point is, this stretch of upcoming games are crucial for the Mets, who currently trail the Giants, Reds, and Nationals by one game for the NL Wild Card lead. If the Mets can at least play to an over .500 record, and get to June in the race, they can hope to play meaningful baseball with Carlos Beltran supposedly on the horizon.
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