Mets 2024 midseason report card
This article written by John Fox
It’s the All-Star break, which seems like as good a time as any to determine midterm grades for the Mets players and management. This is a subjective process, which will factor in not only performance but also how the individual is doing compared to expectations.
We’ll list batter, pitcher, and management sections, each done alphabetically. Batters must have accrued at least 50 PA and pitchers 30 IP, and players must still be on the active roster to be graded.
Pete Alonso– He’s got 19 homers and 51 RBI, with a .454 SLG. The sole Mets All-Star this year, he has under-performed with RISP, with a .378 SLG in those situations. Grade: B-.
Francisco Alvarez-He’s performing very well at the very demanding position of catcher. He’s got an excellent SLG of .479, and he’s even better in RISP slugging .524. He’s continually improving on defense, and is likely to be a cornerstone for the team for years to come. Grade: A.
Harrison Bader-The off-season signing was not a sure thing to be a starter this year, but he has settled in as the starting center fielder. He’s provided some punch at the bottom of the order, some speed with 13 SB, and good defense at a premium position. Grade: B+.
Jose Iglesias-His slash line is .380/.417/.582. With RISP it’s .500/.545/.750. This is a player in his mid 30s who played in the minors all last year, and was beaten out by Joey Wendle in ST for the utility infield post. Now he’s playing like the reincarnation of Rogers Hornsby. Grade: A+.
Francisco Lindor-Fine defense at shortstop, with good power, he’s hit 17 homers and 26 doubles. He provides intangibles as well, specifically the team took off after the players only meeting he called. Grade: A.
Starling Marte-Decent hitting so far, but his defense in right field has been ugly with a DRS figure of -9. Grade: C+.
J.D. Martinez-The DH has provided about what was expected in offense with a .263/.349/.457 slash line. Grade: B-.
Jeff McNeil-He’s been one of my favorite Mets, so this grade is painful for me. His total production has been dreadful, and even his defense has fallen off. Many would grade him an F, but he has been hitting the ball with more authority lately, and he can play a variety of positions. Criticize me if you want, but I am giving him D-.
Brandon Nimmo-Since being moved to the number 2 batting position he has thrived, with 63 RBI for the season. He’s been especially dangerous in RISP situations, slugging .647 then. Grade: A.
D.J. Stewart-He’s only batting .173 and slugging .309. However he has dialed it up in clutch situations, slugging .550 in RISP spots. Grade:C-.
Tyrone Taylor-He’s got pretty anemic batting production, but he offers some flexibility as a backup outfielder. Grade:D+
Luis Torrens-For a backup catcher, he’s done really well. He’s got a slash line of .283/.333/.547 and his defense has been good. I suspect he’d be the starter on a lot of MLB teams. Grade: A-.
Mark Vientos-This guy can hit, he’s slugging .547 as a nearly full-time player, with his time mostly at third base but also some time at DH and 1b. He is a sub-par defender in the field. Grade: B+.
Jose Butto-He’s both started and relieved for the Mets this year, and he’s done both very well. He’s got an ERA of 2.56, and a WHIP of 1.05. Grade: A-.
Adrian Houser-A disaster when starting, but pretty good as a long reliever. Grading on overall performance, he grade is D.
Sean Manaea-He’s been a solid starter for the Mets with a 6-3 record and a 3.46 ERA. Grade:A-.
Dedniel Nunez-He’s become an effective high leverage reliever. His WHIP is a microscopic 0.82, and he strikes out batters at the rate of 11.4/9. Grade: A.
Adam Ottavino– A disappointment. He has a high ERA of 4.89, and he’s been used more and more in less critical relief spots. Grade:D
David Peterson-He’s solidified a spot in the rotation, He’s sporting a fine 3.09 ERA, despite not being an overpowering pitcher. He’s got a 4-0 record. Grade: B.
Jose Quintana-The lefty is a finesse pitcher at this stage of his career, with a wide variety of pitches, but no real plus pitches. His ERA is 4.13, he’s been hurt by the long ball, and he has a losing record at 4-6. Grade: C-.
Christian Scott-The starter shows flashes of quality, but he does not go deep into games. His ERA is 4.36, but he does have a good WHIP figure of 1.11. Grade: C-.
Luis Severino-He’s been an effective starter with a 6-3 record. Grade:B+
Carlos Mendoza-The first year skipper has the team well-positioned for a playoff berth, and he seems to communicate well with the players. Bullpen management has been sub-par. Grade:B.
David Stearns-The President of Baseball Operations did not have any marquee acquisitions, but many of the under-the-radar pickups have been big contributors, notably Iglesias. He did not however craft a good bullpen. Grade: A-.
The team has had to overcome some adversities, notably the loss of ace starter Kodai Senga due to an injury. The team has bounced back from a dreadful May into the thick of wildcard contention. Team grade: B.