Can the Mets Beat the Dodgers to Reach World Series?

  • All, Sport

The New York Mets have enjoyed one of their best seasons in recent times and are on course to reach the postseason for the first time in six years. The Mets have assembled a talented roster and will hope to return to the World Series, having last reached the title game in 2015 where they lost out to the Kansas City Royals.

The New York Mets have the experience and talent to win the World Series and are backed as one of the top contenders for the crown with the leading sportsbooks in the business. Other contenders include the Dodgers, New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros, but the Mets are right up there with those established outfits. However, producing their best baseball when it matters the most will be a difficult challenge given their lack of playoff action.

The looming presence of the Dodgers at the top of the National League presents a daunting task for Buck Showalter’s men given their imperious record. The Dodgers have won the National League on three occasions over the last six years and triumphed in the World Series in 2020 by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. The club has been a model of consistency and is an example for the Mets, who have endured long periods of struggle between their previous deep surges in the post-season.

Scherzer Gives Mets World Series Hopes

New York did set the tone for the 2022 campaign from the off by securing the signing of Max Scherzer. The veteran pitcher has been outstanding over the course of his career, and he has brought the same level of excellence to his performances with the Mets. Scherzer has provided experience and nous at the mound, posting a record of 8-2 after 10 appearances and an ERA of 1.98. He has led the pitching ranks with his talent, allowing the rest of the bullpen to rotate around him as Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and Chris Bassitt have been jolted into life by his presence.

When it comes to crunch time in the post-season, Scherzer’s experience will be vital. The options for relievers are also sound due to the impressive form of Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, and Trevor May, along with the displays of closer Edwin Diaz. Quality pitching will make or break the team’s season, especially against the quality of the Dodgers line-up which will include Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman, and Gavin Lux. The return from injury of Jacob deGrom will also be vital, although it will be interesting to see how effective he can be after missing the majority of the term.

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Batting Prowess

The batting ranks have been outstanding in the 2022 season, putting together a formidable amount of runs without being overly destructive at the plate. Rather than being dominant home run scorers, the Mets have been effective at getting on base. Only the Dodgers have a better OBP than the Mets in the 2022 campaign.

The skill of Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte has allowed the two players to post outstanding batting averages, with McNeil carding one of the best terms of his career at .302. The home runs have come from Pete Alonso, who has been incredible with his power, notching 29 homers in his first 111 games. It has not quite been at the mark of his record-breaking rookie campaign when he blasted 53 – the most in MLB history by a first-year player – but his production this season was enough to secure a second appearance in the All-Star game. Francisco Lindor has also been excellent at clearing the field, but the pressure will be on both players to remain consistent in the playoffs.

The Mets do not have as much postseason or World Series experience on their roster compared to the Dodgers, should they meet in a potential National League Championship Series. Alonso highlights the issues that they could have in the crunch, and a lot will be riding on players such as Scherzer to guide the inexperienced players through the tough battles that will come.




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