Of Whom Do You Worry?

[Edgy MD]

The Mets have meaningful, if not commanding, lead on the division. They've played a lot of intradivisional games (but curiously, none against Miami, who they won't see until June 17).



But pitchers are hurt, and fates frequently turn. Which means that even your joy is likely tempered by a little worry — or, perhaps, more than a little.



So when dark thoughts come, between the laying down of your head and the blessed kiss of sleep, which division opponent is it that haunts you?



https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/t_16x9/t_w1024/mlb/yf2jkoijzqdcdxy3kyl2>

[kcmets]

Not haunted nor worried at the present time.

[MFS62]

I'm scared of the Braves. They are consistently good, and they make good midseason moves to right the boat when they have to.

But I intensely dislike losing to the others because the Mets are better than they are.

Later

[smg58]

They really haven't played well yet, but the Braves have the hardware and still look to be the most talented division rival on paper.

[roger_that]

I worry about the Mets. They have a troubling tendency to collapse with almost no advance notice.

[Frayed Knot]

In order of most likely to challenge for the top of the division

1 -- Braves

2 -- Marlins

3 -- Phillies

4 -- Nationals

[nymr83]

Only the Braves concern me.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I WERRY most about the Mets but picked the Marlins-they strike me as dangerous with a few good young pitchers and hitters we don't know well enough yet--they're a mystery still and seem to delight in playing us.



I feel like even if the production is a wash, the Braves will pay a karmic price for letting Freeman go. Plus every little thing broke right for them last year and a repeat seems unlikely



I respect the Phillies offense, and I envy that they have Zack "We don't think he's worth the money" Wheeler, but think they probably cut too many corners defensively to win longterm.



Nationals LOL

[Edgy MD]

Wheelie might end up being one of the Mets' deadline trade targets.

[Fman99]

I don't worry. These other teams all suck ass.

[Lefty Specialist]

First, the Marlins. They can pitch well, can hit a little and the Mets still have 19 games to play against them.



Second, the Braves will do what it takes at the trading deadline. Remember there are 3 wild cards this year.



Philly and the Nats I don't worry about.



The concern is that the Mets will play down to their level. Missing your two best pitchers puts an enormous burden on the other three. They have to be almost perfect every time out. They're also injury risks.

[seawolf17]

I mean, yeah, this:
=roger_that post_id=92897 time=1653008159 user_id=128]
I worry about the Mets. They have a troubling tendency to collapse with almost no advance notice.

[metsmarathon]

i'm worried about the braves because they'll be the most likely team to catch us. but it will be the marlins that do it to us. it's always the fucking marlins.

[nymr83]

=metsmarathon post_id=92928 time=1653052167 user_id=83]
i'm worried about the braves because they'll be the most likely team to catch us. but it will be the marlins that do it to us. it's always the fucking marlins.

[Frayed Knot]

As if on cue, the Braves are in Miami this weekend and are currently up 5-1 midway thru the 6th.

Charlie Morton vs Trevor Rogers. HRs from Ozuna & d'Arnaud.

Second meeting of the teams this year w/the Marlins taking 2 of 3 right about a month ago.

Miami sits 1/2 game ahead of Atlanta coming into the night.



Marlins are a shade ahead of the Mets for 2nd place in NL team ERA (LAD = 1st) with the main

difference being that all their starters are between 24 & 27 y/o.







oe: and now it's 5-3 as Jorge Soler goes yard w/a man on.

[ashie62]

I am watching all of them with our pitchers out or until Eppler pries Frankie Months from the A:s.

[Edgy MD]

Phillies lost. Marlins lost. Atlanta down 6-2 to Arizona.



I probably don't need to tell you how the Nats are doing.

[Gwreck]

Too early to discuss that Mets need to have a better record than either Milwaukee or Los Angeles in order to get a first-round bye in the playoffs?

[Frayed Knot]

WAY too early!

[seawolf17]

Our league this is year is so weirdly unbalanced. If it was mathematically possible, you could have five teams lose 100 games (Cubs, Reds, Pirates, Nats, Marlins), and about as many win 100 (Mets, Brewers, Dodgers, Padres, maybe the Cardinals or Giants?) - I know it'll never happen quite like that, but it means some good teams are going to get stuck with play-in games.

[Gwreck]

If you're only the 5th or 6th-best team in the league, are you really that good?

[nymr83]

A lot of hate for the Marlins who have hit a rough stretch lately but seem to have found a bunch of youmg guys who can pitch. I don't think they are a 100 loss team. With the Nationals and Phillies in their division they may even end up under 90 losses

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

We've seen the Giants and they don't look like a 100-win team to me

[batmagadanleadoff]

=Gwreck post_id=94179 time=1654023664 user_id=56]
If you're only the 5th or 6th-best team in the league, are you really that good?

[Edgy MD]

Looks like the room has been validated with their Brave selection.

• Acuna is back.


• They've won 11 in a row.


• They did it while most were happy-ish to see the Mets tread water on the West Coast.


• They fell behind in the first third of the season last year, before tearing ass after that.


• They are now 5.5 games back.

Phils have gone 9-1 at the same time, but the Mets have played most of their season series with them already.

[Fman99]

They're due for a course correction, though, while the Mets have now gotten their last swing out west out of the way with 100 games to go. So, you know, the Braves can eat a bag of hot wet shit.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That doesn't sound very appealing.

[duan]

The thing that's of most comfort though is that even though the Braves have won 12 straight they're still 5 games back - any other division if a team had one 12 straight they'd be in the lead or within a game or two (AL East excepted).

Fangraphs still has playoff's appearance @ 90% - but our league winning has shrunk considerably.

[Gwreck]

Atlanta's winning streak is unpleasant but they also have not played a lot of good teams. These wins are coming against the likes of Colorado, Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Washington.



Atlanta still has lots of tough opponents to come: 7 games each with St Louis and San Francisco, 3 with the Dodgers, 3 with Houston, 3 with the Angels, and 15 (!) with the Mets.



And injuries will affect them too. Ozzie Albies has a broken foot.