The Final 30

[Willets Point]

The Mets finish off the regular season with 30 games largely against MLB's bottom feeders including three teams currently in last place in their respective divisions. Only six games will be played against teams with winning records and a chance at the postseason, 3 versus the Brewers and 3 versus the Braves. The combined winning percentage of the Mets' opponents currently stands at .441 and if you remove the Braves from the equation it drops down to .412.



In other words, the Mets have a golden opportunity to win a lot of games to end the season. But, as Mets fans well know, bad things can happen. Nevertheless, let's take a moment to predict how many wins the Mets will get in the remainder of the regular season.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I voted 18. That will get them 102 wins and most likely a division title.

[Edgy MD]

In the race for best overall record, they are:

• Seven games behind the Dodgers.


• Half a game behind the Astros.


• Ahead of the Yankees.

[Gwreck]

I voted 25 because, why not? It's a magical season.

[Gwreck]

Edgy MD wrote: In the race for best overall record, they are: Seven games behind the Dodgers. Half a game behind the Astros. Ahead of the Yankees.

There is a compelling argument that the NL #2 seed is a better spot to be in. I like the idea of best record because (a) best is best and ( screw the Dodgers. But: do we really want to face the Braves in the division series? I kind of prefer the idea of Atlanta and LA having to play each other first.



Obviously we want to finish ahead of Houston and the junior circuit New York team.

[Fman99]

They're not hitting a ton but I still think they warm up against these turd teams. Going 20-10 lets say.

[MFS62]

I picked 22 because when I was a kid I learned to shoot a .22 rifle - as logical reason as any to pick a number.

Later

[Lefty Specialist]

20-10 is certainly doable in this stretch.

[smg58]

20. Apparently I wasn't the only one swayed by a nice round number.

[The Hot Corner]

I pick them to win 19 of the final 30 games. I think they are saving themselves to turn it on in the palyoffs.

[Edgy MD]

I think getting past the Dodgers without losing ground to the Braves can really loosen them up. I think they're about to set the league on fire.

[kcmets]

23, because no one picked it yet.



(23-7 is pretty nutty, but what the hell!)

[Willets Point]

After three series, the Mets are 5-4 which seems decent although the lack of offense in the 4 losses felt concerning despite the outpouring of offense in the 5 wins. Temporarily losing first place to the Braves was also disconcerting. And Scherzer and Marte went on the IL. But the Mets have regained sole control of the NL East and maintain a 102 win pace, so all is good.

[Frayed Knot]

iow, so far we're worse off during the easy stretch than we were during the 'hard' one.

[Edgy MD]

So fart, mebbe, but there's still some road ahead.

[Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: iow, so far we're worse off during the easy stretch than we were during the 'hard' one.

Not really, the Mets have pretty much the same winning percentage now that they did after the Dodgers series. They've held steady.

[Edgy MD]

It's very much a thing with Buck in that he's the anti-Jerry Manuel. He won't spend his bullets "chasing the win," and if that means using lesser relievers down by one to a last-place team, so be it.



It's not necessarily a give-in approach, but it certainly is challenging the back-enders to step up in such games. If they don't come through, well he's got the team in a good position to take the series anyhow.



I'm not sure it's the philosophy I'd go forth with — once the post-season happens, you certainly can't let a game go without throwing everything at it — but the Mets' winning percentage in series certainly endorses his approach, even if that meant losing Game One to the Bucs and Fish before stomping them out in the next two.

[Frayed Knot]

Willets Point wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: iow, so far we're worse off during the easy stretch than we were during the 'hard' one. Not really, the Mets have pretty much the same winning percentage now that they did after the Dodgers series. They've held steady.

I was talking about just during the stretches themselves.

After going 18-8 during that tough part of the sked they're so far a less than impressive 5-4 vs a trio of bottom feeders [PIT, WAS, MIA]

[Willets Point]

16 games into the the "soft schedule," the Mets are a slightly disappointing 9-7. That's ameliorated a bit by most recently sweeping a 4-game set with the lowly Pirates and holding on to a one game lead for the division with the Braves. Now the Mets travel to Milwaukee to play a contending team for the first time in over two weeks, and hopefully will play up to their opposition.

[Lefty Specialist]

Milwaukee is fighting for its playoff life. This will not be easy.

[Willets Point]

At the end of another series, the Mets are 11-8 (.579) in the "soft schedule"), but that includes a recent six-game winning streak including taking 2 of 3 from the contending Brewers on the road. They've also clinched a spot in the postseason and maintain a one-game lead on the Braves for the NL East title. On the downside, Nimmo and McNeil have minor injuries and the offense on the whole has been wildly inconsistent.

[Willets Point]

The final 30 is now down to the final 8. At 13-9 (.590), the "soft schedule" record is slightly off the Mets .630 for the season.



The people who voted for 30, 25, 23, & 22 have been eliminated. The Mets will need to go 7-1 to get 20 wins, the top prediction.

[Willets Point]

Just to close this thread out, the Mets finished the season with a 17-13 run (.566). It dropped the Mets' winning percentage for the season from .639 to .623. Obviously disappointing, and with fewer wins than any of our predictions, but also not the total collapse the negative nellies are making it out to be.

[Fman99]

Willets Point wrote: Just to close this thread out, the Mets finished the season with a 17-13 run (.566). It dropped the Mets' winning percentage for the season from .639 to .623. Obviously disappointing, and with fewer wins than any of our predictions, but also not the total collapse the negative nellies are making it out to be.

Fucking nellies