Entering the season, expectations were that the New York Metslineup would not replicate the offensive production it had in recent years following the offseason departures of Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso.
But outside of an 11-run outburst on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets’ offense has lacked consistency and has looked stagnant at times. After dropping their eighth straight game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York has scored just 12 runs during that stretch and only three runs over its last 38 innings.
As a result, first-year hitting coach Troy Snitker spoke with NJ.com’s Max Goodman about the club’s struggles, pointing to execution as the key issue.
“We need to execute better in the game,” Snitker said. “We need to drive the ball more. We need to swing at pitches that we can do something with.”
Entering Wednesday, the Mets ranked 25th in MLB in team batting average (.220), 29th in on-base percentage (.286), and 29th in OPS (.617), with the Chicago White Sox the only team performing worse in key categories. They also ranked 24th in home runs (14).
The Mets have also led the league in ground balls (178), while continuing to struggle with runners in scoring position – a recurring issue for the franchise in recent seasons.
“We need to be committed to what we’re doing,” Snitker added. “We need to stick with it regardless of the situation.”
The struggles have extended to key hitters. Francisco Lindor has opened the season batting .184 with a .576 OPS, while newcomer Bo Bichette is hitting .228 with 28 strikeouts. Mark Vientos, after a strong start, has gone hitless in his last 23 at-bats.
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