New York Mets 2013: The Good and the Bad so Far

It's been four weeks since I looked at the numbers put up by the New York Mets in the early part of the 2013 season. A month is a long time in baseball, and player performance can fluctuate over time. Unfortunately for the Mets, many of the early season positives have evaporated. Additionally, some of the negative stats from the first few weeks of the season haven't improved.

On the optimistic side, the season is still young, and there is plenty of time for the Mets to turn things around. If they hope to be competitive, they are going to have to address a number of issues.

Here's a look at some of the good signs so far for the Mets and some of the less-than-inspiring ones through the first six weeks of the campaign. 

The Good: Matt Harvey

Mets fans are thanking the baseball gods for Matt Harvey. It seems there's nothing that this kid can't do.

Harvey is currently 5-0 with an impressive 1.55 ERA. He has 68 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work. 

In every one of Harvey's nine starts, he has been in command. In fact, over the course of his four no-decision outings, Harvey registered an ERA of 1.98. In other words, if the Mets offense hadn't let Harvey down, he could conceivably be 9-0. 

Harvey has joined the ranks of Johan Santana and Dwight Gooden as one of five Mets pitchers to give up three runs or fewer in 16 consecutive starts. Keep in mind that the rookie has just 19 total MLB starts.

Harvey can handle the bat as well. It was his single that drove in the Mets' decisive run in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. It was almost as if he took matters into his own hands to get the victory instead of another no-decision.

The Bad: Dillon Gee, Shaun Marcum and Jeremy Hefner

Outside of Matt Harvey, the Mets' starting rotation has been less than impressive.

Jon Niese has gotten off to a slow start, but he has proved in the past that he can pitch at the major league level.

It's the rest of the starting rotation that puts fear into the hearts of Mets fans every time they take the mound. The stats speak for themselves.

Dillon Gee is pitching to an ERA of 6.13, and batters are hitting .321 against him.

Jeremy Hefner hasn't fared much better. In seven starts, he is 0-4 with a 4.61 ERA.

Shaun Marcum deserves a bit more time as he began the season on the disabled list. However, he's been hit hard in three of his four starts. He improved in his latest outing allowing just two runs in 6.2 innings. This only lowered his ERA from 8.59 to 6.75.

If these numbers don't improve, expect Citi Field to be empty this summer.

The Good: David Wright

Like Harvey, David Wright is a shining star on a Mets team without many. The captain is off to a great start and has been consistent since day one.

His average is a healthy .312, and he has accumulated seven doubles, three triples, six home runs and 27 RBI through 39 games. He's also been solid in the field.

Wright is also demonstrating much-needed leadership for the Mets both on and off the field. He is active in the team's community outreach, is available to the press and makes time for fans.

The Bad: Ike Davis and Lucas Duda

The Mets have put their faith in Ike Davis and Lucas Duda to be the big bats in the middle of the team's lineup. Instead of driving in runs, however, they've often been the cause of killing potential rallies.

Davis is the biggest problem on the club. There's no denying he's a stand-up guy and a good teammate. Unfortunately, that's not enough to make him a good ballplayer. 

His slow start from last season has spilled into this campaign, and he's presently batting an anemic .160 with just nine RBI. He's ranked 11th in baseball for the most strikeouts with 46.

Duda has improved in his ability to draw walks, but his .212 batting average in the middle of the Mets' lineup is not getting the job done.

The question that can no longer be ignored is whether Davis and Duda can be productive major league players. How long can the Mets continue to wait and see?

The Good: Daniel Murphy

Daniel Murphy continues to hit for average and be one of the few reliable bats in the Mets' lineup.

He is a no nonsense player who goes about the game the right way, stays out of trouble and has worked hard to improve his defense.

Murphy's currently batting .296 with three homers, 13 doubles and 18 RBI.

The Bad: Team Power

A month ago, the Mets were putting up some impressive power numbers. Now, they are experiencing a major loss of run production.

In mid-April, the Mets were ranked ninth out of the 30 MLB clubs in home runs. Now they are 19th with 42 team long balls.

Even more troubling is the team's drop in slugging percentage. The Mets were previously ranked sixth overall. Four weeks later, they are 26th with a slugging percentage of .381. 

As was pointed out earlier, the Mets are relying heavily on Davis and Duda to provide a punch and drive in runs in the middle of the team's batting order. They need to get going for the Mets' power numbers to improve.

The Good: Bobby Parnell

Bobby Parnell deserves some praise for persevering in the Mets' ever-changing bullpen. He has been given the role of closer and has been solid so far.

Parnell has been the winning pitcher in four of the Mets' late-inning victories. He also has five saves.

Other positive numbers for the reliever are an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of three walks to 16 strikeouts.

With the Mets' inability to take a lead late in to the game, Parnell has not had many save opportunities. The signs are good, though, that Parnell may be the dependable reliever the team needs.

The Bad: Bullpen

It's the same old story for the Mets' bullpen. To put it bluntly, the team needs relief from its relievers. Outside of Bobby Parnell, they have been terrible.

They are presently ranked second to last out of all major league clubs with a combined staff ERA of 4.78. The only club with a bullpen worse than the Mets is the lowly Houston Astros.

Here are some of the ugly numbers put up so far by the bullpen:

• 80 runs allowed—second worst in baseball.
• 17 homers allowed—tied for third worst in baseball.
• 135 hits given up—third worst in baseball.
• .269 opponents' batting average—third worst in baseball.

The 'pen has been so bad that Guillermo Mota and Armando Benitez would be a welcome sight for Mets fans.

The Good: Solid MLB Cast-Offs

The Mets went to spring training with huge holes in their roster. In no area was it more apparent than in the outfield. 

The options were the unproven Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Collin Cowgill, Jordany Valdespin and Mike Baxter.

Veteran Marlon Byrd won a roster spot after a strong spring. While not a superstar by any means, he has solid major league experience and has put up respectable numbers over his career. He has also shown his defensive strength. He has yet to make an error this season, and his perfect strike to catcher John Buck kept the Cubs from tying the game in Matt Harvey's latest win.

This week, the Mets picked up another veteran with the signing of Rick Ankiel. Like Byrd, Ankiel has a decent track record and possesses a great throwing arm in the outfield. More importantly, Ankiel brings a never-give-up attitude to a team lacking confidence.

Ankiel came into baseball as a highly touted pitching phenom. After his pitching career inexplicably fell apart, Ankiel reinvented himself as an everyday player. That's tough to do, and his tenacity has allowed him to continue his baseball career. For his clubhouse presence alone, Ankiel is a good signing for a team in need of inspiration.

The Bad: Team Batting Average

Just one month ago, the Mets had the fourth-best team batting average at .269. Four weeks later and the club's average has dropped to a lowly .229. This ranks the Mets 29th out of the 30 MLB teams. Only the Miami Marlins are worse off.

David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Justin Turner and Marlon Byrd are the only players with batting averages over .250.

The rest of the numbers are ugly:

• Mike Baxter: .231
• Jordany Valdespin: .227
• John Buck: .226
• Ruben Tejada: .217
• Lucas Duda: .212
• Ike Davis: .160

Something has to change or it's going to be a rough ride all season for the Mets.

The Bad: Fan Morale

Mets fans are loyal and passionate. However, they have been patient for a long time now and were expecting an improvement after too many losing seasons. Sadly, it appears that the team is going backward rather than getting better.

Mets fans are not delusional and know that it may be several years before the team can really challenge for a title. The team's brass, however, have been trying to convince supporters that a plan is in place and that they will have a club that continues to improve. So far, that's not happening.

Attendance at Citi Field this season has been low. If the play on the field doesn't improve soon, Citi Field may be a ghost town by the end of the schedule.