New York Mets: Five Keys To an Amazin' Second Half

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

With the second half of the baseball season rapidly approaching, the time is now for Major League teams to evaluate where they stand in their pursuit for the post season.

In other words, if a team feels they are still in playoff contention, they will probably opt to fill their holes with a quick fix aimed at putting them over the top for this season. If a team feels they are a long shot to be playing baseball into October, they may make moves that focus on building a team to contend in the future.

While it may be obvious to many teams which category they belong in, the Mets are currently walking the fine line between striving for October and planning for next season.

The Mets have shown signs of promise and grit all season (winning three of four games against the Cardinals last week), only to immediately follow it up by stretches of sloppy, uninspired baseball—losing five straight to the Yankees and Brewers following the Cardinals series. 

In the end, the numbers don't lie, and the only two numbers that matter are wins and losses. Those numbers for the Mets are 39-39—the definition of an inconsistent team.

The Mets have three everyday star players out until after the All-Star break, as well as their No. 2 and No. 3 starters, and eighth inning set-up man.

Most teams in the Mets' position would start thinking about next season, but that's usually not an option for a big market team—especially not in New York. Especially not for a team who has ripped their fans' collective hearts out the past two seasons.

There is good news, however.

As bad as the Mets have been the past month, and as inconsistent as they have been all season, the entire division has been in the same boat all season. In fact, despite being a .500 team currently sitting in third place, the Mets are only a game and a half behind the division leading Phillies.

With all that in mind, and all the games left to be played, there still is a chance for an Amazin' second half in Queens. All that Manuel, Minaya, and company need to do is stick to this list of five key ingredients to a successful final 81 games.

1. Embrace "Small Ball".

So Citifield hasn't exactly proven to be Coors Field east. David Wright's and Carlos Beltran's power numbers are way down. The team leader in home runs, Gary Sheffield with 10, is only on pace to hit about 20 home runs. That's fine, but the Mets need to realize how to play in their new digs.

Embrace the small things on offense. Take the extra base. Run heads-up on the basepaths. Hit-and-Run. Don't give away outs on defense. Most importantly, however, hustle on EVERY play.

The Mets as a whole have shown signs of this from time to time, but they need to do it all the time.

2. Do not count on the returns of Carlos Delgado and/or Billy Wagner.

Anyone who listens to sports talk radio in New York has heard almost on a daily basis how well Billy Wagner and Carlos Delgado are coming along in their respective injury rehabs.

Don't believe the hype.

Injuries are tricky things, and even the smallest set back can mean a delayed return. As of now, the Mets expect both players back around early September.

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