Inside The Mets- A Breakdown Of How The Mets Have Fared So Far

The Mets have an off day. That means it's time to sit back and break down how the team has fared so far. Which players have started out hot? Which players are slumping badly and must turn it around quickly? Below is a look of how certain players have done, broken down into separate categories.

Hot Start

Jeff Francoeur

Entering the season as perhaps the Mets biggest question mark offensively, not knowing if he'd continue his hot hitting from last season's second half, Jeff is off to one of the best starts in baseball. (.476; 10-21, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 4 BB, 1.000 SLG)

Bullpen

Once again, a huge question mark entering the season, with a lot of uncertainty concerning the eighth inning role, the Mets have baseball's best bullpen through the first week. (MLB-best 1.56 ERA)

Fernando Nieve

Leading the number one ranked bullpen in baseball is Fernando Nieve, who last season before getting hurt, was a decent fill-in starter. With a fastball that can reach the mid-90s, Nieve appeared in each of the Mets first four games, not allowing a single run. He still is the only reliever in baseball with an ERA of 0.00. (minimum 4 games)

Cold Start

Mike Jacobs

Although he hit a home run in the eighth inning of Sunday's game to put the Mets on the scoreboard against the Nationals, Jacobs has started the season a very disappointing 2-for-15 at the plate. He was brought in for some power, and the home run he hit was his first of the season.

Luis Castillo

It may be overlooked because the type of player he is, but Luis Castillo is 2-for-12 to start his season, and not much of anything else, including 0 strikeouts. He has just quietly struggled in the two hole, bouncing into outs on the infield consistently.

Gary Matthews Jr.

He may only be tabbed to be a fill-in for Carlos Beltran in center field, but Gary Matthews Jr. has been downright terrible at the plate. His problem has been getting under the ball way too much as he's had a number a long fly balls. The last time I checked, that isn't the right approach at Citi Field. He's off to a 2-for-14 start, without an RBI.

Get Better Fast

Johan Santana

He got off to a decent start with a solid outing against the Marlins on opening day, going six solid innings, allowing only one run on four hits, but Sunday's start was flat out inexcusable. To give up a grand slam in the first inning to the Washington Nationals, putting your team in a 4-0 hole before they come to bat? That's just lame.

Jason Bay

He was paid $66 million over four years because of these numbers: 36 HR, 119 RBI. Those were the numbers Jason Bay put up last season in Boston. These numbers: .263; 6-for-23, 0 HR, 0 RBI are just pitiful. Bay better get better real fast, meaning on the Mets upcoming road trip, otherwise he'll hear it at Citi Field next Monday against the Cubs.

David Wright

After ripping the cover off the ball in spring training, and hitting an opening day home run to the opposite field at Citi Field against Josh Johnson, David Wright has done nothing. He's looking like the tight player from years past, striking out, not coming through in the clutch and just swinging at bad pitches. If Wright continues not to hit, the Mets are in big trouble.

Right On Pace

Rod Barajas

He's only batting .238 (5-for-21), but Barajas did have a mutli-home run game and a game in which he came inches from being the hero if it hadn't been for Willie Harris. He's worked well with some younger pitchers behind the plate such as Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese. Barajas has been exactly what the Mets have hoped for, and 10 times better than his predecessor Brian Schneider.

Mike Pelfrey

Six innings, two runs, four hits. That was Pelfrey's pitching line on Friday night against the Nationals, and the Mets can only hope that's his pitching line for the other 33 starts he'll have. Lone down point: he walked four as well.

Jon Niese

If the Mets were looking for a "quality start" out of their young rookie starter, they got it. Jon Niese against the Marlins on Thursday gave up three runs in six innings and gave the Mets a chance to win. Unfortunately the stagnant offense couldn't come through against Nate Robertson.

Room For Improvement

Oliver Perez

The Mets needed belief that their $12 million a year starting pitcher would perform up to standards this year. Although Oliver Perez wasn't his old awful self on the mound, there still is plenty of room for improvement. He allowed four runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings on Saturday, striking out six. But once again, walks bit him as usual as he dealt four of those.

John Maine

While not absolutely terrible, John Maine left a lot to be desired. Allowing two home runs in only five innings, and continuing to keep his pitch count up (92), Maine proved he may have reached his peak as a starting pitcher three seasons ago in 2007 when he won 15 games.