Friday, September 19

Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 16 seasons full-time on the beat.

NEW YORK -- Earlier this week, Padres infielder Jose Iglesias stood in the visiting dugout at Citi Field while the Mets played a tribute video in his honor. The former Met had spent a long while signing autographs and posing for selfies during his return to Citi Field. When the chorus of his nostalgia record “OMG” began to play, Iglesias smiled and threw his arms in the air. 

While some vestiges of the “OMG” Mets remain at Citi Field, most of them are stuffed into closets and non-public back rooms. Out in the open, the 2025 Mets have never quite been able to recapture the energy of that season. All of which begs an age-old question: does winning breed chemistry, or does chemistry breed winning? 

“I think both statements are true, for sure,” first baseman Pete Alonso said. “Winning definitely builds chemistry, there’s no doubt about it, because obviously losing stinks and winning’s fun. And when guys are having fun and enjoying themselves, chemistry is bound to happen. 

“But I think the true chemistry and trust is built when things aren’t going so well, and you really see everyone’s character. And if everyone’s still pulling in the same direction, that’s what true chemistry is: guys being there for each other.” 

If that’s true, the Mets have had plenty of opportunity to build it this summer, considering they’ve turned a potentially breezy postseason run into a relatively stressful proposition. Plenty has gone wrong, just as it did early last year. But the “OMG,” Grimace-type stuff has yet to resurface. 

Why? 

“We just wanted it,” Iglesias said. “We wanted it last year. We supported once we showed up. I really mean that. Individually, we wanted the best for everyone. There was no competition between us as a team. There was no fight for a job. There was no, ‘Who’s going to do better, me or you? Who’s going to play tomorrow?’ It was about the New York Mets.” 

Iglesias pointed to the absences of veteran leaders such as himself, J.D. Martinez, Jose Quintana and (for the first half of the season) Sean Manaea as reason for any apparent downturn in vibes. But Alonso insists there hasn’t been a downturn at all. Given that he, Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, David Peterson and Edwin Díaz have all been together since 2021, that group has built an intrinsic trust with one another. They don’t need songs, signs or fast food mascots to win. 

As far back as Spring Training, many of those players cautioned against trying too hard to manufacture chemistry or, worse, attempting to run back the “OMG” mojo that belonged to last year’s club. Every team seizes on something different, they said. Even though it’s late in the year, this roster can still figure it out. 

“I think it’s very difficult to compare one team to another and the clubhouse mix from one year to the next,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “I think we have really good guys in our clubhouse this year. I think they’re working really hard, and I think they want to win. And I think it’s tough to create the consistent type of energy that maybe we displayed organically last year when you have the type of streakiness that we’ve had this year. 

“We have the ingredients for a very productive team chemistry and team energy. We -- in my opinion -- just haven’t allowed it to flourish yet because we haven’t gone on a run. And we haven’t played, certainly over the last few months, consistently high-level baseball.” 

With nine games to play, the Mets at times feel like they’re still searching for that spark. If they’re able to find something, anything, perhaps it can still breed enough winning to matter. 

Alonso has homered in four straight games. Who holds the Mets record for consecutive games with a homer? 

A) Bobby Bonilla 
B) John Buck 
C) Richard Hidalgo 
D) David Wright 

In the last week alone, Juan Soto has joined the 40-30 club, matched his career high with 41 homers for the second straight year and reached the 100-RBI mark for the third consecutive season. 

Needless to say, Soto is having one of the best years of his life. 

It almost seems silly at this point to think back on the narrative surrounding Soto in April and May, when he was having a good-but-not-spectacular season. Since the start of June, Soto ranks third in the Majors in OPS, third in homers and (shockingly) tied for first in steals. He’s in the top 15 in the Majors in both major versions in WAR and is a surefire bet to receive National League MVP votes. 

“It’s special,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Special player, special person. It’s really unbelievable when you look up at the scoreboard and look at the numbers. And he’s only going to get better.” 

• Jonah Tong gave the Mets the bounceback outing they were looking for Thursday against the Padres, not merely earning a win but solidifying his standing during the crucial stretch run. 

• If the Mets make the postseason, Reed Garrett probably won’t be part of it. Garrett landed on the injured list Thursday due to a right elbow sprain, which could require surgery. Even if Garrett avoids that fate, he probably won’t have enough time to recover to rejoin the team in October. 

• Peterson, by contrast, will be part of the Mets’ playoff plans -- but perhaps not as a starter. His struggles on the mound have only deepened in September, pushing Peterson deeper down the depth chart than he was throughout a sterling first half. 

• “Just get in,” the mantra goes. These Mets are confident that despite what’s gone wrong, they can be a problem for anyone they play in October. 

C) Hidalgo 

Hidalgo homered in five consecutive games from July 1-5, 2004. 

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