Tag: Baseball statistics

Mets RISP Woes Continue

Posted on by metbaseball

What the team needs is a solution. They have two hitting coaches, only one of four teams doing that, but two seems to be either too many or too few.

What’s your take on the problem? Can you suggest something that might help them?

Mets team batting overall

  • BA: 15th in MLB
  • OBP: 8th
  • SLG: 10th

Mets team batting with runners in scoring position

  • BA: 29th in MLB
  • OBP: 23rd
  • SLG: 22nd

The team’s .212 batting average with runners in scoring position is its third-lowest (in a season) in its history, and it hasn’t been below .220 since 1981. That 44 years!

In 2024, the Mets hit .268 with runners in scoring position.

Its OBP of .310 isn’t as bad. The last time the Mets finished a season at or below .310 was in 2016, and they ended that season with an 87-75 record.

Nine Has Not Been the Mets Lucky Number in 2025

Posted on by metbaseball

It appears that the Mets have been struggling when facing the other team’s ninth-inning pitcher, often likely their closer, so far in 2025. As a group, they are batting just .176 in that situation with Mark Vientos having the most trouble getting on base.

Juan Soto has a .600 OBP despite not getting a single hit. Tyrone Taylor is their hits’ leader in the table with three though he’s hitting just .239 overall.

Despite the ninth-inning struggles, the Mets are tied with the Dodgers for the most wins, 27.

In the same ninth-inning scenario, the Dodgers are hitting .216 with eight hits in 37 at-bats. While better than the Mets, it is not close to the Diamondbacks’ average of .344.

Overall, the MLB average is .125.

The Mets were much better in 2024.

Welcome to Wild Pitches

Posted on by metbaseball

Casual fans see the final score. Dedicated fans follow the standings. But the truly curious ask why a team’s record looks the way it does. In this new section of the blog, we go beyond the traditional stats you’ll find in the box score or hear repeated during game broadcasts. We dig into the subtle numbers, the patterns hiding in plain sight, crazy wins and losses, and the trends that hint at what’s really going on beneath a team’s win-loss column.

Take the Mets, for example. If it feels like they’ve burned through their bullpen this year, you’re not alone—but the numbers tell a more nuanced story. Through early May, they ranked 15th in total relief appearances across MLB. So what’s behind that gut feeling? Could it be that the Mets aren’t cycling through arms quickly, but instead leaning too heavily on the same few relievers each night? Maybe the eye test is noticing something the stats don’t show—until you dig a little deeper.

That’s exactly what this space is for. We’ll unpack the things that don’t get discussed on SportsCenter or in post-game pressers: bullpen usage quirks, pitch sequencing trends, unexpected lineup efficiencies, and more. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “That seems weird…” while watching a game, this is the place where we’ll chase that hunch with data.

Juan Soto: Can He Break Mets OBP Record?

Posted on by metbaseball

Since 1962, only 13 Mets who have played in at least 100 games in a season have had an OBP of .400 or above. The first was Richie Ashburn in 1962. His .424 OBP was not topped until 36 years later when John Olerud had a .447 OBP, a number no other Met has come close to through 2024.

Mets top OBPs in a season

Mets Top OBPs

That might change this season. Juan Soto, one of only two active players with an OBP >= .400 over at least 100 games in six seasons — the other is Mike Trout — is now a Met. However, Soto exceeded Olerud’s .427 OBP just once when he reached .465 in 2021 with the Nationals. In his other five seasons, Soto’s highest OBP was .419, accomplished last season with the Yankees.

Active players with most seasons with OBP >= .400 & Games >= 100

Among the active Mets players besides Soto, only one had an OBP >= .400 in at least 100 games in a season, Brandon Nimmo doing it once, but that was seven years ago when his OBP was .404.

Justin Turner played for the Mets from 2010 through 2013. During those years, his highest OBP was .334. After the 2013 season, he became a free agent and signed with the Dodgers. In three of his season with them, he had an OBP over .400 three times, playing more than 100 games in each.

❓I’ve wondered why he couldn’t hit like that with the Mets.

The data in the tables is from Stathead Baseball.