Bo Bichette knows the first half of this season was played, but maybe for good reason he doesn’t recall many details.
asserted
he → know → details
“It’s all a blur,” the Mets third baseman said before his team concluded the season with a 6-4 loss to the Nationals on Sunday.
asserted
team → ’ → Sunday
freeThe Mets finished 74-88, last in the National League East, and were all but eliminated from the postseason race by late June, prompting manager Carlos Mendoza’s firing.
asserted
Mets → finish → firing
The Mets improved after the All-Star break — and particularly following the Aug. 3 trade deadline, under new manager Andy Green.
asserted
Mets → improve → Green
The question is, can the 27-22 post-trade deadline surge serve a building block for next season?
asserted
surge → serve → season
“It’s what you take away from it culturally and individually,” Green said.
asserted
Green → ’ → it
“You can’t play with the weight of unmet expectations on your back and expect good baseball to happen.
asserted
baseball → play → back
I think you have to take that with you into next year.
asserted
you → think → year
I think you have to take a resolve that we’re not going to be in this spot again.”
asserted
we → think → spot
Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán and Tyrone Taylor were key names for the Mets when the season began.
asserted
season → begin → Mets
All were traded as part of an overhaul that allowed the Mets to receive a better look at players such as Jonah Tong, Nate Lavender and Daniel Duarte, among others.
asserted
Mets → trade → others
And a rookie class highlighted by NL Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean solidified.
asserted
class → highlight → Benge
“I think that this [winning] has gotten us a lot closer, and it feels much more like a team,” Ewing said.
asserted
Ewing → think → team
“It feels like this is a family.”
asserted
this → feel → ?
The Mets will have pitching holes to fill in the offseason and questions persist about first base, but Bichette (who can opt out) sees a team that possesses a solid nucleus.
asserted
that → have → nucleus
“We’ve proven that this group has enough talent to compete with anybody,” Bichette said.
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Bichette → prove → anybody
“But obviously it’s different doing that for an entire season.
asserted
it → ’ → season
But I think this team has proven that it has everything it needs to win.
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it → think → everything
I think that the organization, the fans, should feel really good about the team.”
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organization → think → team
Green noted that players pulled for each other.
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players → note → other
Such camaraderie was evident with young pitchers who were removed from the game returning to the dugout rather than retreating to the clubhouse.
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who → remove → clubhouse
- 47 Brand logo cap
- 1986 eco tote bag
- Mets fiber beach towel
- 14-ounce sculpted relief mug
- Customizable jersey
- Color block logo backpack
“The guys jelled together with each other,” Green said.
asserted
Green → jell → other
“You’re talking about a group that top to bottom genuinely likes playing baseball with each other and had a good time in the second half.
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that → talk → half
That’s a productive thing to have.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
It’s not always necessary that you love everybody you work with to be productive, but it is a good thing that’s going on in there.”
asserted
that → ’ → everybody
Even so, the Mets are absent from the playoffs for a second straight year despite having the second-highest payroll in the game in both seasons.
asserted
Mets → have → seasons
“I think the bitter taste that exists in every player’s mouth right now should drive us to a very productive offseason, so I think you can take little bits and pieces from each one of those things that set you up better for success next year,” Green said.
asserted
Green → think → success
“Ultimately, it’s individual ownership over a collective goal that we need to take from here.
asserted
we → ’ → that
“We’re counting on each person in that clubhouse, every veteran to perform at their best level, every young guy to take a step forward, every coach to get better, me to get better.
asserted
me → count → step
I think we’re collectively looking at life that way.
asserted
we → think → life
We’re going to be counting on everybody.”
asserted
We → go → everybody
The Aporia
