Players of the Week: Alonso, Rogers Perform Despite Skid

Another rough stretch for the Mets, who went 0-6 last week. Most disheartening were the blown late leads in multiple games. They’ve fallen to second place in the NL East and dropped to the third spot in the Wild Card race. With the Cincinnati Reds’ win on Sunday, the Mets hold just a 1.5-game lead for the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Something has to jolt this team to life as the season draws near its end.

All in all, there weren’t many highlights in an otherwise downright depressing week. But a couple of players provided monumental and clutch moments.

Offensive Player of the Week: Pete Alonso

Alonso had a great week. The Polar Bear slashed .333/.320/.667 with an OPS of .987. He smashed two home runs and drove in seven RBIs last week. The most notable of his hits was his 252nd home run as a Met. This home run tied Daryl Strawberry for the club record. He now needs one more dinger to surpass Strawberry as the Mets’ all-time home run leader. What better way to take the crown than when the Braves come into town this week, the same team he hit his record-breaking 53rd home run as a rookie in 2019 to beat Aaron Judge’s record?

Pitcher of the Week: Tyler Rogers

Tyler Rogers has been called on multiple times this week, and he delivered consistent results. Rogers appeared in five games this week, throwing one inning in each of those games. Rogers only allowed one earned run throughout these outings. He earned one hold in the game against the Brewers on August 9; however, Ryne Stanek, who appeared after him, ended up blowing the lead, resulting in a Mets loss. What was of note for Rogers’s performances was that he induced a 78.9% ground ball rate for batted balls, a calling card for the submariner. According to Fangraphs, Rogers has a season 65.5% ground ball rate for balls hit in play, placing him second amongst relievers.

Honorable Mention: Juan Soto

Soto showed consistency last week. Soto slashed .318/.444/.727 with an OPS of 1.172. Notably, Soto hit a home run in three consecutive games last week. Unfortunately, they were all solo shots. Soto racked up only four RBIs for the week, despite the three home runs. Nonetheless, seeing Soto hit consistently is extremely important for the Mets down the stretch.

Up Next

The Mets have a homestand this week. They first go up against the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta enters this series with a 51-67 record for the season. Then, the Mets take on the Seattle Mariners, who are in the midst of a Wild Card race in the American League. The Mets must get back on track this week as their playoff position cushion is dwindling fast with these losing streaks.

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