Team sports are all about chemistry, IMO, by far the most important element. Last year, the Met team had it in spades and it showed night after night. This years team, very obviously, none.
Why? Who knows? That’s why I gave up on hawking stats in any team sport a long time ago because they are interesting to discuss at the bar, or the off-season, or in retirement but in-season it is mostly when, not how many.
The Mets got off early and many declared them the best team in baseball. They started going south and it was, we need to get Senga, Manaea, and Montas back. That happened and then with, no results, it was, we need to shore up the bullpen.
That happened, on paper, big time, and suddenly, the Mets had “the best bullpen in baseball”. Until they didn’t.
Successful teams play for each other, that’s how you develop the grit and fight like last years Met team, like last years Johnnie’s team. This year, this Met team, talent on paper, but absolutely zero on field chemistry.
And that’s why the point of this early morning nonsense post is cautionary; declaring this years Johnnie’s team NC contenders is extremely premature because while they clearly have the talent, that is all on paper and talent alone wins nothing; IMO, we won’t know if they have the most important element until they take the court.