In other words, they have inadequate everything. Let's assess:
PITCHING: Can we agree that we have three starters (McLean. Holmes, Peralta) who are at minimum adequate? The other three, maybe not so much. BUT, pitching is the area where we have the most prospects who are MLB ready, or almost ready. I think we'll be OK. We know Cohen will eat salary if he has to.
HITTING: Soto will return. His absence doesn't explain all of it, but it does explain some. As far as the rest of it, here are the OPS numbers of those Mets with at least 50 plate appearances. Today's results not included
- Alvarez .894
- Robert .751
- Vientos .664
- Lindor .627
- Semien .578
- Bichette .561
- Polanco .532
- Baty .467
- Benge .455
- TEAM .632
- LEAGUE AVERAGE .705
So, if you expect the above results from 22 games to carry forward to the next 140, then I agree with you that the hitting is inadequate. But I don't believe that, I don't think you do either.
DEFENSE: Here I do think that Stearns overpromised and underdelivered. That said, Robert and Semien clearly represent defensive upgrades at two positions. And if Benge sticks around, that's three.
So that's how they should turn it around - by reverting to the performance levels suggested by the back of their baseball cards.