Have New York Mets Already Locked Up NL East Crown?

Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets rounds third base on his two-run home run against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning during game two of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 04, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York City. — (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

The New York Mets are tops in the National League East division with a 43-37 record.

They are fresh off winning the Subway Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

While they have had to endure endless injury issues, they have managed to stay competitive all year long and their outlook will improve once they get fully healthy.

One would think that they may have already locked up the NL East crown.

However, that’s far from the case.

Three Teams Are Pursuing The Mets

The Mets can’t consider the NL East division race as over, as it would be harmful and irresponsible.

The Atlanta Braves are 3.5 games behind the Mets, the Washington Nationals are four games back, and the Phillies are fourth at 4.5 games behind.

That’s nothing!

The winner of the NL East division will likely be among those four teams, as the Marlins are currently in last place with a 35-47 record and nine games behind the Mets.

But they all have a chance, since they are so close with three months remaining.

There Is Still Half A Season To Go

There are a little under three months of baseball to be played in the regular season.

That’s enough time for any of the five teams in the division to accumulate wins on a streak, even the Marlins (although it’s unlikely).

The Mets were once five games up in the division, but a hot streak by the Nationals, being carried by the white-hot Kyle Schwarber, made things interesting.

The Phillies have a lot of talent on the roster, led by Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola, and if they manage to improve their bullpen and bring in a center fielder, they could theoretically overtake the Mets.

The Nats need Shwarber to get healthy, but Juan Soto and Trea Turner are excellent offensive foundations and it’s probably safe to say they are more likely to keep Max Scherzer now.

The Braves need to fill the void Marcell Ozuna left in their lineup, but once their rotation gets healthier, they will be a menace.

There are no sure things for the Mets, and they need to keep winning.

The Mets Need Health And Some Reinforcements

To keep winning, though, the Mets need to get healthier.

They have already welcomed back critical lineup pieces such as Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Michael Conforto.

Crucial offensive contributors, like Pete Alonso, are getting hot.

Alonso is slashing .311/.392/.600 with eight RBI over his last 13 games.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 5, 2021

Now, they need to get their injured stars back as soon as possible in their rotation.

Joey Lucchesi was having a great season but was recently lost to Tommy John surgery.

They do, however, have two excellent starters on the shelf currently rehabbing from long injuries.

Carlos Carrasco, working his way back from a torn hamstring, should be ready in about a month, while the goal is for Noah Syndergaard to be up and running by September 1.

Chances are the Mets, seeing how they can’t give up more ground in the division race, strike a deal to bring a starter before the deadline.

Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, and Taijuan Walker are holding down the fort.

After that, there are more questions than answers.

Carrasco is closer than Syndergaard, but neither will return in the next two weeks.

The Mets may need to go to the trade market to bring a starter that helps them keep their division lead.