The 2022 MLB season is being played on a tight schedule because it took a whole for the league and the Players Association to hammer out a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The season started a week later than previously stipulated, and rest days became a rarity as a result.
The New York Mets recently experienced the rigors of the long season and the special circumstances.
They just finished a long stretch of games, and did it in style.
“The Mets just wrapped up a stretch of 22 games in 23 days. 16 of those games were played in the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones. Overall, they went 14-8 during that stretch. I don’t know how anyone could look at that as anything other than a major success,” Mets insider Steve Gelbs tweeted.
The Mets just wrapped up a stretch of 22 games in 23 days. 16 of those games were played in the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones. Overall, they went 14-8 during that stretch.
I don’t know how anyone could look at that as anything other than a major success.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) June 13, 2022
The Mets Still Have A Long Way To Go
22 games in 23 days means there is a lot of wear and tear in the players’ legs, arms, bodies, and minds: not only are games extremely demanding, but there is less time to rest and recover from traveling.
As Gelbs notes, the fact that the Mets could win 14 of those 22 games should be viewed as a success, even as the Atlanta Braves slowly close the gap in the NL East division.
The Mets are currently without their two best starters; Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, and have managed to extend their NL East dominance well into June.
The next few days will actually test the team’s resolve: the Braves are streaking, and the two Mets’ aces won’t return for at least a couple more weeks.
If the Mets can welcome back their two injured pitchers while still holding a lead in the division, that should be viewed as another moral victory.
NEXT: Mets Analyst Notes A Great Fact For Fans As The Season Continues