POTW: Lindor, Peterson Come Up in The Clutch

The Mets played seven games in seven days this week and came out on the positive end against two playoff-caliber teams, finishing with a 4-3 record. With the help of a pair of walk-off homers and great pitching performances, they improved their season record to 68-63, yet still trail the Atlanta Braves by 2.5 games for the third and final Wild Card position in the National League.

Offense Player of the Week: Francisco Lindor

Lindor has officially caught fire at the plate, and the Mets couldn’t have asked for it at a better time. The shortstop is on a 23-game on-base streak dating back to July 31. Lindor added four multi-hit games this week while facing some tough opposing pitchers. With his second-half surge, even since the beginning of May, Lindor is playing his way into the National League MVP conversation with a league-leading 6.5 fWAR. Shohei Ohtani and Ketel Marte are names to watch, and while Lindor likely has not surpassed both of them, he’s sure making a case for it if his play leads the Mets into the playoffs.

He powered the team to a win in Saturday’s matchup in San Diego with a multi-home run game that included a grand slam to put the Mets up 5-0. It was his fourth multi-home run game this season and his third since July 22. With 5 RBIs in the game, he tied his season high and increased his team-leading total to 78.

Pitcher of the Week: David Peterson

Peterson looked sharp in two outings this week, with both performances leading to wins. He combined for 14 1/3 innings, ten strikeouts, 11 hits and only three earned runs in his two starts. The 6’6″ left-hander had not completed seven innings until his start on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles before he quickly followed that up on Saturday with 7 1/3 innings.

Peterson isn’t getting the recognition he deserves, and his season numbers are more than impressive for a guy with his fair share of highs and lows across his career. Across 15 starts, he boasts an 8-1 record with a 2.85 ERA, more than two runs lower than his 2023 earned run average (5.03). If the Mets capitalize, he should be the team’s number three postseason starter alongside Luis Severino and Sean Manaea. With recently acquired Paul Blackburn heading to the Injured List, the team will continue to rely on strong performances from Peterson down the stretch.

Honorable Mention: Mark Vientos

Vientos went 8-for-29 at the plate with a pair of home runs and six RBIs this week. With his home run on Sunday, he has the most home runs by a third baseman in the National League this season. The 24-year-old slugger has finally put it together offensively and leads the team with a .885 OPS in 303 at-bats.

Up Next

The Mets will be off Monday before taking on the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks, who have caught fire at just the right time, similar to what they did in 2023. This is a crucial three-game series for both teams: if the Mets want to open up their chances for a Wild Card spot even more so, what better way to do it than against two teams directly above them in the standings?

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