The feeling around the 2024 New York Mets was that the lineup would be their strongpoint, with the pitching be more of the question mark. When J.D. Martinez was signed at the end of March, that belief was even furthered. But, it has not really played out that way, as the team’s offensive production has been up and down through 38 games. The Mets have gone through stretches where their big bats have produced in key moments. In the same way, the lineup has gone through periods where most of the at bats are non-competitive. The latter has been on display this weekend, as the Mets dropped a second straight game to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, losing 4-1.

Braves starter Max Fried showcased one of his best performances in recent memory, throwing seven no-hit innings. The Mets could only muster three walks against the left-handed starter, failing to put him under any stress. Results did not improve once Atlanta went to the bullpen, as the home team entered the bottom of the ninth three outs away from being no-hit. The Mets were down to their last out when Martinez went deep off of Raisel Iglesias, making it a 4-1 game. That would be how it finisheed, at the Mets dropped to 18-20.

“You don’t want to get no-hit. It’s something that every team is trying to avoid every single game. But the thing was, I felt like we had good at-bats throughout the game,” Brandon Nimmo said after the game.

The Mets are scoring 4.32 runs per game, which ranks 16th in all of baseball. That may seem okay on the surface, but their lack of run support at Citi Field in certainly alarming. The Mets are scoring just 3.38 runs per game at home, which ranks 26th. Ironically, they are scoring 5.47 runs per game on the road, with the Texas Rangers (5.50 runs per game) being only team ahead of them in that.

There is no denying that the Mets have the individuals in place to produce at a higher rate offensively. In 2022, the team ranked fifth in baseball with 4.73 runs per game. A lot of those same names are still on the team, so it is possible they can replicate most of what they did two seasons ago. The Mets own a 3.74 ERA as a team, which ranks 11th in the league. The pitching staff is carrying their weight, more than some would have expected. Now it is time for the Mets offense to find some rhythm, particularly at home.