Believe it or not, with 26 games in the books, we are nearly at the official halfway point of the 2020 Mets season. Those 26 games have featured their fair share of frustration and disappointment, including bullpen implosions and inexplicable futility with runners in scoring position. But despite all the troubles that have befallen the Mets, the club has managed to stay afloat during a truly bizarre abbreviated season.

With the Mets out of action for the next few days, let’s examine the storylines that have emerged and assess where the club currently stands in relation to the MLB playoff picture.

Complete Dom-ination

Remember when Dominic Smith returned from a three-month absence to end the 2019 regular season with a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the 11th inning against the Braves? The former first-round pick has carried those good vibes over into 2020, resulting in the hottest stretch of his major league career thus far. The gregarious Smith has been an RBI machine, driving in a team-leading 21 runs through 20 games. Smith also has ten doubles this season, tying him with Arizona’s Christian Walker for the National League lead. Smith’s brilliance has taken some of the pressure off Pete Alonso, whose sophomore season has gotten off to a sluggish start.

Though his role entering 2020 was uncertain, Smith has made the Mets look savvy by holding onto him this offseason.

Guillorme: La Barba de Fuerza

Luis Guillorme first appeared on fans’ radars in Spring Training of 2017, when he casually snatched a bat out of mid-air after it slipped from Adeiny Hechavarría’s grasp. That bit of baseball sorcery reinforced Guillorme’s reputation as a defensive wizard with impeccable instincts. Most who got their first glimpse of Guillorme that spring envisioned him as a Rey Ordóñez type, a flawless defender with limited offensive upside. While Guillorme didn’t provide much offensive value in his initial major league stint (.523 OPS in 74 plate appearances in 2018), he made small but noticeable improvements in the second half of 2019.

Guillorme’s transformation from defensive-minded backup to Tony Gwynn reincarnate may be an unexpected development, but it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, Guillorme’s breakout can be traced back to August of last season. On August 10, 2019, in the eighth inning of a critical game against the Nationals, Guillorme strode into the box as a pinch-hitter for Juan Lagares. At that point in his career, Guillorme had never gone deep at the major league level. But then, in what happened to be his 100th at-bat as a big leaguer, Guillorme turned on a fastball from Fernando Rodney and sent it flying over the right field fence. Guillorme’s solo shot tied the game and put the Mets in prime position to earn another comeback victory. From that point to the end of the season, Guillorme hit .345 with a .457 on-base percentage over 37 plate appearances.

As solid as he was in the second half of 2019, no one could have predicted Guillorme’s 2020 breakout at the plate. Exhibiting expert bat control, the infielder has recorded a remarkable .464 average in his first 28 at-bats of the year. It may be a small sample size, but Guillorme’s performance has been nothing short of eye-opening. He has proven, at the very least, that he deserves a chance to be more than a late-inning defensive replacement. And don’t forget, Guillorme also showed his versatility by pitching a scoreless inning in a blowout loss to the Nationals at Citi Field.

Shohei Ohtani, eat your heart out.

Rollicking Rookies

It didn’t take long for Andrés Giménez to win the hearts of the Flushing Faithful. The rookie has given the Mets an element they’ve lacked in recent years: Gold Glove-caliber defense on the infield, along with gap power and game-changing speed. Giménez has held his own at the plate, but it’s what he does when he reaches base that is truly impressive. Though he’s started just 13 games, Giménez has stolen six bases without getting caught. As of August 21st, those six steals are tied for the major league lead.

For more on Giménez, click here

Another rookie, David Peterson, has added stability to a starting rotation that was severely weakened by Noah Syndergaard’s season-ending Tommy John surgery and Marcus Stroman’s decision to opt out. The left-hander has won three of his first four career starts, pitching at least five innings and allowing three runs or fewer in each of those appearances. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Peterson won’t wow anyone with his strikeout totals. His calling card is his poise, especially in pressure-filled situations. In his first four starts, Peterson has limited opponents to a .158/.304/.211 slashline with runners in scoring position — a testament to his resolve and ability to work out of trouble.

Previewing the Second Half

Despite the many positive developments of the first half, the Mets need to make significant improvements in certain key areas. The team currently leads the National League in on-base percentage, yet sits in the middle of the pack in terms of runs scored. Leaving runners on base has been a nagging issue for the club, which is hitting an abysmal .214 with men in scoring position.

Also of concern is the starting pitching. Jacob deGrom is still the ace of aces, and the aforementioned David Peterson has been reliable as well. The rest of the rotation has struggled, and Rick Porcello is the only starter (deGrom included), who has pitched into the seventh inning.

These issues may be troubling, but fans should keep in mind that the highly unusual nature of the season has affected many clubs adversely. If the Mets can keep their most important players healthy, they should be able to get over the .500 mark and back into playoff contention.