Surging Mauricio sums up Mets' September dilemma

NEW YORK -- Every remaining game on the Mets’ 2023 schedule will come against a team on the National League playoff bubble. That gives club officials both a duty and a choice: The Mets want, in manager Buck Showalter's words, to be fair to every other team. They also want to position themselves as smartly as possible for future success.

Both factors were on display Monday night throughout a 4-3 defeat to the D-backs at Citi Field, during which the Mets fought and clawed and ultimately fell to an Arizona club clinging to the final NL Wild Card spot.

“This time of the year, when you’re facing teams playing for something, it’s really good for us,” said starting pitcher José Quintana, who allowed two runs in five innings to take a no-decision. “We need to show something to play against these guys in the race for the playoffs.”

The Mets must do that, however, while staying true to their own needs. For example, the Mets won’t stretch Quintana, Kodai Senga or any of their relief pitchers as much as they would in a more competitive environment. In recent weeks, Showalter has backed off the workloads of Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino and rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez. He has also used the opportunity to take long looks at rookies Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, who might not have received so much run had the Mets still been in contention.

The results have been mixed. Mauricio, for example, remained a one-man highlight reel on Monday: The Mets' No. 4 prospect doubled home two runs in the fourth inning, then walked and made a daring steal of third base with one out in a ninth-inning comeback attempt that fell just short.

Relievers Trevor Gott and Drew Smith, however, continued to struggle in their attempts to prove themselves for the 2024 bullpen. Gott gave up a game-tying homer to former Met Tommy Pham in the eighth, while Smith allowed the go-ahead double to Ketel Marte in the ninth.

“They’re playing for something,” Quintana said of the D-backs. “They try to compete every at-bat.”

The Mets will continue to see the same dynamic this week against a club trying to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. They’ll see something similar this weekend against a Reds club that’s chasing Arizona, then next week against two more playoff contenders in Miami and Philadelphia. After those series, the Mets will conclude their season with home rematches against the Marlins and Phillies. None of those clubs sit more than two games out of a playoff berth.

Through it all, Showalter, general manager Billy Eppler and other team officials will continue evaluating and judging, hoping to be as fair as possible to their rivals while still doing what they need to do to prepare for 2024.

“You’re trying to bridge both those things, and we can,” Showalter said. “It’s a juggling act, trying to be fair ethically but also be fair to us, trying to get as many looks at guys and trying to get ahead of things. Every at-bat, every game gets you a better catalog, so to speak, because obviously we’re going to have some decisions to make between now and next April.”