Either way, the leadership void was an issue.

And as much as Pete Alonso has tried to fill it a bit, his optimistic words as the Mets' season was slipping away did not help.

The addition of Max Scherzer should help when it comes to accountability in the clubhouse, but what does Showalter plan to do to clean things up?

How close are the Mets to a World Series?

The Mets' collapse from first place team at the All-Star break in 2021 to out of contention by mid-September was so ugly that it's easy to forget one of the main reasons why it happened.

New York was decimated by injuries last season, which is why their lead at the break wasn't bigger. And it's why the Atlanta Braves were close enough to go for it at the deadline, eventually overtake the Mets, and go on to win their first World Series since 1995.

But in addition to all of the Mets' injuries, most of their offensive players underperformed last season at a level that was shocking. And their rotation, aside from Marcus Stroman, collapsed without Jacob deGrom.

The additions of Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar should help the offense, and the Scherzer signing gives the Mets a two-headed monster atop the rotation.

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