Marcus Semien Struggling Amidst Mets’ Woes

MIAMI — Marcus Semien’s performance this season has been less than stellar, and he’s become something of a poster child for the Mets’ anemic offense.

In Sunday’s 4-0 defeat against the Marlins, Semien went 0-for-4. His day was marked by a double play after Brett Batty drew a walk at the start of the sixth inning in what was still a scoreless game.

His OPS for May sits at a disappointing .552.

While Semien isn’t the sole underperformer on the Mets, there was a brief spark at the start of this road trip, thanks to Bo Bichette, who hit three home runs in just two games.

Unfortunately, from Mark Vientos to Batty, the team hasn’t had much offensive output, especially missing the significant contributions from Juan Soto, who was out sick on Sunday.

Semien, now 35, was part of the trade last November that sent Brandon Nimmo to Texas. This move, orchestrated by President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, aimed to swap the remaining five years and $102.5 million of Nimmo’s contract for Semien’s $72 million deal. The Mets had hoped for some offense from Semien, but, well, it’s just not happening.

“I feel like we’re putting the ball in play, but we’re not really driving it,” Semien reflected. “I’m just working hard to time my swings and prepare for the speeds and off-speed pitches coming my way.”

Currently, Semien’s slash line stands at .214/.263/.297, with merely three home runs to his name.

“It’s been a challenging time for him, but he’s dedicated and works at it every day,” manager Carlos Mendoza commented. “We hope he can break through. He’s been around long enough to know what it takes.”

Mendoza, when pressed about his worries regarding Semien’s potential decline, replied, “I’m not concerned because I see him putting in the effort behind the scenes. We trust him, given his track record. We need to keep moving forward and support him.”