This story was taken from Anthony Dicomo’s Mets Beat newspaper. Read the full newspaper Click here. And Subscribe To find it regularly in your inbox.

In some cases, the real season for the 2022 meters begins today.

For the past six weeks, the Braves have been cunning against the Mets. Eastern League Eastern LeaderOnce up to 10 1/2 games tall. That’s a small offense. Since the first week of May, the World Series of Champions has simply put pressure on the Mets without seeing them.

The last part is about to change. Monday is not only the first of three games played in Atlanta this week, but the first of the last 15 between the two clubs. Anyone who wins a lot is more likely to win the category.

“It’s a fun time” short stop Francis Linder He said. “We’re past the middle of the year. So I think every game is now, especially in the category – I don’t want to say a little more, but they have to be stronger. … It’s still a long time, but now it’s a short season.

Although Phillips or Marlins may still make noise in the NL East, Philadelphia, in particular, seems like a wild card threat, the room will probably go down to the Mets and Braves. Those teams combined sports on Monday with a 98.4% chance of winning, according to Fangraphs predictions to prevent the Braves from winning the fifth straight NL East Cup with Mets.

“I expect the division to be very close,” Lindor said.

Much of the optimism in New York is that the Mets have built their leadership. Without the service of James And – For seven weeks – Max Sherzer, so the two will get better when they start two out of five games in the second half. Scherzer is already back on the injury list and Mets’ decision to give him an extra day off puts him in contention for Monday’s opening game in Atlanta.

Manager Buck Showalter insisted that this was a coincidence, and that he would never change the rotation of the midfield for matches – “You can’t make one game more important than another this season,” Schulter said.

Lindor disagrees, saying that the music of the day poses a challenge. It is true that the games in April are on the same level as the games in July, but the attitude of the players is changing. Pressure increases. That’s why Lindor expects to see more one-time games and late dramas in the second half of this week.

The Mets fall short of the series, with both James McCain and Starring Marte injured and Jeff McNell leading the list. But New York will be ready for this show with the Braves.

“They’re going to get everyone’s best punch,” Lindor said. “They’re the targets. They’re the last champion team. They’re a team that wants what everyone has. And we understand how good they are.”