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5 Things We Learned From New York Mets During First Quarter of 2015 MLB Season

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Brad Mills - USATODAY Sports

5 Things We Learned From New York Mets During First Quarter of 2015 MLB Season

Mets beat Nats
Brad Mills - USATODAY Sports

Roughly 25 percent of the way through the 2015 MLB season, not everything has been perfect for the New York Mets. But they are six games over .500 and just a half game behind the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East. There is still a lot baseball left to play and much to be decided, but here are five things we’ve learned about the Mets thus far in 2015.

5. The Pitching Is As Advertised

Matt Harvey New York Mets
Matt Marton - USATODAY Sports

5. The Pitching Is As Advertised

Matt Harvey New York Mets
Matt Marton - USATODAY Sports

The Mets knew heading into the season that much of their success would be dependent on pitching, and the pitching staff has not disappointed. The Mets have the second-best staff ERA in baseball, as Matt Harvey has come back strong from Tommy John surgery, Jacob deGrom has avoided a sophomore slump and Bartolo Colon got off to a sensational start. The Mets know that pitching is not something they need to worry about.

4. Wilmer Flores Is Still A Work in Progress at Shortstop

Wilmer Flores Mets
Anthony Gruppuso - USATODAY Sports

4. Wilmer Flores Is Still A Work in Progress at Shortstop

Wilmer Flores Mets
Anthony Gruppuso - USATODAY Sports

Flores has not taken the reigns at shortstop as the Mets were hoping he would. At times he's been fine, as Flores has provided some much-needed power, but he's had more than his fair share of defensive mishaps and has yet to be a consistent offensive force. With a quarter of the season in the books, Flores has done just enough to keep his job and still has work to do to become the player the Mets need him to be.

3. Lucas Duda Is For Real

New York Mets
Getty Images

3. Lucas Duda Is For Real

New York Mets
Getty Images

Duda finally broke out in 2014, and his follow-up performance thus far in 2015 has been even better. He's been the Mets' best hitter all season, to the point where he should garner serious All-Star consideration. Most importantly, he's been outstanding against lefties, which was a question mark coming into the season, allowing him to play every day and become a constant force in the Mets' lineup.

2. Offense Is A Major Issue

David Wright Travis d'Arnaud New York Mets
Brad Penner - USATODAY Sports

2. Offense Is A Major Issue

David Wright Travis d'Arnaud New York Mets
Brad Penner - USATODAY Sports

Despite how great Duda has been, the Mets' offense as a whole has gone cold for long stretches. To be fair, David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud have been absent most of the season after hot starts, but that doesn't change the fact that New York has struggled offensively. On a daily basis, the Mets don't know how they're going to score enough runs to win, and even with a great pitching staff that's a serious problem they have to solve.

1. They Can Compete In the NL East

New York Mets v Washington Nationals
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1. They Can Compete In the NL East

New York Mets v Washington Nationals
Getty Images

Roughly a quarter of the way through the season, the Mets only trail Washington by half a game in the NL East, and that's after holding onto first place for over a month. Despite the team's shortcomings, the pitching the Mets have is enough to keep them competitive with the Nationals all season. New York should start to get players back from injury soon, which may be enough to give them staying power towards the top of the NL East.

Bryan Zarpentine is a writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.
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