Daniel Vogelbach May 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach (32) in the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

After Tuesday’s night loss to the Atlanta Braves, the Mets fell to under .500 for the first time since May 16. There’s a lot of blame to go around for a New York team that’s largely struggled out of the gate. And while there’s two-thirds of the season still remaining, the likelihood that the Mets reach the 100-win mark, as they did last season, becomes increasingly less likely with each loss.

The Mets have lost four straight games and the team’s slumping offense is largely responsible for why they’ve fallen under .500. If you ask any Mets fan, one of the largest culprits for the team’s lack of offensive success is not Pete Alonso or Francisco Lindor, but rather a designated hitter, who is making just $1.5 million on the team with the largest payroll in the sport.

It’s been a rough go of things for Daniel Vogelbach, who has given the Mets close to zero production as the team’s primary DH. In the team’s 6-4 loss on Tuesday night in Atlanta, Vogelbach went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Vogelbach is now 6 for his last 47 with one extra-base hit, one RBI, and 16 strikeouts. 

He’s now hitting just .209/.345/.304 and his biggest asset— his on-base percentage, is not all that valuable considering he’s stolen zero bases in his eight-year MLB career and scored less than 200 runs. Vogelbach has just two home runs through 46 games this season and has a total of eight home runs in a Mets uniform, dating back to last season. With his power nowhere to be found, he isn’t bringing much to the table right now offensively. And his manager realizes it.

“Anytime someone’s not following their track record, you’re trying to get them back to it,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said regarding his overall level of concern with Vogelbach’s performance. “He’s frustrated. He knows how much better he’s capable of and he really wants to help the team win.”

The back of Vogelbach’s baseball card points to this ⅓ of the season being an anomaly. But just how long the reeling Mets can wait for his bat to come around remains to be seen.

[SNY on Twitter; photo from Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.