Coming out of the All-Star Break, the New York Mets will have an anthill to climb to get back into first place. They trail the Philadelphia Phillies by a half-game, which isn’t such a poor place to be. It’s a two-team race in the NL East. Unlike past years when a Wild Card seems a definite consolation prize, this year might not have much room for the runner-up in the division to make it to October. Winning the NL East is a priority.
There is no greater check point of the season than the All-Star Break to divide the night and day of the season.