And perhaps most damning of all — opposing pitchers aren’t even trying to be clever about it anymore.On Tuesday, MLB insider Buster Olney joined Dave Rothenberg and Rick DiPietro on their ESPN New York show, and what he had to say after watching the Mets take on the Dodgers in person should be concerning.“The thing that really jumped out to me in seeing them in person in LA was how disrespectfully they were being pitched,” Olney said, via YouTube. “There’s that sense of... they’re throwing so many fastballs — the Dodgers were, then the Cubs — and it’s like, we’re going to throw you fastballs and you can’t hit it, and even if you did hit it, it’s not going anywhere.”Olney didn’t stop at the eye test.

He reached out to an expert to get the hard numbers behind what he was seeing, and the data is brutal. The Mets are 30th out of 30 teams in OPS against fastballs with a .642 mark. They’re also last in the league in damage against fastballs clocked at 97 mph or above.

Mets moneyline is -162 on FanDuel for Tuesday’s series opener versus the Twins. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review shows you how to sign up and navigate their site. Dead last.

In both categories. Out of 30 teams.What makes it even more alarming is the compounding effect. The Mets don’t just struggle to hit fastballs — they also struggle to work counts and draw walks.

As Olney pointed out, even with the automated ball-strike system in play this year — which has generally caused walk rates to rise across baseball — the Mets still aren’t getting on base for free. They’re chasing pitches out of the zone while also whiffing on the ones served up right in the middle of the plate. It’s a uniquely terrible combination.And then there’s Francisco Lindor.

The shortstop is supposed to be the engine of this offense while Juan Soto recovers from injury. He’s supposed to be the guy steadying the ship. But as Olney noted, Lindor had just one RBI at the time of the conversation — and it came on a solo home run, meaning he wasn’t even driving in runners on base.Will Soto’s return change the narrative?

Olney acknowledged that the former Yankee is one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball and could create a ripple effect through the lineup.MORE SPORTS COVERAGEWhere to watch the Lightning game today vs the Canadiens (4/21): FREE NHL live stream NFL Hall of Famer spotted at Senate hearing for a Trump nominee. Why was he there? Ex-Giants kicker slams US Senator for ‘cheering’ reports of U.S. military failureHis father used to feed Rutgers football.

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