Just after the All-Star break, the Mets hitting coach Chili Davis suggested to outfielder Michael Conforto that he place the hitting tee a few inches closer when warming up in the batting cage before games. Conforto had developed a habit of swinging too hard and opening his lead shoulder prematurely.

This simple fix has yielded great results for Conforto. The left-handed slugger has batted .308 in 27 games since the break with nine home runs and a team-leading 21 R.B.I. — including his first career walk-off hit.

That type of steady production, alongside that of fellow outfielders J.D. Davis and Jeff McNeil, has helped the Mets become the hottest club in baseball: Entering Sunday, they had won 15 of 16, doubling up their opponents by outscoring them, 92-46.

The Washington Nationals finally halted the Mets’ eight-game win streak with a 7-4 win Sunday at Citi Field, keeping the Mets just outside of the playoff picture for now. But spirits remain high in Queens after the Mets, playing in front of large and lively crowds all weekend, staked claim to the majors’ best record since the All-Star Game. Since mid-July they’ve leapfrogged seven National League clubs in the standings to claw within a game of a postseason berth.