To say the Mets are expected to blow this year would be an understatement. Still, I am sticking with the opinion that, with the right breaks, namely the vanishing of injuries that have plagued the team the past few seasons, I believe that the Mets can be a competitive team. By competitive I mean maybe play for a wild-card spot. Here is why...
They Mets are going to hit. Reyes is in a contract year and green looks the same in both English and Spanish. He looks like hes primed for a huge season.
David Wright should benefit from the departure of Howard Johnson. He already looks more comfortable at the plate than he did for much of last year..hopefully that will translate into less swinging and missing badly at breaking balls thrown into the dugout. I have a honey-moonishly early season sense of optimism that he can start playing like he did a few years ago where he was one of the games top players.
Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran are the wild cards. The Mets success will hinge on their health. Bay needs to prove that he can not only stay healthy, but that he is still a top tier player. He was one of the best players in the league just 2 years ago and all of a sudden he almost feels like an after thought. The fact that he has been tinkering with his batting stance all of spring training is a cause for concern. Beltran is different. If he's playing he will produce. How much can we truly expect from him though? I know TC is going to give him plenty of rest but I have a bad feeling about Beltran staying on the field this year.
Ike Davis is going to be a stud this year...next question.
I think the Mets also have upgraded big time at the catcher and 2B position. Behind the dish Josh Thole has already gained the confidence and praise of the pitching staff and he looks like he will be a very solid hitter who can hit for average and has a little bit of pop, even though he is more of a line drive hitter. Between Emaus and Murphy at second I have confidence that we can at least get more production than we have in the past from this position. Even though Murphy looks comical at times fielding the position his pop off the bench will be appreciated. In Emaus I see a surprisingly confident rookie whose steady play will be a pleasant surprise.
Angel Pagan has been quiet in the infancy period of this season but all Mets fans know that he has the potential to be a game changer. He is exceptionally fast, adept with the stick and meticulous with the glove.
The bench is an area of concern and could play a large role in how the Mets fare this season. Yes, Willie Harris as been nasty in his few days replacing Bay but I can't get over the fact that he batted sub 200 last year. Duda...? Big guy with pop but it's tough to have faith in a guy named Duda. Our utility infielder is Hu. Who the hell is Hu? He had a solid glove all through camp but I'm yawning just thinking about all of the dribblers he's going to hit when he plays. Our back up catcher, Paulino is serving out an 8 game suspension for using steroids that didn't make him any better. One player I am excited about it Scott Hairston. He absolutely hit the tits off the ball in camp and I think he can be one of those players who produces in big spots this year.
The bench will need to prove its worth and the entire team will need to enjoy the injury bug. Those 2 huge hurdles aside, this is a very talented team offensively and arguably the best offensive team (if everything goes as I expect) in the NL East....Come Get Some!
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| Expect a big season from Reyes |
David Wright should benefit from the departure of Howard Johnson. He already looks more comfortable at the plate than he did for much of last year..hopefully that will translate into less swinging and missing badly at breaking balls thrown into the dugout. I have a honey-moonishly early season sense of optimism that he can start playing like he did a few years ago where he was one of the games top players.
Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran are the wild cards. The Mets success will hinge on their health. Bay needs to prove that he can not only stay healthy, but that he is still a top tier player. He was one of the best players in the league just 2 years ago and all of a sudden he almost feels like an after thought. The fact that he has been tinkering with his batting stance all of spring training is a cause for concern. Beltran is different. If he's playing he will produce. How much can we truly expect from him though? I know TC is going to give him plenty of rest but I have a bad feeling about Beltran staying on the field this year.
 |
| Ike Davis...Come Get Some |
I think the Mets also have upgraded big time at the catcher and 2B position. Behind the dish Josh Thole has already gained the confidence and praise of the pitching staff and he looks like he will be a very solid hitter who can hit for average and has a little bit of pop, even though he is more of a line drive hitter. Between Emaus and Murphy at second I have confidence that we can at least get more production than we have in the past from this position. Even though Murphy looks comical at times fielding the position his pop off the bench will be appreciated. In Emaus I see a surprisingly confident rookie whose steady play will be a pleasant surprise.
Angel Pagan has been quiet in the infancy period of this season but all Mets fans know that he has the potential to be a game changer. He is exceptionally fast, adept with the stick and meticulous with the glove.
The bench is an area of concern and could play a large role in how the Mets fare this season. Yes, Willie Harris as been nasty in his few days replacing Bay but I can't get over the fact that he batted sub 200 last year. Duda...? Big guy with pop but it's tough to have faith in a guy named Duda. Our utility infielder is Hu. Who the hell is Hu? He had a solid glove all through camp but I'm yawning just thinking about all of the dribblers he's going to hit when he plays. Our back up catcher, Paulino is serving out an 8 game suspension for using steroids that didn't make him any better. One player I am excited about it Scott Hairston. He absolutely hit the tits off the ball in camp and I think he can be one of those players who produces in big spots this year.
The bench will need to prove its worth and the entire team will need to enjoy the injury bug. Those 2 huge hurdles aside, this is a very talented team offensively and arguably the best offensive team (if everything goes as I expect) in the NL East....Come Get Some!
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