For several years, we heard about the tremendous potential of the New York Mets pitching. It was a story we had heard before, but in the 2015 season, fans of the Amazin’s were able to see that potential, with starters Matt Harvey, 2014 National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz, combined with an offensive burst from midseason acquisition Yoenis Cespedes, led the team to the postseason for the first time since 2006. A tremendous run in the 2015 Major League Baseball Playoffs led the Mets to the World Series for the first time since 2000. The Mets actually led each game of the 2015 World Series, but lost to the Kansas City Royals in five games. But, for the first time in nearly a decade, the Mets fan base is reenergized and the team is a legitimate contender to win it all, but can they?
The resigning of Cespedes of the biggest offseason move by the Mets, and the addition of shortstop Neil Walker and second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, combined with the emergence of second-year outfielder Michael Comforto, should ensure that the excellent pitching has a strong offensive attack to lead to postseason success.
Unfortunately, the Mets are off to a slow start, with a 2-3 record after the first week of the season. The team has scored just 14 runs in the first five games of the season, with a team batting average of .180 and an on base percentage of .275, all near or at the bottom of the Majors. Still, it is early in the season, and one offensive explosion will have a tremendous impact on early season statistics.
Is there anything wrong with Mets ace Matt Harvey? The Tri-State area product is off to a slow start in the 2016 season, losing his first two starts to the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies, striking out only 5 in 11.2 innings while allowing 7 runs, 6 of them earned.
The Mets should be one of the best teams in the Majors this season, but offensive struggles combined with a poor start by Matt Harvey, if prolonged, could derail the postseason aspirations of the team. Look for both to turnaround, and the Mets to fulfill their postseason aspirations.