Mets Make April Very Confusing for Their Fans

As every season comes and goes we all know the optimism that Opening day brings. This year, In particular, has a different excitement. The Mets started off the season in Washington and Atlanta, finishing with a record of 3-3. Not bad but not good. During this time period the Mets lost closer Jenry Mejia to an 80 game suspension. Although most years this would make me nervous this year it did not because Jeurys Familia. He stepped in and promptly made himself comfortable. He would only give up 2 runs in 13 games this season. 

Image Credit: Getty Images

The Metropolitans then traveled back to Queens for their home opener. The buzz at the stadium was one that I haven’t felt since I attended opening day back in 2007. What happened next was, to Mets fans at least, a miracle. The team would go to win their next ten ballgames. Their streak was at 11. They were pitching amazing. Colon in his first 4 starts won all of them. He looked like a blast from his past. He also didn’t look like a 40 year old over weigh pitcher. De Grom although not at his sharpest still managed to get the win in his first two starts (opening day and home opener). Last but not least Matt “Dark Knight” Harvey made his return to the mound for the amazins’. He looked as if he never missed a step. He is 5-0 with a 2.41 era in as many starts. The other great thing about this is that we lost three key cogs in Wright, D’Arnaud, and Blevins. All of whom were off to flaming hot starts. As Mets fans you felt as if the team would never lose again. Obviously we were wrong.

Image Credit: Rob Foldy/Getty Images​

The stage was set for this year’s first edition of the Subway Series. The Mets and Yankees both off to good starts were heading for a crash course in the Bronx. The first night De Grom would get lit up in front of a pro-Mets crowd. Harvey would shut down the Bombers the next game. The last game, a ESPN Sunday Night prime time game, would be eventful to say the least but the Mets would eventually fall due to errors by their inept middle infielders (Murphy and Flores). Including that series the Mets would lose 7 of the next 10. Mostly impart to a stagnant offense and terrible infield defense by, you guess it, the middle infielders.

As a Mets fan if I told you in March that we would be 16-10 and 3.5 games in first you’d take it. Although I feel as if we will win a lot of ball games I still feel as if we have major question marks. To start the combination of Murphy and Flores up the middle has been terrible. They have cost us to many games already this season. Flores has shown pop at the plate but not enough to mask his defense. Murphy has been in a slump since day one and his defense isn’t helping.

Next up, The Mets offense at times has shown life. We can get on base and we don’t strike out at a high rate. Duda and Lagares have looked great at the plate. This however has not translated into runs. This past weekend we lost back to back ballgames 1-0. This can’t happen, we have to much pitching to just waste superb starts. 

All in all I still feel confident that this team is for real. It’s just the Met fan in me that makes me worry after ever loss that we may lose ten in a row. If the Rotation and Bullpen hold up and the lineup and young guns can produce life in the offense we could be looking at a 90 win team. For now Mets Fans we shall sit and wait. 

Gallo 

Twitter: @PicoDe_Gallo

METS SEASON PREVIEW: Is the Magic Back?

​In the spring of 1980, The Mets brass and Marketing people came up with this slogan, "The Magic is back." It was cheesy and a few years to early. The Mets were horrible for the next few years, finally turning the corner in 1985 and breaking through for the magical 1986 season. Now that the history lesson is done, it begs to ask the question this question, “Is the Magic Back?”

​After the Metropolitans sixth straight losing season where they went 79-83, we wonder what’s in store. This has been the year that we have been waiting so long for. This year is the year, Mets fans, are supposed to be expecting improvement. The cold winter has past and the spring is starting and that means baseball is back!

​The Mets went into the season with major holes. They needed a corner outfielder with some pop, a SS to who can field and produce in the lineup, and to sure up the bench and bullpen. They made waves or at least a splash early in the offseason when they signed veteran outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a two year 21 million dollar deal. They 35 year old outfielder won the Batting Title two seasons previous to this year. He is also coming off a season where he only played in 49 games. He will definitely bring improvement to an outfield that struggled to hit for much power at all. He will also play in games at first base against lefties on days the Mets want to give Lucas Duda a day off. Cuddyer is coming off a strong spring where he hit 6 home runs, hopefully this is an indication that his bat will help this stagnant offense.

Photo Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets spent most of the offseason talking to teams about acquiring a Shortstop. Nothing ever manifested from these conversations so the Mets will go into the season with once promising prospect Wilmer Flores starting at short. Flores has been a name that you heard out of the farm system for the last few years. He will enter the season with 105 games under his belt as a big leaguer. This means that he still has a lot to prove and it leaves some mystery to his ability. He started the spring off hot, he eventually cooled down after a minor foot injury. He finished the spring hitting .266 and 2 homers in 64 at bats. Flores bat isn’t the biggest question mark about the young ball player, it’s his glove. Last year his range and ability to just flat out play defense came under fire. This spring he has looked like a more capable player at what some call the most important position on the field. His teammates are confident in him, “After this year is over, I foresee everybody saying, ‘I’m really glad we didn’t make a move at shortstop because this guy was really good,” David Wright said of Flores in an article written by Matt Ehalt of northjersey.com. If Flores could keep his strike outs down and his average around .250 while playing serviceable defense he will be just fine as the Mets SS.

​The Mets, outside of their starting pitching, where not a very deep team. This winter Sandy Alderson addressed these concerns. First, he made an addition to the bench with the signing of John Mayberry Jr. Mayberry once a top prospect in the Phillies system played in 78 games for both the Phillies and Blue Jays. He will mostly play outfield and a little first base for the Mets. He can provide some pop off the bench and fill in when needed. The Mets also needed to sure up the bullpen. Josh Edgin was supposed to be the go-to lefty out of the pen but his season came to an end when he suffered an injury which has resulted in him having Tommy John surgery. This created a vacant spot in the bullpen. The Mets select Sean Gilmartin in the rule 5 draft. This move was not the last they would make. Alderson waited till late in the spring and made a pair of moves to acquire lefty pitchers Jerry Blevins from the Nats and Alex Torres from the Padres. Both have plenty of experience and both can help the big league club.

​Even with the moves the Mets made there are still plenty of question marks on the roster. The Mets lost young stud pitcher Zack Wheeler for the season to Tommy John. They have a number of pitchers coming back from the same surgery. Closer Bobby Parnell and the Mets own Dark Knight Matt Harvey. Parnell is not due back till mid-april and Harvey has had an amazing spring. The Mets ace finished the spring with 22.2 innings pitched striking out 21 and only giving up 3 earned runs. The Mets will have plenty of Starting Pitching to go around this year. They have plenty of prospects in the wings, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz to name a couple.

​When it comes to the returning offense your first thoughts are David Wright and Curtis Granderson. They both are coming off very poor seasons. Wright had his worst season to date where he battled injuries and hit only 8 homers. Granderson had a typical season hitting 20 home runs and 20+ doubles but his average was sub .230 and he struck out way too much. The Mets must also see more consistency out of Travis D’Arnaud in the catcher spot and center fielder Juan Lagares who hits leadoff. The Mets brought in Yankees former hitting coach Kevin Long. This spring the team has looked stronger offensively. The Mets players have had nothing but great things to say about the new coach. “He’s one of the best at his job in the league,” the Mets’ David Wright said of Long. “He commands respect from Day 1. He’s an attention grabber. As hitters, we tend to gravitate toward him because he’s worked with some of the best players in the game.” This coming from Tim Rohan of the NY Times.

Image Credit: Ryan Stone; NY Times

​With The Nationals boosting their pitching staff and the Marlins retooling the Mets will have some serious competition in the division. The Padres and Cubs are two other NL teams that improved drastically this winter. I still believe the Nationals will win the East but the Mets will have a chance at one of the two Wild Card spots. I believe that the Mets will win anywhere from 83-86 games this year. The wild card winner has averaged around 88 wins the last few seasons.

​When it comes down to it this is the best Mets team we have had since the opening of Citi Field. With an offense hopefully improved and a pitching staff ready to take over baseball we can have a ray of hope. These Mets will be relevant and we hope this season is Magical. The Future right now is bright.

 

BY: Gallo @PicoDe_Gallo

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José Pirela Injury, Stephen Drew Still Struggles, and Roy Halladay Isn't a Fan of A-Rod

One of the New York Yankees' top prospects José Pirela sustained a concussion after crashing into the center-field wall on a play in the first inning that ended up an inside-the-park home run for the New York Mets' Juan Lagares.

Image Credit: (John Bazemore | AP)

Pirela, who complained of dizziness, was taken by ambulance from the complex to Tradition Medical Center, where a brain CT scan and a cervical MRI both came back negative and he was released from the hospital. But he does have a concussion, the Yankees tweeted. He will be out an indefinite period.

With manager Joe Girardi looking on earlier Sunday, a Yankees trainer examined Pirela, a versatile 25-year-old who has played several positions this spring. Pirela was able to walk and was helped into a golf cart.

Pirela had been hot this spring, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with three doubles and two triples; he was appearing to play himself into the lineup, especially with the Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury out with an abdominal injury.

Pirela played briefly with the Yankees last year after being called up. He collected eight hits in 24 at-bats.

"You just don't know. Some guys respond quicker than others. You wouldn't think a second baseman has had a significant number [of concussions] like a catcher, so sometimes the response is quicker. We have to wait and see. I hope not," he said.

He also went on to say how valuable Pirela is and what he could provide for the Yankees. 

"He provides excitement with his speed, and we're moving him all around. We think he could possibly help us in a lot of different spots," Girardi said. "That makes a player very valuable when he can play four or five different spots on a field. That flexibility is a great thing to have."

José Pirela clearly seems to be a way better option than the current situation at second base Stephen Drew. 

Image Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Drew, who batted .162 last year for Boston and the Yankees, is hitting .161 this spring, after going 0 for 3 and striking out twice on Sunday.

Image ​Credit: baseball-reference.com

The Yanks have made clear that Drew is not competing for the second base job. He will be the Opening Day second baseman. But with the experts seeing a slow bat and wondering if the 32-year-old Drew is shot, you wonder if we’ll see Jose Pirela or Rob Refsnyder before summer.

"We signed him to be our second baseman," Girardi said. "Our plan for it is to be Stephen." 

He asked to play second base, a position he had never played much, having been a shortstop all of his career. In the first home game last week in spring Drew booted the first ball hit to him. He said afterwards he's still learning the right angles to take to the ball and that he's still getting comfortable playing the position. 

In the view of most scouts, Pirela is already far more deserving -- although the buzz on him accumulated before Sunday’s ugly concussion, which makes his immediate future uncertain. As for Refsnyder, expect defense closer to Daniel Murphy levels: Competent, but not exactly smooth. Pirela is more nimble and versatile.

One player that surprisingly has not been a disappointment this spring training is Alex Rodriguez, who is currently fighting for a spot on the Yankees as a DH. He has been having a decent spring training for a guy who didn't play at all during the 2014 season.

Image Credit: baseball-reference.com

But while many people have been pleasantly surprised with A-Rod, some people have not forgotten what he has done and continue to take jabs at him. You would like to say this little tweet by retired former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay was all in fun, but it was a needless, direct shot. Anyway, even with Alex Rodriguez on his best behavior, Halladay chose to take a dig at No. 13.

Image Credit: twitter.com/RoyHalladay

Then he followed that up with another Tweet:

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Seems like someone was getting feisty on social media in their retirement. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO