Friday, April 5, 2019

So Far, So Good... But, This Is the Mets


    Listen, I do not necessarily want to join the groups of people who are cynical of the Mets 5-2 start to begin the 2019 baseball season. That being said, while there are a lot of positives to talk about, being that this is the New York Mets - with their history as Exhibit A - I'm not ready to print playoff tickets, just yet.

    Let's start with the positive over the first seven games. So far, the Mets have won their first two series of the season, beating Washington at Nationals Park, and sweeping the Miami Marlins. Jacob deGrom indeed looks like the ace that won the Cy Young Award last season, with a career high 14 strikeouts in the final game in Miami, leading the Mets to a victory. Now, we just have to see if the other starting pitchers behind him will follow suit.

    It's been a little bit of up and down for Noah Syndergaard and Jason Vargas. As for Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, I certainly want to give them more time to see what their season will become.

    I'll get to the Mets bullpen shortly, but for now, I will move along to the lineup. You have to like what you are seeing from rookie first baseman Pete Alonso, and even Dom Smith, who has shown that he wants to be in the big leagues. Wilson Ramos has been another positive for New York, and with only two catchers currently on the Mets 25-man roster, he will have to continue to do so. All in all, so far, so good.

    Now, let's get to the concerns. Brandon Nimmo has struggled mightily out of the gate. Nimmo has struck out 14 times in his first 23 at-bats of the season. Not what you want from your projected leadoff hitter. I'm not worried yet, but I still don't think that we have seen the real Michael Conforto. While he is hitting .310, Conforto is still looking for his first RBI of the season. Juan Lagares is 2 for 15 to start the year, although we all know his glove is the reason he wears the uniform.

    Ever since Opening Day, second baseman Robinson Cano is 4 for 28 with one RBI in the six games since. If the Mets are to be any type of consistent offensive team, it starts with Cano.

    As for the rest of the starting lineup, if I haven't mentioned them, then they must be doing something right.

    That brings me to the bullpen, whose team earned run average(4.50) is over a run and a half higher than the starters(2.90). It seems as though guys are struggling to get anyone out, whether it's Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman, Luis Avilan, all the way to closer Edwin Diaz in non-save situations, although Diaz should not be used in non-save situations. That's an entirely different post. Your hope as a Mets fan is that those struggles will only be temporary, and while they have not come back to severely hurt the Mets, the law of averages say that eventually, they will, if things are not cleaned up.

    So, that is just my brief synopsis of the opening week that was for the New York Mets in the 2019 baseball season. Hopefully, at this time next week, we will be discussing the Mets at 10-4, and continuing an upward trend. After all, the Mets are currently tied for first place with the Bryce Harpers - I mean, Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.

    I did say currently, right?

So Far, So Good... But, This Is the Mets

    Listen, I do not necessarily want to join the groups of people who are cynical of the Mets 5-2 start to begin the 2019 baseball season....