The Mets return as one of the National League’s favorites, but if they have an Achilles heel, it’s their defense, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes. The team’s two key new position players, Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera, rate as significantly below average at their positions, adding to a team defense that was exposed in the World Series last year. “We’re always looking to upgrade both offensively and defensively,” says Mets GM Sandy Alderson. “But I’d say generally speaking, we have a bias toward offense. I think you see that reflected up the middle for us – (Travis) D’Arnaud, Cabrera, Walker, (Yoenis) Cespedes.” Of course, as Rosenthal notes, the Mets’ pitching staff still figures to have a very high strikeout rate, and the offense should be potent. I’d add that while the Mets’ up-the-middle defense doesn’t look to be strong in 2016, and while the team’s defense struggled at times in late October, the Mets’ 2015 fielders actually graded out decently overall. They’ll also be returning some of their better-rated defenders, including Michael Conforto, Curtis Granderson and the improving d’Arnaud, along with many pitchers who have posted good defensive numbers. Here’s more from New York.
- The Mets will be very careful this season with their young pitchers’ health, writes MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. The team will have Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz all begin Grapefruit League action a bit late, and will monitor their progress throughout the season. “We’ve got to get them ready, but it will be a slower process,” says manager Terry Collins. “And we will be careful of them early in the season, because we expect them to be pitching in October again.”
- Jim Henderson, one of the Mets’ non-roster invitees, has a June 15 opt-out on his minor league contract, Newsday’s Marc Carig tweets. Henderson has not pitched in the Majors since 2014 and threw only 35 2/3 innings in 2015 while making his way back from a shoulder injury, so as Carig notes, the opt-out gives the Mets a bit of time to evaluate his progress.
God people so overrate the mets pitchers. Noah and Matz have less then one full season of pitching. Yet people act like they’re the second coming of Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson combined. Luis Severino was just as high rated as Maz and no one is calling him an ace.
Severino has a much more questionsble frame, a lot of people questioned him even starting. But yeah matz is a 3 long term which is still good. The other 3 are aces though so just having matz and wheeler as 3’s ag thd back end is still strong.
I think you might understand the hype if you actually watched them pitch.
Yankees fans just can’t deal with the fact that as long as the mets don’t screw this all up. The mets will be in a golden age kind of what the yanks were in in the mid to late 90s. You just can’t stand that the mets are better. Yankees have players that have all been way overhyped. Hughes , baneulois, Kennedy and Joba. The huge difference is the mets have more quality. Harvey and Degrom are already better then any pitcher on the Yankees staff and within baseball as well. Noah has the repertoire to be even greater and Matz and wheeler are going to round out the rotation by years end. Get over it people. Just watch.
“Harvey and Degrom are already better then any pitcher on the Yankees staff and within baseball as well.”
Can you clarify the second part of your comment?
I can help. Harvey and deGrom are going into their third year in the bigs, Matz and Thor their second. Harvey or deGrom would be the solid ace in virtually any rotation in the majors and would be 1As in some only due to experience. Syndergaard, Matz, and Wheeler would be easy 2s in any. 4 of the 5 now have World Series experience, which is a trying field that adds years of poise that belie their age. The biggest part of why the Braves were division winners for 15 years were their three aces in Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz. The Mets have 5 of those, and keep El Guapo around in case someone gets hurt. There is simply no better rotation, 1-5, in baseball than the Mets right now and it only gets better when Wheeler gets back. The floor on these guys is likely 15 wins each.
I agree 100 % Stankees fans can’t take being 2nd fiddle to the NEW YORK METS . As us mets fans were for so many years . PAYBACKS A BITCH. HAHAHAHA
Hey Wedge, do you think all 5 make it on the first ballot or will Wheeler have to wait until year 2 for his Cooperstown plaque?
I totally agree Yankee fans can’t take being 2nd fiddle to the Mets now . Us Mets fans are getting our revenge on the Stankees now
I agree 100% Stankees fan can’t take being 2nd fiddle to the NEW YORK METS . as us Mets fans were for so many years . Paybacks a BITCH HAHAHAHA
Somebody hasn’t actually watched them pitch lol.
Maybe he is and maybe he ain’t???
Guess I’m really getting old. When I saw the name Henderson listed in the title my mind automatically went to Steve Henderson whom I believed played with them back in late 70’s and early 80’s.
It’s amazing the jealousy of the Yankee fans. It’s our time for a change and the cry baby Yankee fans cannot deal with the rebuilding that is needed in the Bronx. Get over it. The mets have the best pitching in baseball
It’s time to rebuild in the Bronx. Get over it and face it. It happens. The mets have the best pitching in baseball. Oh the jealousy
Sour grapes from Yankee fans.They only wish that they had the Mets starters.
Matz has never pitched even 150 innings in a season. Severino, as many scouts have pointed out, doesn’t use the lower half of his body at all, and guys like that are generally relegated to relief because they can’t handle a starter’s workload.
Like all Yankees fans. Always comparing!!!! Joba and Hughes were supposed to be the one two punch yet there not even on the team. Those two guys wouldn’t even make the Mets rotation Let’s take over NY. Let’s go Mets
Anyone who can say anything negative about mets pitching isn’t a baseball fan. You may be a Yankee fan or a nationals fan but u can’t be a baseball fan if u have negatives about the mets starting 4 (5 soon). With all training wheels off Harvey and degrom, this year has the potential for complete brilliance from them. Noah showed flashes last year and really took the bull by the horns in the World Series and playoffs. With a full year under his belt, he has the makeup to be the better of the group and with his understanding of the game and the attitude he showed against the royals I think he finally may harness the mental with the physical and dominate in year two. Matz being a lefty is huge. He too technically has better stuff than even degrom but he has to work on the mental part first. And he will have some limits. But if he puts it together he could be just as good as any of them, throwing as hard and filthy as he does and coming from the left side only helps. When wheeler gets back hopefully he can try and pick up where he was two years ago and be a solid and wild pitcher. Maybe a year out has helped him focus more and might develop him to a more rounded pitcher. I think by end of this year we can possibly see noah Harvey and degrom neck and beck as the dominant of the group with matz and wheeler strong number 2s. Add to it that this year, unlike most of last year, the pitchers won’t have the added stress of having to throw a shutout each game for the chance of winning 1-0. With an offense to supplement, I think that only furthers the skillset of this remarkable pitching staff.
Well said. With Molina rising through the minors its just a matter of time before Wheeler is traded for even more talent. To be able to trade a prospect like Fulmer and not even notice it or care is amazing. Think of the rotation crunch they would have had in 2017 if they were all healthy. Harvey, DeGrom, Thor, Wheeler, Matz , Fulmer, Molina, and Montero. Their AAA rotation would have been better than some in MLB. The Mets have a very bright future. Especially considering they have yet to promote most of their higher regarded positional players. Mets, Cubs and Dodgers will be duking it out for quite awhile.
walker may be a below average defensive 2B but he’s replacing murphy who was like 65% of that exposed mets defense in the series all by himself, and is gone. so walker isn’t really making things any worse, probably actually a bit better.
cespedes in center field, now, yeah, ok… could be dicey