Post by #1 Jays Fan on Mar 25, 2008 18:56:16 GMT -5
Last season: 88-74, 2nd in N.L. East
Manager: Willie Randolph, 4th season, 268-218 (.551) career record
New faces: RHP Tony Armas (PIT), C Raul Casanova (TB), RHP Andy Cavazos (STL), OF Ryan Church (WSH), OF Brady Clark (SD), OF Angel Pagan (CHC), 1B Olmedo Saenz (LAD), LHP Johan Santana (MIN), C Brian Schneider (WSH), RHP Matt Wise (MIL)
Left town: C Mike DiFelice (TB), C Johnny Estrada (WSH), LHP Tom Glavine (ATL), OF Carlos Gomez (MIN), OF Shawn Green (free agent), RHP Brian Lawrence (KC), C Paul Lo Duca (WSH), OF Lasting Milledge (WSH), RHP Guillermo Mota (MIL), OF David Newhan (HOU)
Overview: Much money was spent and expectations were high last season for New York's "other team". In the end, the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 games to play and didn't even qualify for the Wild Card. Manager Willie Randolph will be under a lot of pressure in his fourth season. The arrival of Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young award winner in the American League gives them a bonafide ace and will take a lot of pressure off the aging and brittle Pedro Martinez. The future is now in Queens as the Mets dealt away a chunk of their future to get Santana and they play their final season in Shea Stadium. Age and injuries will be key and they already lost 41-year-old left fielder Moises Alou in spring training to a hernia, while 42-year-old right-hander Orlando Hernandez has a foot injury that will keep him out off the mound until the end of March. And so it begins ...
Stat to ponder: Look no further than the Mets' 5.11 ERA in September as the main reason why they blew a seven-game lead with 17 to play to finish one game behind hated rival Philadelphia. Top prospect: OF Fernando Martinez: At just 19-years-old, he was the youngest player in double-A last season and, despite injuries, is projected as a 30-plus home run hitter with power to all fields.
Hitting
2007 AVG: .275 (7th), RUNS/GAME: 4.96 (10th), HR: 177 (10th)
On paper this team should score a lot of runs. The top of the order is fleet of foot and finds ways to get on base. The middle of the order, when healthy, has three proven run producers. The key will be how former Nationals players Ryan Church and Brian Schneider respond to playing in the New York pressure-cooker. Carlos Delgado needs to return to form after putting up career-lows in average, home runs and RBI. He already missed a bunch of games this spring with a hip impingement. Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright are perennial All-Stars and Endy Chavez will fill in for Alou until he returns from injury. Lots of great players with lots of question marks. This should be a very interesting summer in the boroughs of New York.
Pitching
2007 ERA: 4.26 (12th), OPP AVG: .255 (5th)
Where would the Mets have been last season without a pair of unsung, 15-game winners in John Maine and Oliver Perez. If they can replicate those numbers in 2008, Santana can be Santana and Pedro can be the Pedro of old, this is a formidable rotation. If they falter, the Mets will have to hope that highly regarded right-hander Mike Pelfrey can step in and live up to his advance billing. Lefty closer Billy Wagner saved 34 games last season, but like the rest of the bullpen, he faltered, when he was needed most, down the stretch (four blown saves and a 6.16 ERA in his last 19 appearances). The Santana trade rid the team of some young arms which has left the staff, as a whole, vulnerable, should injuries pop up.
Statsman's non-binding prediction: First in the East. Anything short of the playoffs, with what they gave up to bring in Santana, and Willie Randolph will be looking for a new job next fall.
Manager: Willie Randolph, 4th season, 268-218 (.551) career record
New faces: RHP Tony Armas (PIT), C Raul Casanova (TB), RHP Andy Cavazos (STL), OF Ryan Church (WSH), OF Brady Clark (SD), OF Angel Pagan (CHC), 1B Olmedo Saenz (LAD), LHP Johan Santana (MIN), C Brian Schneider (WSH), RHP Matt Wise (MIL)
Left town: C Mike DiFelice (TB), C Johnny Estrada (WSH), LHP Tom Glavine (ATL), OF Carlos Gomez (MIN), OF Shawn Green (free agent), RHP Brian Lawrence (KC), C Paul Lo Duca (WSH), OF Lasting Milledge (WSH), RHP Guillermo Mota (MIL), OF David Newhan (HOU)
Overview: Much money was spent and expectations were high last season for New York's "other team". In the end, the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 games to play and didn't even qualify for the Wild Card. Manager Willie Randolph will be under a lot of pressure in his fourth season. The arrival of Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young award winner in the American League gives them a bonafide ace and will take a lot of pressure off the aging and brittle Pedro Martinez. The future is now in Queens as the Mets dealt away a chunk of their future to get Santana and they play their final season in Shea Stadium. Age and injuries will be key and they already lost 41-year-old left fielder Moises Alou in spring training to a hernia, while 42-year-old right-hander Orlando Hernandez has a foot injury that will keep him out off the mound until the end of March. And so it begins ...
Stat to ponder: Look no further than the Mets' 5.11 ERA in September as the main reason why they blew a seven-game lead with 17 to play to finish one game behind hated rival Philadelphia. Top prospect: OF Fernando Martinez: At just 19-years-old, he was the youngest player in double-A last season and, despite injuries, is projected as a 30-plus home run hitter with power to all fields.
Hitting
2007 AVG: .275 (7th), RUNS/GAME: 4.96 (10th), HR: 177 (10th)
On paper this team should score a lot of runs. The top of the order is fleet of foot and finds ways to get on base. The middle of the order, when healthy, has three proven run producers. The key will be how former Nationals players Ryan Church and Brian Schneider respond to playing in the New York pressure-cooker. Carlos Delgado needs to return to form after putting up career-lows in average, home runs and RBI. He already missed a bunch of games this spring with a hip impingement. Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright are perennial All-Stars and Endy Chavez will fill in for Alou until he returns from injury. Lots of great players with lots of question marks. This should be a very interesting summer in the boroughs of New York.
Pitching
2007 ERA: 4.26 (12th), OPP AVG: .255 (5th)
Where would the Mets have been last season without a pair of unsung, 15-game winners in John Maine and Oliver Perez. If they can replicate those numbers in 2008, Santana can be Santana and Pedro can be the Pedro of old, this is a formidable rotation. If they falter, the Mets will have to hope that highly regarded right-hander Mike Pelfrey can step in and live up to his advance billing. Lefty closer Billy Wagner saved 34 games last season, but like the rest of the bullpen, he faltered, when he was needed most, down the stretch (four blown saves and a 6.16 ERA in his last 19 appearances). The Santana trade rid the team of some young arms which has left the staff, as a whole, vulnerable, should injuries pop up.
Statsman's non-binding prediction: First in the East. Anything short of the playoffs, with what they gave up to bring in Santana, and Willie Randolph will be looking for a new job next fall.
