New York Mets: 5 Ways They Could Catch the NY Yankees
The past few seasons, the Mets and Yankees have been on opposite ends of the baseball spectrum.
The Yankees have continued their winning ways, culminating in a World Series Championship in 2009. Meanwhile, over the past few years the Mets have spiraled into obscurity and—even worse—became the butt of all jokes around the league.
However, a new season means new hope, and in 2011 it looks as if the Mets and Yankees might not be as far apart as one may think. Here are five reasons why the Mets could end up on the same level (or even better off) as the Yankees:
The Mets Are Not as Bad as Last Season
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Last season was dreadful for the Mets, and it seemed like nothing clicked. However, with the amount of talent on this team, the Mets should be better equipped to compete this season.
Angel Pagan and Ike Davis proved to be solid additions last year to a lineup that already featured solid production from Jose Reyes and David Wright. If Carlos Beltran can remain healthy and if Jason Bay can recover his power stroke then the Mets should be able to score plenty of runs, even with Luis Castillo on the team.
While their rotation has several question marks, Mike Pelfrey and Jonathan Niese are two solid young arms who should be able to hold the fort until Johan Santana returns. R.A. Dickey shocked the baseball world last year with his success, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be able to repeat this again this year. If Chris Young and/or Chris Capuano can regain some of their previous glory then the rotation begins to have some potential.
Will it be one of the best in the league? Absolutely not. However, they do not have to deal with the powerful lineups of the American League and it should be enough to keep the Mets in contention and above .500.
Terry Collins
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The new Mets skipper has said everything right this spring and looks to be an upgrade over the past few managers. He is a tough manager, who simply will not accept the antics and general malaise that pervaded the Mets dugout in recent years.
In addition, he has been praised for his ability to develop young players. With the Mets expecting to give many prospects an opportunity this spring to make the team, this is certainly a good skill to have. Expect Collins to light a fire under this ball club whenever they begin to slip.
The Yankees Are Not as Good as Last Season
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Another year means that the left side of the Yankees infield is another year older.
Derek Jeter’s production took a nosedive last season and as he begins to get up in his 30s, the question is will he ever again be able to produce at the level Yankee fans are accustomed to? In addition, A-Rod’s rates dropped for the third consecutive year as he too is showing signs of aging.
Meanwhile in the outfield, Curtis Granderson struggled in his first year as a Yankee and the question is which Brett Gardner will show up—the one who hit .309 in the first half or the one who hit .233 and struck out in 25 percent of his plate appearances after the All-Star Break.
But perhaps the biggest question mark is the pitching staff.
With the retirement of Andy Pettitte and departure of Javier Vazquez, that leaves C.C. Sabathia as the only sure thing. Number two starter Phil Hughes had an excellent first two months, but then pitched to an over 5 ERA over the last four months. A.J. Burnett, the third starter, had a 5.26 ERA and an atrocious 1.51 WHIP.
The last two starters—Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre—are unproven commodities therefore are huge question marks. The Yankees need at least two out of these four to step up and provide solid innings, otherwise it is going to be a long summer.
The Level of Competition
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The Mets have the benefit of playing in the National League, where the Phillies are the only powerhouse. The Giants, Brewers, and Reds look to be strong teams, but after these few the league appears to be fairly mediocre. The Mets certainly have enough talent to remain competitive in a weak league.
Meanwhile, the Yankees play in the American League, which certainly looks stronger than the National League. In the American League East alone, the Red Sox are a powerhouse in both the hitting and pitching department. In addition, even though the Rays lost some big names, they still have enough young talent to absorb the hits and even managed to add a pair of low-risk, high-reward Idiots.
Elsewhere, the Tigers, White Sox, Rangers, and Twins all look to have strong ball clubs. Overall, the American League just has a better collection of teams and will provide the Yankees with stiffer competition.
These Teams Are Not That Different After All
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Both the Mets and the Yankees are banking on the same things—that key hitters in their lineup can have comeback seasons and that huge question marks in their rotations can prove themselves.
If this happens for both teams then they should be able to compete; if they don’t then they’ll be mired in mediocrity. Looking at each roster and competitive field, is it that hard to imagine both teams finishing with around 86-88 wins?
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