New York Mets: 10 Reasons Why They'll Remain Hot Through the All-Star Break

The Mets are three games over .500, the Phillies are in last place and the Yankees are the worst team in New York. If you want someone to pinch you at that thought, they're not going to. The Mets are playing winning baseball, and there's nothing anyone (not even their bullpen) can do to stop it.

Through a quarter of the season, the Mets have proven they can win despite a slashed payroll, a barrage of injuries and a fleeing superstar (we don't miss you, Jose).

No one expected the Mets to win this year, but they are.

Here's the top 10 reasons why.

David Wright Is a Top 3 Player in the MLB This Year

When it's all said and done, David Wright will be the greatest Met in the history of the franchise. He's already the career record holder in doubles and RBI, not to mention he's hitting an unheard of .415 this year.

He's on base over half of his plate appearances, he plays great defense and he's proving that he can be a clutch hitter. As one of the veterans on this team, he's leading by example, and many of the younger players are following in his footsteps.

Johan Santana Is Back

He's 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA, but Johan Santana's presence alone is helping the Mets emerge from last year's nightmare. Outside of a dreadful start earlier in the season against the Braves, Santana has given the Mets a chance to win in all of his starts and provides stability to an oft-injured lineup.

If the Mets can continue this surprising push up until August, Santana will only get even better.

He's a big-game pitcher that can handle the pressure of New York.  

Unlikely Heroes Are Saving the Day

It's highly unlikely that anyone predicted that Mike Baxter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis were going to be two of the biggest run producers on the Mets, especially considering both began the season in the minors.

But with injuries to Jason Bay and Andres Torres and a struggling Ike Davis, Captain Kirk and local hero Baxter have stepped in and saved the day.

Nieuwenhuis has become an every-day outfielder who will make Terry Collins' job hard when Jason Bay comes back, and Baxter leads the MLB with a .471 batting average as a pinch-hitter.

They're Homegrown

Unlike Mets teams of the past that were dominated by free-agent signings and seemed to lack chemistry, the 2012 Amazins frequently start anywhere between six to nine homegrown players per game.

Their superstar, David Wright, was a first-round draft pick, their new fan favorite, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, is a product of the Mets' minor league system, and underrated catcher Josh Thole is a life-long Met who caught many of the current Mets when he was rising through the organization's ranks.

Many of the current players have already played with a majority of the team at some point during their minor league careers, and therefore, seem much more comfortable when they make it to the show.

They Are Clutch with Two Outs

Entering this week, the Mets were hitting an astounding .291 with two outs in an inning, by far, the best in the MLB. They also only trailed the St. Louis Cardinals in total runs scored with two outs.

Why is this a big deal?

It is devastating to opponents. With two outs, the defense knows they are only one pitch away from getting out of the inning, and pounding out hit after hit in that situation is completely demoralizing.

With such timely hitting, the Mets change the course of the game. They force the opposing manager to make pitching changes, swing momentum and create a lot of smiling faces on the Mets pitching staff.

They Have Fun

A 162-game season can be both physically and mentally draining on players. For six straight months, it's constant bus rides and plane trips—a hectic schedule for even the most enthusiastic traveler.

To stay sane and keep the atmosphere in the clubhouse light, they've been having themes for their road trips, ranging from cowboy attire in Houston to hockey jerseys when flying to Toronto.

With all the fun that goes with the team dressing up, they remove some of the "wear and tear" that tends to hit teams throughout the long season.

They Are Better Without Jose Reyes

You can argue about Reyes' statistical value all you want, but there's no denying the Mets are a better TEAM without him.

Without Reyes, the offense knows that they have to all contribute instead of relying on Reyes to be a catalyst from the leadoff spot like last season. The Mets are a team of young role players who hustle every play, something Reyes could learn from.

And I can guarantee one thing—if David Wright has the batting title lead during game 162, he will play the whole game regardless of how he's hitting because he's much more of a team player than Reyes will ever be.

They Are Young

The pitching staff is a little older, but of the every-day position players, David Wright stands at the team's oldest—at 29!

Going around the field, Wright and Torres are the only position players with more than five years of experience at the major league level. With so many young, up-and-coming players, the team is too young to let past struggles affect them and come to the ballpark with an energy the franchise hasn't seen in years.

2011 Disappointments Are Coming Up Big in 2012

David Wright's average is up from .254 in 2011 to .415 in 2012, Josh Thole has been playing significantly better defense, and Daniel Murphy is staying healthy while hitting .317.

After injuries and disappointing efforts last season, three of the Mets' key players are finally playing up to their potential. Thole was observed as the weak link in the team last season, but this year is proving to be significantly more difficult to run on.

Murphy is swinging a hot bat and has yet to miss a game due to injury, and David Wright is the hottest bat in baseball.

If these homegrown heroes can keep up their pace, the Mets will hang in the NL East race all the way until the end.

Terry Collins Is the BEST Manager in Baseball

It doesn't matter if the Mets finished under .500 last season. It's equally irrelevant that the Mets are 3.5 games out of first place this season. Terry Collins is the best manager in baseball.

No other manager in the sport could compete with what Terry Collins is given. Over his two-year reign, he's watched David Wright, Jason Bay, Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Ike Davis, Andres Torres, Josh Thole and Daniel Murphy all suffer serious injuries.

He coaches a team whose payroll was cut by nearly $50 million and has starters who were supposed to be in Double-A at the beginning of the year. The young players respond to his encouraging demeanor. The veterans respect him.

For this team to have a winning record, the coach is the one that deserves the most praise.