Holes: The Story Of The 2008 New York Mets

The Mets come into the season as the favorites to capture the NL flag after collapsing just one year ago to the surging Phillies.

Jose Reyes has proven he can be good over a full season, but he needs to improve his OBP to make a big impact. Reyes can't hit very well, and relies on his speed to win him a starting job. Not only should you stay away from him on Draft Day, but watch as his BA floats around .280 and he has 80 SB, again.

Luis Castillo can't do much more than hit .300 and fake a bunt. He is not going to run with his bum knee, and hit only one HR last year. He's a solid No. 2 hitter, but I don't know how long the Mets will stand this dismal production. At least they knew what they were getting.

David Wright has been amazing in his first few years as a Met and has nowhere to go but up. He could hit 35 HR in '08 and have 30 SB again. If he can maintain his .320-.325 BA, he's one of the best hitters in the league. Carlos Beltran hits for power, but can't crack .280, and he's afraid to steal bases for some reason. He's a five-tool player with Gold Glove caliber defense.

Carlos Delgado has a chip on his shoulder to prove that last season was an aberration. He might have permanently lost his mechanics last season, though, so I don't know what next season has in store for Delgado. Moises Alou had a great year, and if it wasn't plagued by injuries, his numbers might have looked a bit more human. In essence, the injuries helped his stats. Expect the injuries, not the .341 BA in 2008.

Ryan Church hit 15 HR last year in spacious RFK stadium. Shea Stadium is still a hitter's park, but he could find the silver lining in his game and hit 20 HR. Brian Schneider is one of the only lefty catchers in MLB. He didn't hit well in RFK Stadium last year, but he wouldn't hit well in Citizens Bank Park or Great American Ballpark, either. At least he calls a good game. The bench will determine how well the bench is. If Willie gives Gotay enough AB, I think he can be a solid producer.

Johan Santana might be a bit over-hyped. He had a 15-13 W/L record last year, but if you adjust for the AL and the run support I guess he would have won 20 with the Mets. We'll have to see if he's the next Barry Zito, I sure hope not.

Pedro Martinez will injure himself, whether it be him suffering a concussion because the magic bat becomes a Phillies fan or his hand falling off carrying his paycheck home. He can be counted on for 10 wins, unless the offense becomes Phillies fans too, in which case there will be a serious identity crisis in the clubhouse.

John Maine and Oliver Perez will be above-average 3-4 starters. They could win 15 each. Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey are going to produce similar numbers, so it would be wise to pitch Pelfrey.

The bullpen is only as good as its weakest link, who right now is Duaner Sanchez, who for all we know has a hubcap in his right shoulder. If Sanchez can pitch well, we can delegate "weakest link" to Aaron Heilman, who has horrible first halves and makes up for it in the second half. Billy Wagner will be good if he has a sub-2.50 ERA and 35 SV. The rest of the bullpen is opaque.