4 Biggest Disappointments for the New York Mets So Far

As the New York Mets trudge through another lackluster season, all eyes are focused on 2014.

Mets fans know that. Zack Wheeler is in the rotation now. Matt Harvey has been brilliant. David Wright has been solid, as always.

That still does not take the sting away from what has been a disappointing 2013 campaign. No one expected New York to contend this season but how many fans expected their club to be out of contention in mid-June? Their collapse usually happens after the All-Star break.

When a team performs as miserably as the Mets have, there are always players that have underperformed. Players that have not lived up to expectations.

Let's take a look at New York's four biggest disappointments so far.

No. 4: Jon Niese P

Jon Niese entered the 2013 campaign as New York's Opening Day pitcher but he certainly has not pitched like an ace.

The 26-year-old southpaw has struggled for the most part this season. His 3-6 record, 4.15 ERA and 1.57 WHIP indicate that he has regressed this season. Niese has allowed opposing hitters to bat .283 against him, the third worst mark in his career, and his strikeout rate is way down.

Cause for concern? Not yet. However Niese needs to be watched closely. The Mets were expecting much better things from him as he enters the prime years of his career.

Despite his struggles, manager Terry Collins liked the passion Niese showed after last Saturday's poor start against the Chicago Cubs.

"He battled and didn’t want to come out of the game,” Collins told Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. “That’s what I want. I want guys who don’t want to come out of the game.”

No. 3: Shaun Marcum P

New York signed the veteran right-hander to a one-year contract in January and it's been a tough road for Marcum ever since.

The Kansas City, Missouri native went 7-4 with a 3.70 ERA for Milwaukee last season in 21 starts. The Mets expected Marcum to be an innings eater and he was slated to be the No. 2 man in their starting rotation when the season commenced.

That never happened.

The 31-year-old Marcum suffered from shoulder inflammation and inflammation in his neck during spring training and did not make his first start for the Mets until Apr. 27 against the Phillies. It's been an uphill climb ever since.

Marcum is 0-8 with a 5.43 ERA and opposing hitters are hitting a robust .278 against him. Despite superb work in relief against the Marlins in New York's 20-inning loss earlier this month, Marcum has been a big disappointment so far.

In fact, he is the just the fourth pitcher in team history to start the season with eight consecutive defeats.

"I don’t think it’s that tough on me," Marcum told Dave Hutchinson of The Star-Ledger. "It’s probably more tough on the guys in here. Wins and losses are part of it, but it’s more important for the team to win. I’ve said it 1,000 times: I could care less about my personal wins. It’s more about the team."

No. 2: Ruben Tejada SS

The 23-year-old shortstop is currently on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps muscle suffered at the end of May. That injury may have saved him from being demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas because he has been a big disappointment this season.

It started in spring training when Tejada got off to a terrible start and continued once the regular season began. He hit far too many fly balls—not a great idea for a small player with very little power.

What happened to Tejada? Last season he showed so much promise with a solid .289 average which followed a .284 campaign in 2011. This season? A feeble .209 average.

The problem was very easy to see. Tejada was elevating the ball too often, instead of trying to hit line drives. Whenever he returns, he needs to change his approach at the plate.

Tejada was taking his hitting woes onto the field. When he was placed on the DL, he had already committed eight errors.

He needs to turn things around quickly if he wants to remain in Queens.

No.1: Ike Davis 1B

This one was easy. Not only is Ike Davis the biggest disappointment on the Mets this season, he is one of the biggest disappointments in the entire National League.

The left-handed slugger is languishing at Triple-A Las Vegas and there is no current timetable for his return. The Arizona State product is struggling in Sin City too with a meager .192 average with no home runs and two RBI in his first seven games with the 51s.

When Davis was demoted to Las Vegas on June 10, he was hitting just .161 with five HR, 16 RBI and an incredible 66 strikeouts in just 186 at-bats. Something had to give. Davis, who slugged 32 HR in 2012, looked completely lost at the plate.

Mets fans can only hope the likeable Davis can work out his issues in the desert. They miss his power production. There are no guarantees though.

It's a very critical time in the 26-year-old Davis' career.

Can he make his way back to The Show?