New York Mets: Position-by-Position Breakdown at 2015 Spring Training

There’s plenty for the New York Mets to look forward to in 2015.

It feels weird to write that with genuine confidence.

With staff ace Matt Harvey coming back to the rotation at full health this season and an offense that knows it has plenty to prove, Mets fans around the world look forward to learning more about the team during spring training.

While the front office was relatively quiet this offseason, many fans believe that this season could be the year this team takes a leap to greatness.

In fact, according to Odds Shark, the Mets currently have a 14-1 shot at winning the National League title this season and better odds than the New York Yankees (25-1 vs. 28-1) to win the World Series.

This Mets team offers quite a bit of depth at various positions, despite some obvious weaknesses, and players on the team appear confident that they can pass their crosstown rivals in terms of success. 

“I think we are primed and ready for it,” Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson said, via the New York Daily News. “There are a lot of guys here to do it. Obviously the captain [David Wright] has been there, been the face of the organization and known not only in New York but in general.”

Granderson, who played four seasons for the Yankees, is joined in the outfield by 2014 Gold Glove Award Winner Juan Lagares and MLB veteran Michael Cuddyer.

The Mets are known for their impressive pitching staff, but the offense also boasts the likes of Lucas Duda (who hit 30 home runs in 2014) and Wright, a seven-time MLB All-Star.

"

Here's a picture of the #Mets new shirts. pic.twitter.com/4ciamA5fm3

— Robert Brender (@robertbrender) February 23, 2015"

Perhaps that’s why all players were given T-shirts that read “Take The Damn Thing” before the 2015 season. While many are unsure what “the damn thing” is this season, the Mets may just have enough to “take it” anyway.

“If we don’t believe in our own team, who is going to believe?” asked reliever Jenrry Mejia, according to the New York Post. “We have to think about the playoffs, and we’ll be there and everything.’’

Starting Pitching

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If you want to talk about why the Mets are primed for success in 2015, you start with the starting pitching rotation.

The Mets regain a perennial preseason Cy Young favorite with a healthy Matt Harvey. The last season in which he was active, Harvey was ridiculously dominant and recorded the second-best WHIP (0.931) in the National League. In addition, he allowed the fewest home runs per nine innings (0.353) in the NL and had the best FIP (used as a measure of ERA independent of field) in the NL with 2.01.

This was in 2013, and when I watched him pitch in person, he looked to be one of the best arms I’d ever seen. Now, nearly 16 months later, it seems like Harvey is going to impress once again.

“It doesn’t look like he’s missed much of a beat,” said Mets coach Terry Collins, according to Marc Carig of Newsday. “You watch the command of his fastball and working both sides of the plate like he hardly has missed anything.” Collins, too, went on to call Harvey’s improved curveball “stinkin’ dynamite.”

Spring training will only make fans more ready to watch him take over games in Queens next season.

“We’re looking forward to it, and we’re gonna do everything we can,” said Harvey, according to NJ.com. “We want to bring a championship to New York on the other side of town.”

Harvey is joined in his championship efforts by 2014 NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom. Last season, deGrom recorded 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings and even took home National League Player of the Week in July. His 2.69 ERA, coupled with an impressive 3.35 strikeout-to-walk ratio, solidified excitement around this young hurler.  

“There is a lot of hype around the team right now and we know that,” deGrom told NJ.com. “We definitely want to live up to it. We want to make the playoffs and win the World Series. So it’s going to be an exciting year.”

And that's not even mentioning Zack Wheeler. The former first-round pick recorded 11 wins for the Mets in 2014, and his 9.081 strikeouts per nine innings was sixth-best in the NL. He also finished top-10 in the NL with 187 strikeouts.

According to the Post's Mike Puma, the Mets are “strongly considering” throwing Wheeler on Opening Day against the Washington Nationals.

The Mets rotation also includes MLB veteran Bartolo Colon, who recorded 15 wins for New York in 2014 and 18 wins for Oakland in 2013. In addition, the Mets can also bring longtime starters Jon Niese and Dillon Gee to the mound as well.

It appears that this may be the season for prospect Steven Matz to make his MLB debut. He's the youngest pitcher on the spring training roster, 

“I think Steven Matz is the best pitching prospect that we have,” said Triple-A manager Wally Backman, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNew York.com. “For me, he’s untouchable.”

Should any of these starters get injured or somehow not reach expectations this season, the Mets have coveted pitching prospects waiting in the wings, including Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero. Either would be a welcome addition to the majors after years of professional success in the minors.

Relief Pitching

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Last season, the Mets were without the anchor of their bullpen: Bobby Parnell. The hurler, known for often reaching 100 mph on his fastball, required Tommy John surgery in April 2014.

Now he’s rehabbing for the club and has thrown in bullpen sessions. According to NJ.com's Mike Vorkunov, this week Parnell will also begin throwing to live batters for the first time since his surgery.

He will be a necessary addition to the Mets bullpen and will likely even get the opportunity to pitch in spring training games. Once the season begins, expect to see Parnell regain the closer role, should he remain healthy during rehab during spring training.

According to Rubin, however, sources close to the Mets expect to see Parnell start the season on the disabled list for the first few weeks of the season.

“I want to be there at the end of the game,” said Parnell, according to The Wall Street Journal. “That’s my goal, and that’s what I’m aiming for.”    

The closer in 2014, Jenrry Mejia, is fortunately open to any of the opportunities that are offered to him for next season. 

“Whatever Terry Collins wants me to do, I've got to do,” said Mejia, according to Rubin. “I'll go out there. I'll go to the bullpen, throw the seventh, ninth, eighth inning—whatever they want me to do."

Mejia, 25, recorded 28 saves and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 93.2 innings on the mound last season. He appeared a natural closer despite a slightly elevated 3.65 ERA.

Jose Valverde (who recorded an abysmal 5.66 ERA in 2014) and Kyle Farnsworth were both MLB veterans signed last season, and both are no longer with the team. That will give heightened roles to the likes of young talent like Mejia, Vic Black and Jeurys Familia.  

"We've got a lot to be excited about," said Black, according to Newsday. Black, 26, recorded a 2.60 ERA in 2014 and only gave up two home runs in 41 games for New York.

Familia also impressed in the setup reliever role and (quietly) finished seventh for NL Rookie of the Year voting after appearing in 76 games last season.

Additionally, the Mets boast even more bullpen depth with Carlos Torres, Josh Edgin and Sean Gilmartin.

Catcher

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The Mets likely found their catcher of the future in the R.A. Dickey trade when they landed the young Travis d’Arnaud.

D’Arnaud is a viable option on defense, which makes him even more desirable behind the plate. This year, he looks to improve on his offense and put up the numbers fans have expected since he was called up to the MLB.

FanGraphs projects d’Arnaud to finish the 2015 season with a .335 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage and 17 home runs. This would be a significant improvement on 2014, when he recorded a .302 OBP with a .416 slugging percentage and 13 homers.

It’s also worth mentioning that 10 of the 13 home runs d’Arnaud hit last season came after a midseason demotion in July 2014, when he hit .436 with 16 RBI and six home runs in 15 games. The motivation certainly lit a fire under the catching prospect, and this season he enters with significantly more confidence.  

“I feel like I’ve learned that I’ve got to work on defense, consistency,” said d’Arnaud, according to the New York Post. “As far as offense goes, just keep things simple.’’

While d’Arnaud’s backup for 2015 is listed as Anthony Recker, 31, his real competition is Kevin Plawecki.

The top-100 prospect was selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft and has been consistently impressive in the minors, boasting a .825 OPS for Double-A and Triple-A last season. Now with an invitation to spring training, Plawecki's storyline will be one worth following heading into the season.

According to Carig, Plawecki will play some first base in Triple-A this season. This could help his odds at making the majors next season.

"As far as his readiness is concerned, I think ideally we'd like him to get a little more time at Triple-A, but he's close," said Mets GM Sandy Alderson, according to NJ.com. "If we had an injury, then he's the next man up." 

First Base

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Lucas Duda, 29, proved in 2014 that he’s ready to absolutely own the first base position for the Mets.

It would be hard to top his power with 30 home runs last season, third-best in the NL. His 92 RBI (fifth-best in NL) are complemented by his .830 OPS. In 2014, he waited an average of 17.1 at-bats between each home run—which was the third-fastest rate in the NL.

Additionally, his defense isn’t shabby either: His .994 fielding percentage was the fifth-best at the position in the NL last season.    

Unfortunately, Duda is not allowed to swing a bat for the next few days after suffering a muscle strain on his left side earlier this week. According to Rubin, Mets coach Terry Collins said that “everything is going to be fine” and that he expects Duda to get back to hitting in just a few days.     

"I didn't take too much time off in the offseason,” Duda told reporters. “I don't foresee it being a big issue."  

Earlier this offseason, the Mets avoided arbitration and signed Duda to a one-year, $4.2 million contract. Duda, who is 6’4” and 255 pounds, is hungry for another huge season and doesn’t believe that last year was a “career” year.

“The culture is changing around here,’’ Duda told the Post's Kevin Kernan. “It’s evolving. I’m blessed to be a part of it. If we can keep everybody healthy, we can produce. I have the utmost confidence in myself and the team.’’

Duda is backed up by John Mayberry Jr., who is one of only additions to the Mets from this offseason—though I wouldn’t expect to see Mayberry produce much this season.

Second Base

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At this point in his career, Daniel Murphy has become a staple to the Mets starting lineup at second base.

Murphy, 29, has been a notably consistent player for the Mets. Last season, he made his first appearance in the MLB All-Star Game as their sole representative. He played a remarkable 161 games in 2013 and responded in 2014 with a .332 on-base percentage and a .403 slugging percentage.

Murphy had a career-high in walks in 2014 with 39. He also finished top-10 in the NL with most at-bats last season.

Clearly, he has benefited tremendously from batting in the No. 2 spot.

Murphy recorded 49 and 62 runs and in 2011 and 2012, respectively. In 2013, however, Murphy scored a career-high 92 runs and then added 79 in 2014. That was a 154 percent increase over the two-year stretch.

During the same time period, he improved his stolen base total 240 percent and his home run total 183 percent.

This season, Murphy is backed by middle infielders including Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores, though one of them may likely start at shortstop with the other spells him on off days. Tejada is the more likely to see time at second base, however, considering Flores is considered the strong favorite to win the position battle for shortstop.

It’s Murphy’s job to lose this season. 

However, with Murphy in a contract year, expect to see some action from Dilson Herrera.

He became the youngest player to make the Mets roster last season after tearing it up in the minors all year long. Herrera had a .379 on-base percentage and .479 slugging percentage with 13 home runs and 23 stolen bases in the minors last season. 

Third Base

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Without question, David Wright has solidified his role as the face of the New York Mets. But it’s not like he hasn’t struggled along the way.

His most recent season was hardly indicative of this superstar's talent level.

Wright, 32, dropped his on-base percentage from .390 in 2013 to .324 last season (his career average is .377) and his slugging percentage from .514 to .374 (his career average is .494) in 2014. Both were career lows. His home run total of eight was also an all-time low for Wright.

Last season was only the second time he didn’t make the All-Star team in the past nine seasons. It’s probably true that his offensive woes contributed to the abysmal production the Mets faced when trying to score runs last season. The team shut him down for early on September 8.

"If I do what I did last year, we're going to be not as good an offense. There's always pressure,” said Wright, according to NJ.com. There's been pressure on me and pressure I've put on myself since I got called up in 2004. There's no difference this year."

Wright undoubtedly battled through injury last season. But even so, his numbers were uncharacteristically low.

“One thing about David, he’s never going to make an excuse, ever,” said Collins, according to The New York Times. “He never has, never will. But I think a lot of it had to do with that. He just couldn’t get the bat through the zone with the speed you need to have to hit for power."

This season, fans hope to see Wright play more games. He was limited last season, but “Captain America” is going to be ready for action.

Shortstop

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Did someone say Troy Tulowitzki?

Really? No one said Troy Tulowitzki? Because it’s starting to seem that every few weeks a new rumor pops up involving the Rockies superstar.

The newest rumor was sparked by the newest Mets outfielder, Michael Cuddyer, who joined the team this offseason after playing for the Rockies.  

"I think he could be a fit here for sure," said Cuddyer, according to Mike Vorkunov. "There's no question in my mind he could be a fit here. Whether or not they eventually trade him? I don't know. Nobody in baseball has a player like Tulo except for the Colorado Rockies.”

Cuddyer, who played the last few seasons for the Rockies and appeared in the 2013 All-Star game, may have single-handedly brought back the already excessive Tulowitzki-Mets trade rumors which probably make Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada more frustrated with each passing headline.

Flores is still the starting shortstop for the Mets. And Tejada is the backup. The media and fans may talk about Tulowitzki or other coveted middle infielders like Ian Desmond, but the Mets are focusing on the talent they actually have.

“I am not saying Wilmer Flores is not going to be the shortstop, but all I am saying is that I am giving this guy a chance,” said Collins of Tejada, according to the New York Daily News. “I know two years ago, I had some coaches on the staff...who thought this guy was going to be an All-Star, especially offensively.”

Flores, 23, didn’t look horrible in 78 games last year and recorded a .286 on-base percentage with a .378 slugging percentage. He recorded only six home runs in 2014, but some believe that this wasn’t the true Flores.

"If he can continue what he did at the end of the season this year, I think he'll be way above average at shortstop,” said Mets pitcher Jon Niese, according to Vorkunov.

While some may not believe in Flores, others are flaunting their confidence. One headline on SB Nation's FakeTeams.com takes it a step further: “Wilmer Flores Is A Potential 20 HR Shortstop, And That Deserves Your Attention.” It seems like Flores himself would certainly sign off on that statement.

"Everybody has their own opinion about every guy and about every player," said Flores, according to Vorkunov. "Just wait until I play, until I play the season. We'll see how it goes. I'm ready to take this job, and I'm ready to fight."

The dark horse in this race not named Tulowitzki is Mets prospect Matt Reynolds. According to Vorkunov, Mets manager Terry Collins say he's “going to take a good, hard look” at Reynolds for the shortstop position in spring training.

Reynolds is often praised for his athleticism and is typically described as a “baseball player” in scouting reports, per Collins.   

Outfield

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Curtis Granderson enters the 2014 season with notable confidence, and Mets fans are starting to believe there’s something substantial there.

Granderson, 33, signed a four-year, $60 million contract to play for the Mets after a three-year stint with the Yankees. The hope is that this season he'll rebound to more success than he had in 2013.

While he played in 155 games, he only recorded 20 home runs despite his career 162-game average being 29. His .388 slugging percentage in 2014 was significantly lower than his career average of .477.

"Obviously, certain numbers didn't go the way you wanted to, but I've never come into a season with any quantitative goals," said Granderson, according to Vorkunov. “Some bright sides, and obviously you don't dwell on all the negative stuff. You look at it, we focus on it, we try to make those things positive."  

There’s plenty to look forward to this year for Granderson, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he can straighten things out. Remember: He recorded 84 home runs from 2011-12, which is unparalleled offensive success.

According to the Daily News' Anthony McCarron, the new adjustments at Citi Field should help Granderson account for nine more home runs, based on analytics from last season.

Of course, that science is consistently inexact. But there are reasons to be excited about the outfield in general.  

“You’ve got...new emerging faces such as Juan Lagares, who got a Gold Glove, and (Lucas) Duda, who hit 30 home runs last year,” said Granderson, per McCarron.

Lagares, 25, had the second-best defensive WAR in the NL with 3.4 in 2014 according to Baseball Reference. He led the NL in range factor (which measures putouts and assists) per innings as a center fielder in 2013 and 2014. Last season, he took home his first Gold Glove Award. Based on what we’ve seen from Lagares, there’s reason to believe that award will not be his last.

CBS Sports' Brandon Wise reports that the Mets want Lagares to get on base more often in 2015. He raised his on-base percentage from .281 in 2013 to .321 in 2014. This news was encouraging for the club, but the outfield isn’t complete without Cuddyer.

“And we have (Michael) Cuddyer, who has been able to adapt to the National and American League,” added Granderson.

Cuddyer, a longtime friend of David Wright, recently told Vorkunov that he “didn’t need much convincing” to come to New York. With the Mets, he saw a “young team on the rise” and was eager to make the move.

He was an All-Star in 2013 for Colorado and in 2011 for Minnesota and won the 2013 batting title.

His numbers aren’t flashy, but he knows how to get on base. His .376 on-base percentage in 2014 was the second-best of his career; and he was already 35 years old. That’s impressive, and he’s had proven success for multiple teams, playing multiple positions.

Cuddyer will be a perfect fit for the new culture of the Mets. He is joined in the outfield by Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Cesar Puello, the latter of whom has now completed his suspension for performance enhancing drugs in 2013. 

While fans may hope to see the MLB debut of Brandon Nimmo, his current timetable appears uncertain.