5 Bold Predictions for the Remainder of Mets' Season

At the middle of May, the New York Mets are currently 20-14 and in first place in the National League East. The Washington Nationals though have been playing much better after a slow start, so maintaining the division lead will not be a particularly easy task for New York.

The Mets' season thus far has featured an 11-game winning streak in April, but various injuries to David Wright, Travis d'Arnaud and Jerry Blevins have started to catch up with the team. More recently, the lack of offense has not supported the great pitching. Hopefully, the lineup will be able to drive in more runs and help the team win more games.

Here are five bold predictions for the rest of the Mets' 2015 season.

1. Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia Will Be the Mets' 2015 All-Stars

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

With none of the Mets' hitters really standing out so far in comparison to other NL hitters at their respective positions, the Mets are much more likely to have at least one All-Star on the pitching end. In fact, they will have a pair of All-Star pitchers this season.

One favorite to be a Mets All-Star representative is Matt Harvey. He is 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 46.2 innings pitched. He has only allowed seven walks all season. Harvey is tied for second in the NL in wins and is eighth in ERA, tied for 10th in strikeouts and third in WHIP at a 0.92 clip. With how consistent he has been all season, it would be shocking if he is not an All-Star this season.

The other probable Mets All-Star will be first-time closer Jeurys Familia. He leads the NL with 13 saves in 13 chances and has a 1.56 ERA. He also has 21 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched and has allowed just three earned runs and four walks. If Familia continues to pitch this well in save opportunities, he should find his way to Cincinnati for the All-Star Game in July.

The only other real candidate right now could be Jon Niese, whose 1.95 ERA is fourth in the NL. But with just three wins and having only pitched 37.0 innings so far, he would have to keep pitching well to guarantee a spot. With all the great pitching in the NL, he could fall short of a nomination.

2. Noah Syndergaard Will Be a Mainstay in the Mets' Rotation

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Noah Syndergaard did not end up pitching particularly well in his major league debut this week by giving up three earned runs and six hits in 5.1 innings pitched, but this does not mean he should be sent back down to the minor leagues immediately.

Syndergaard has a lot of potential, and with Dillon Gee not only having an inconsistent season but also currently being on the disabled list, the Mets would be better off keeping Syndergaard in the rotation at least for another few starts.

The Mets by now know what they will get from Gee in his starts, so in the long run, it would be better for Syndergaard to get more acclimated to major league hitting. At this point, he does not need to prove himself again in Triple-A to show that he is deserving of a spot in the rotation.

As for Gee, the Mets can put him in the bullpen when he's healthy or continue to look for a trade partner, but regardless, it's time for the Mets to give Syndergaard a shot in being a mainstay in the rotation.

3. Travis D'Arnaud Will Start Behind the Plate When Healthy

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

Travis d'Arnaud's aforementioned injury was a big blow to the Mets' lineup. However, according to Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com, d'Arnaud will have a rehab assignment before returning to the Mets and has been in Florida since Monday.

Before his injury, d'Arnaud had been hitting .317 with one double, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and an .892 OPS in 11 games. His replacement, top catching prospect Kevin Plawecki, has not fared as well since being called up. Plawecki is hitting .220 with three doubles, one home run, eight RBI and just a .592 OPS.

Plawecki has a lot of potential, but it is clear he needs a bit more time in the minor leagues to improve his bat. He probably would have never gotten called up if not for d'Arnaud's injury. Once d'Arnaud returns, one would have to figure that the Mets will explore trade options for Plawecki if a favorable deal were to come their way.

Having two elite young catchers in the organization is quite a luxury for the Mets to have, but right now, catcher is d'Arnaud's position on the Mets when healthy, which blocks Plawecki from having a long-term shot at starting in the future.

It's likely that Plawecki's future is with another team, but the Mets should not be in any rush to move him and should only do so if they are getting a great return. Regardless, d'Arnaud's starting job is not in danger in any way once he comes off the disabled list.

4. The Mets Will Not Trade for a Shortstop This Year

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

No position on the Mets has been a bigger problem than shortstop. Between Wilmer Flores' limited defensive range and propensity for making errors and Ruben Tejada's lack of offensive production, the Mets clearly need an upgrade at shortstop.

Flores, who has started the majority of the games this year, is hitting .237 with four doubles, a team-leading four home runs, 10 RBI and just a .691 OPS. Tejada, on the other hand, is batting .235 with three doubles, three RBI and a .657 OPS in just 34 at-bats.

Flores provides the offensive advantage, but Tejada is the superior defender. Flores already has seven errors in the field and just a .942 fielding percentage. Tejada has had just six starts at shortstop but has committed one error and has a .957 fielding percentage.

All in all, the Mets need a shortstop who can both hit and provide reliable defense. But does such a shortstop exist on the trade market?

Two potential trade possibilities could be Starlin Castro of the Cubs and Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies, but both of them would likely come at a large cost. For example, either of those teams could ask for one of the Mets' young star pitchers in return, and that is something that the Mets should not do.

A pitcher like Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard would not be worth either of those shortstops.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com still believes the Mets and Cubs may end up working out a deal involving Castro and one of the Mets' young pitchers, simply because the Mets need a shortstop and the Cubs could use more pitching. The Mets, though, would probably be more inclined to move a pitcher like Dillon Gee or Steven Matz in a deal for Castro than a more highly touted pitcher like deGrom, Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler, who is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

As for Tulowitzki, the Mets are less likely to pursue him, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Tulowitzki has been slowed by injuries in recent years and has not played in more than 130 games in a season since 2011. The fact that he is also owed more than $100 million through 2020 would make him an expensive upgrade as well. The Mets have no interest in taking on all that money, especially if the Rockies refuse to contribute to the payment.

All in all, Tulowitzki's health and contract, plus the Rockies' likelihood to ask the Mets for a top starting pitcher or two, should be enough for New York to avoid him and make more of an effort toward pursuing Castro, if anyone.

But when it's all said and done, there will be no trade, and the Mets will have to stick with Flores at shortstop for the duration of the season.

5. The Mets Will Make the 2015 Postseason

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

With their great start and outstanding home record at Citi Field, the Mets should continue to play well and, at the very least, contend for the postseason, if not make it as the NL East division winner or as one of the wild-card teams.

The Mets' main division competition will come from the Nationals, who are the defending NL East champions. As for the wild card, the Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Reds, Dodgers, Giants and Padres all figure to be in the mix throughout the season. The Mets will need to play particularly well against those teams to increase their chances of getting into the postseason.

A lot of baseball has yet to be played though, and many things can happen, including injuries and any bad breaks that may not go the Mets' way. But regardless, they have the personnel to be a postseason team and should make it happen for the first time since 2006.

All statistics shown are courtesy of MLB.com.