The 2011 draft was once seen as a joke for many baseball fans, but five years later, they have stopped laughing.
It proved the foundation for New York Mets’ sensational return to postseason baseball, as they triumphed over the Philadelphia Phillies at the weekend to earn not only a wildcard, but also home-field advantage.
If the Mets come out of the NL Wild Card Game, they will face the Chicago Cubs – and the omens look good, despite New York injuries.
Mets have already beaten this Chicago team five times in seven matches this term and swept the Cubs in the NLCS last season.
If, and it is a big if, New York beat Chicago, they can triumph over anyone and should seriously be taken as title contenders.
The odds may be steeply against them, but they shouldn’t be overlooked. If you’re looking for an easy to use sportsbook, look no further than Betway – featuring markets on almost everything including MLB and the New York Mets.
Yes, it is well publicised that Steven Matz, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey won’t throw a single pitch in October, but they still possess an ace up their sleeve by the nickname of Big Sexy.
Without him, the Mets wouldn’t have even reached the playoffs.
Noah Syndergaard also classifies as an ace too and can be the workhorse that can pitch the opposition into submission.
The same goes for the talented duo of Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, who, to many are complete unknowns.
The Mets and the San Francisco Giants will now meet in a colossal clash and head into it in fine spirits, having won the season series 4-3.
Both sides finished the regular season with identical records, but New York’s season series win allows the Mets a home advantage.
However, fans will hope Mets haven’t exhausted themselves just getting into the playoffs. Their monumental effort is made even more incredible by the fact that Terry Collins was reportedly given a 50 per cent chance of keeping his job in August of this year, after a stretch of 12 losses in 16 games, ending with an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Mets are an intriguing proposition going into the playoffs and who knows, perhaps a dark-horse for the World Series.
