I always find it interesting to see what the “experts” for different sports publications in print or online have to say about one of my teams before the season begins.
The power rankings, off-season grades, spring training reports, and the regular season previews all give us information that we carry throughout the year as we formulate our own expectations.
As I read all of these articles throughout the winter and spring, one thing seemed to be a constant point that was a part of looking at the 2014 Mets.
In fact Matt Snyder of CBSSports.com laid out exactly what every expert was saying, more or less, when he did his first power rankings of the season where he ranked the Mets 24th out of 30.
The season has not started yet. We have no idea who is going to have a good year, a bad year, who will stay healthy or get hurt. We might have an idea of what we think is going to happen but nothing is guaranteed.
And yet everyone who is paid to tell me about my team going into the 2014 season is telling me to watch out for the Mets… in 2015.
I understand that the lack of answers at Shortstop and First Base, the injury to Matt Harvey, the injury concerns for Jon Niese and the questions about the young guys expected to be important pieces, lead people to think more about next year than this year.
I will even admit that my expectations for the 2014 season are low. After five years of losing and the lack of substantial improvement, they are better in some spots but the same 74 win talent in key spots still remains, what can we as Mets fans expect?
I originally had 78 wins as my prediction but the injury concerns for Niese, a key part of the rotation in my opinion, has me thinking they are a 75 win team.
A one win improvement from the last two years of 74 win campaigns and a sixth straight losing season?… Well it is no wonder everyone in the know is telling me to wait till next year.
I love the beginning of the baseball season because although my expectations are low, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be exceeded. That the Mets of 2014 can find a way to prove me wrong. I want my 75 win prediction to be dead wrong, with the number of wins ending up being higher. (Being wrong and having the wins number be worse would really suck)
Having to read over and over that 2015 is the year to look forward too is nice, I know that barring anything unforeseen (injuries, trades, free agency) we could have a very good, young team that can contend for the playoffs.
But to have everyone, who is considered an expert or just baseball writers in general, telling me in their articles to already be looking towards 2015… Well its kind of deflating. It kind of kills any hope or dreams, no matter how far fetched, that 2014 will actually be good.
The best part about Opening Day is that the fans have hope that the day is the first of many wins that will eventually lead to the promise land of playoffs and championships.
It might be a long shot for the 2014 Mets but you never know.
The point being that the Mets in 2014 are probably going to stink but we don’t know that for a fact. We also think that 2015 will have the Mets fielding a great team and making a run at the playoffs, except that we don’t know that for a fact either.
The 2014 season should not be dead and buried before it even starts. Lets play it out and see what happens. Enjoy the wins, bemoan the losses and watch the players we hope are the core of our future continue to play and hopefully improve everyday.
Everyone is saying that we should be looking forward to 2015. I rather wait to cross that bridge when we get there, enjoy the 2014 season and what it might bring us.
I won’t wait till next year for the Mets. I gotta wait for this year to get started first.
