We’re 20 games into the 2014 season and so far the Mets remain in the NL East mix, sitting in the middle of a pack that includes Washington, Philly, Miami, all of whom are 3-4.5 games back of Atlanta for the division lead.
Still, the next four weeks will say a lot about this team, as the Mets look down the barrel of no less than five very winnable divisional series that could dramatically affect their day-to-day MLB betting odds. Make good on this sequence of games and it’s not absurd to think this team could be multiple games over .500 and in a fighting position in the division through the first quarter of the season.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the three teams—all in their division—that the Mets will play a combined 14 games against in the next month.
Philadelphia Phillies – April 29 & 30, May 9-11
Aside from a surprisingly strong start to the season from battle axe A.J. Burnett (2.73 ERA), the Phillies’ pitching has been horrendous in 2014, combining for a 4.46 ERA. If Curtis Granderson (.116 AVG, .225 OBP) can avoid doing things like going on career-long slumps at the plate and David Wright (.298, 12 RBIs) can start cashing in the expensive outfielder, there’s no reason the Mets can’t grab at least three of these five games against Philadelphia.
Miami Marlins – April 25-27, May 5-7
The two series against the Marlins—the first in New York, the second in Miami—could be dramatically different, as Miami has put together a putrid 1-8 record on the road, but managed an impressive 9-1 ledger at Marlins Park.
Washington Nationals – May 16-18
This will likely prove to be the most important series of the bunch, as the Mets will likely see the most competition for second in the division from Bryce Harper and co. This may be the right time to play a Nats team that has yet to find much consistency this season, ranking 19th in MLB in batting average and a 3.55 team ERA, good for 12th in baseball.
So buckle up, Mets fans. It’s time to find out whether this team is worth a place in the NL wild card discussion or not. First up: take home some winnable series’.
