Mets fans are filled with optimism, as they should be. After 6 straight losing seasons, the Mets are poised to finally finish above .500 and contend for a postseason berth.
In this blog’s #9innings series, Michael Ganci has posed a series of Mets-related questions to various members of the media. The Q&A got me thinking of all of the questions surrounding the 2015 Mets. While the Mets’ Opening Day roster is mostly set in stone (save the final bench and bullpen spots), the Mets don’t have many sure bets as they head into the season.
Starting Pitching
Easily their biggest strength, the Mets’ success in 2015 will be dictated by their starting pitching. The Mets have one of the best young staffs in the majors, but each starter has questions which remain to be answered:
- Matt Harvey: Coming off of Tommy John surgery, what is realistic to expect from him? Will he be able to regain the dominance that took the league by storm in 2013? How will he handle the innings limits that will be imposed? Can he stay healthy?
- Jacob deGrom: Will last year’s NL Rookie of the Year have a repeat performance of his 2014 campaign, or will the league figure him out in his sophomore season?
- Zack Wheeler: Will he become a more consistent pitcher, or will we continue to see flashes of brilliance mixed with stretches of mediocrity?
- Jon Niese: Can the staff’s lone lefty stay healthy? Will he prove to be more than the .500 pitcher he has been throughout his career?
- Bartolo Colon: Will he continue to give the team innings and a chance to win every 5th day, or will age finally catch up to him?
Bullpen
- When will Bobby Parnell return from his Tommy John surgery, and how long will it be before he returns to form? Terry Collins has said that the closer role belongs to Parnell when he returns, but it isn’t feasible for him to immediately take over the 9th inning after a year off. Which leads to…
- Mejia or Familia? Jenrry Mejia stomped his way into the closer role in Parnell’s absence and did an admirable job, channeling his inner John Franco to make the 9th inning interesting before nailing down each save. But Jeurys Familia arguably has the better stuff of the two, and may be better suited for the closer’s role long term.
- Who will emerge as the second lefty in the pen alongside Josh Edgin? Will the Mets even go north with another lefty arm for Collins to wear out?
Starting Lineup
The Mets’ offense is their biggest question mark. If things go right, the Mets will score some runs and have a decent offense. If things go wrong, it could be a long season. We can probably expect Daniel Murphy to have a typical Murph season, but I’m hard pressed to predict the stats for the rest of the starting lineup:
- David Wright is the biggest piece of the puzzle. If he can regain some sort of his prior form and be a solid #3 hitter, the Mets may be on to something. If he shows that his subpar 2014 was not just an aberration or due to injuries – or if injuries sidetrack him yet again – the Mets will be in trouble.
- Will Curtis Granderson thrive under the watch of Kevin Long and take advantage of the newest Citi Field dimensions? Or will he have yet another disappointing season?
- Will Lucas Duda show us that his breakout 2014 season was no fluke and deliver another 30 homer season?
- Will Michael Cuddyer stay healthy and give the Mets’ offense the boost Sandy and company envisioned when they signed him as their only major offseason move?
- Can Wilmer Flores be an everyday shortstop? Will he hit enough to cover up the below-average defense he brings to the middle of the diamond?
- Will Juan Lagares take another step forward offensively? Will we see the Travis d’Arnaud from the first half of last year, or the one we saw after he returned from Las Vegas?
Perhaps the biggest questions with the Mets are not with their current roster, but with their front office and ownership. Will Sandy make a bold move during the season to help the Mets take that next step forward? Will the Wilpons allow him to acquire a big contract should one become available? Mets fans are tired of hearing about “payroll flexibility.” We’ve had enough of rebuilding and waiting for next year. The time to win is NOW.
