Nine Innings with Al Dukes

If you want to be entertained while driving into work, Boomer and Carton is the place for you.

Not only are Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton in rare form during their show, which runs from 6-10 a.m. from Monday-Friday, but their producer Al Dukes is in rare form as well.

We were lucky enough to get Dukes’ thoughts on Mets and the upcoming season on today’s edition of #9innings.

For previous editions of #9innings, click here.

Here are Dukes thoughts:

What do you make of this Mets’ team as currently constituted? Are they ready to contend?

I think this year the Mets will be better than last year, but they are not good enough to contend for a Championship…need a few more years for that

If they’re missing something, what is that piece? Who would be the guy you’d go out and get and why?

I don’t have specific guys for the Mets to go out and get, but they need offensive players that can produce runs…It seems the Pitching will be solid this year…just can’t have Matt Harvey losing games 1-0 or 2-0 the way it happened to Johan a few years back.

How do the Mets compete with the Nationals with that superstar rotation? Is the NL East title a distant pipe dream?

The NL East Title is a distant pipe dream this year…although we’ve seen teams that look loaded at the beginning of the year disappoint by the end of the year…let’s hope that happens with the Nationals.

David Wright had a career-worst year in 2014. Do you think we should expect a marginalized player moving forward or do you have hope in a resurgence?

David Wright seems to be at a place now where he is a better than average player, but not a superstar…I don’t expect that to change this season.

Who’s the guy who needs to step up to put the Mets offense over the top?

Curtis Granderson and David Wright have to step it up this year.

What are your thoughts on the Yankees? Do you hate them? 

I don’t hate the Yankees anymore…I used to hate the Yankees that would go out every year and grab the big name player and get the best free agents…but they don’t do that anymore, so there’s nothing to hate.

If you could have one team as currently constituted, farm system and all, would you rather have the Mets or the Yankees? Why?

I would rather have the Mets…I still think Pitching wins championships, and I like the Mets young pitching staff.

What’s the best thing to eat or drink at Citi Field?

The only thing I get at Citi Field is the classic Pretzel and a beer…the Shake Shack line is always way too long.

Finish this sentence. By the end of the season, the Mets will be…

81-81