For those who listen to Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton on WFAN, Al Dukes is a central character and crucial contributor to the show.
Dukes started the year as a Mets’ optimist. After their quick start, he made a legal sports bet in Las Vegas on the Mets to win the National League Pennant. He was in town for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacqiao showdown.
He’s since changed his optimism tune:
“Things have changed since then,” Dukes said. “I don’t think they are serious playoff contenders. They simply don’t score enough runs.”
Mike’s Take: While I agree that this isn’t going to be a World Series year, there’s no reason to believe this team can’t compete. With Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom being dominant, along with Noah Syndergaard’s debut and Steven Matz waiting in the wings, this team doesn’t need to hit the stuffing out of the ball to compete. Reinforcements are coming as well, as David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud should be back before long. Whether they stay healthy for the remainder of the season is another question entirely. For the first time in several years, I think the Mets will be playing serious Summer baseball. Is it enough for a playoff berth? I am not so sure.
