It’s been seemingly forever since the Mets were relevant in New York.
Remember this? This team you see below included guys like Pedro Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Cliff Floyd and a young budding star named David Wright. The future seemed bright. Who knew this would be the last team we’d send to the playoffs.
Now, while optimism is finally back for the Mets, there are still plenty of questions. What do we make of the bullpen? Can Wilmer Flores be the everyday shortstop? Will Travid d’Arnaud take the next step in his development? Is Matt Harvey truly healthy?
These are all huge factors that will determine whether or not the Mets are a success this season. Now what is a success in my eyes? I want to see serious September baseball before we worry about making an October run. There’s no reason why this team wouldn’t be able to compete for a Wild Card spot, especially if there are two of them in each league.
This may be a season of unheralded heroes as well. I, for one, wasn’t thrilled that the team opted to keep a guy like Buddy Carlyle instead of keeping Eric Campbell on the bench. Having only a four-man bench limits potential moves late in the game, and it could lead to issues if extra innings are on the horizon.
It’s great to have hope, and it’s great to be positive. I’ll admit it, I will be at the home opener, the third game and a week later. I bought more tickets already this year than I attended last year. We’re desperate for relevance Mets. Now, it’s time to put up or shut up.
