The NL East is expected to be a two horse race with the Nationals and Braves battling for the division. The other teams just hope to be competitive and continue to develop their young talent.
The Mets will be without their ace Matt Harvey this season. They still tried to make the impression they are going for it this year by signing Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon. I personally think they should have used that money elsewhere.
Can Granderson still put up big numbers without having the Yankees’ right field short porch to boost his home run total?
Bartolo Colon hasn’t pitched in the National League since he was on the Expos in 2002. Does he still have one more good season left in him?
Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the New York Mets.
2013 Win/Loss Record: 74-88
Key Additions: OF Curtis Granderson, OF Chris Young, SP Bartolo Colon, RP Kyle Farnsworth, SP John Lannan, C Taylor Teagarden & RP Jose Valverde
Key Losses: RP LaTroy Hawkins, SP Shaun Marcum, RP David Aardsma, RP Brandon Lyon, RP Greg Burke & Robert Carson
Interleague Schedule: AL West + New York Yankees
Projected Starters: Travis d’Ardnaud, Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, David Wright, Ruben Tejada, Curtis Granderson, Juan Lagares & Chris Young
Projected Starting Rotation: Bartolo Colon, Jonathan Niese, Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee & Jenrry Mejia
Closer: Bobby Parnell
Fantasy Sleeper: 1B Ike Davis – Is there another first baseman that has fallen further than Ike Davis? He went from a future Top 10 fantasy first baseman to being sent down to the minors last season. I don’t want to compare him to Chris Davis, but he was another first baseman that failed in the Majors at first. Davis has all the raw tools to be an All-Star caliber first baseman, but struggles with contact. After his stint in the minors, he played a lot better and actually raised his batting average to .209. His batting average should improve even more because his BABIP was below league average the last two seasons. You could draft Davis near the end of the draft and could be a steal if he bounces back. He came into Spring Training with a calf issue and Lucas Duda filled in admirably for him last season. The Mets really like him. Davis will need to earn their trust back before he becomes the everyday first baseman.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: SP Noah Syndergaard – The Mets won’t have Matt Harvey this season, but Zack Wheeler and Syndergaard will ease the pain. New York acquired Syndergaard and Travis D’Arnaud in the R.A. Dickey trade. That trade could look silly if d’Arnaud plays everyday and Syndergaard plays well in the minors and makes his debut at some point. Unfortunately, he won’t start the season in the Majors. He is the insurance policy if Bartolo Colon breaks down or Jenrry Mejia doesn’t cut it. The other prospect that could see time in the Majors is SP Rafael Montero. He has elite control and looks ready for the Majors. The Mets finally have starting pitching depth and their future rotation of Harvey/Syndergaard/Wheeler/Montero/Mejia will be scary.
Team Analysis: They Mets suffered the biggest blow of any team last season. Matt Harvey was having a great season and then tore his ulnar collateral ligament. He will miss this season recovering from Tommy John surgery. They have young starters to take his place, but they need a few more bats to be competitive in the NL East. They signed Curtis Granderson, but that’s not enough. They will have trouble getting on base with Chris Young, Davis and d’Arnaud all expected to bat under .240. If anyone in the starting lineup suffers an injury, they’ll be in trouble. They do have Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores (who could develop into an everyday player), but their bench is otherwise thin. 2014 will most likely be a lost season. They are marking time until Matt Harvey returns and other young pitchers move up. Years after building Citi Field as a pitcher’s park, they should soon be able to use that to their advantage.
2014 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 73.5 (Prediction: UNDER)
2014 Projected Win/Loss Record: 70-92 (4th NL East)
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About the Author… Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.