The Mets didn’t make any huge free agent additions this offseason, but were able to re-sign their stars this offseason (as you can tell by us having to use a picture of Yoenis Cespedes as the article photo).
The Mets starting pitching will be the key to how their season go. If they have to deal with a lot of injuries, the Mets could fall under .500, but if the starters stay healthy and are able to strikeout hitters, they could win the NL East.
A team could have the best pitchers in the Majors, but if you can’t score runs, they are useless…so Cespedes must keep hitting like this season is another ‘contract year.’ Also, the Mets need David Wright to stay on the field. His bat may not be as lively, but he’s still a great defensive third baseman.
Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the New York Mets.
2016 Win/Loss Record: 87-75
Key Additions: SP Tom Gorzelanny & Adam Wilk
Key Losses: SP Bartolo Colon, 1B James Loney, RP Jim Henderson, OF Alejandro De Aza, 2B Kelly Johnson, SP Logan Verrett & SP Gabriel Ynoa
Interleague Schedule: AL West
Projected Starters: Travis, d’Arnaud, Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, David Wright, Asdrubal Cabrera, Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson & Jay Bruce
Projected Starting Rotation: Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz & Robert Gsellman
Closer: Jeurys Familia
Fantasy Sleeper: SP Zack Wheeler – Wheeler is still trying to heal up from a 2015 Tommy John surgery and won’t be in the Majors until this Summer. Robert Gsellman will be the team’s fifth starter to start the year, Wheeler could regain it when he’s back. The Mets have a plethora of pitching options, but Wheeler was always thought of a possible future ace of the rotation. I think the Mets will give him a spot in the rotation when he’s back. He might be worth a DL stash if you can afford using up a spot for a few months.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: 1B Dominic Smith – Smith was the 11th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft. He has hit over .300 in back-to-back seasons in High-A and then in Double-A last year. He should start the year in Triple-A and if they didn’t have Lucas Duda, could probably step right in and start at first for many other teams. If Smith starts to hit the cover off the ball this year, I’m curious to see how the Mets will fit him in the lineup. If I were the Mets, I would try to get him some reps at third base in Triple-A in case David Wright’s neck/shoulder issues get worse.
Team Analysis: The Mets had high hopes coming into last year after appearing in the World Series in 2015. They lost a few bats after their World Series loss, but still were favored to win the NL East…but they came up a few games short.
New York had one goal in free agency this past offseason, keep the players you had. They were able to sign Yoenis Cespedes to a monster deal and Neil Walker accepted their qualifying offer. The only player of note that they weren’t able to keep was Bartolo Colon. His veteran leadership will be missed since the Mets have a ton of young starters. It was a smart decision since Colon is well over 40 years old.
The NL East will once again be a two-team race at the top. The Nationals and Mets will trade the lead all year. Washington added some big names this offseason, so the Mets will need their young pitchers to stay healthy and dominate. I think the Mets will once again fall a few games short of of the Nationals, but should be in the Wild Card mix.
2017 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 88.5 (Prediction: UNDER)
2017 Projected Win/Loss Record: 87-75 (2nd in NL East)
CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2017 MLB Team Previews
Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!
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.