As a fan first, and writer second, I like to see what is going well, first and foremost, but not ignore what is not going so well.
A 6-3 record is, in and of itself and by definition, GOING WELL, thank you for asking.
A 6-3 record is, in and of itself and by definition, GOING WELL, thank you for asking.
GOING WELL:
The hitting looks SO much better than 2018.
Having to face Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin 6 of your first 9 games? Last year, the Mets would have hit .150 against these guys and scored almost nothing. That is like having the treadmill machine set on steep and at 4 miles per hour, much more difficult than what the Mets might typically face.
After 9 games, however, the Mets are hitting .270/.340/.438, and averaging a shade under 6 runs per game. Why?
Jeff McNeil hitting .407. Does anyone still doubt this guy, who is .336/.395/.482 in 71 career games? If so, why? Name me another guy in Mets history that has splits like that....come on, I don't have all day. Couldnt, could ya?
Wilson Ramos is clearly the best hitting Mets catcher since Mike Piazza - after a torrid spring, he is hitting .400 in games that count. And, on days Ramos has to sit, we don't have a back up catcher whose bat seems to be made of sawdust - TDA should hit, too. Catching offensively in Metsville is clearly a huge upgrade over 2018.
Pete Alonso - we all knew the power was huge - think "HOMER" - but even against awesome pitching, he is hitting .382/.432/.824 with 11 RBIs. I compared him once to Harmon Killebrew - and I am sticking with that.
Michael Conforto is looking like he could have a huge year - hitting-wise, I've said before he reminds me of a prime years Don Mattingly - maybe this year, he will do just that - so far, .351/.415/.595. I'll take a full year of that.
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| PC - Ernest Dove |
JD Davis had two great games and is at .280/.357/.600, and showing he may have the rising bat that we may never see again from Todd Frazier.
Cano, Rosario, and Nimmo are off to slow starts, but I think it is safe to say that won't last. They are too good.
Pitching shows bright signs:
Jake deGrom is the best pitcher on the planet - period.
Edwin Diaz gives Mets fans real hope that when the 9th inning arrives with a lead, a Mets victory is only a few moments away. Last year, the Mets blew 18 saves (31% of chances). Diaz in his career is 113 of 125 (a 9% blown save rate).
Jeurys Familia had a bad game against very good hitters - I nonetheless think he is going to be strong in his new role.
Justin Wilson looks strong as a 3rd arm.
Lugo and Gsellman pitched better Sunday and are likely all ready to be solid.
Thor and Matz should make us smile a lot this year. Thor has not been perfect - but he will be above average. People complained that Matz's pitch count was so high on Saturday that he could only go 5 innings - but I saw 5 shutout innings, 8 Ks against a potent Nats line up. New Matz in a new year.
A FEW WORRIES EXIST, THOUGH, AS I SEE IT:
Zach Wheeler was either sucky or injured from 2015 through the first half of 2018 - that is a long 3 1/2 years.
Then had a Cy Young caliber 2nd half in 2018. Surprise, surprise, surprise! Very pleasant surprise.
So far in 2019, though, he is sucky again - the Mets don't necessarily need Cy Young caliber from him in 2019 - but the Mets need quality - and the way he pitched Sunday should concern any fan, that expecting quality from Zach is not a foregone conclusion. Hopefully, now that he is past the Nats, he will excel again.
The back of the bullpen is once again showing signs that we should be concerned.
Tim Peterson was horrible yesterday, and Luis Avilan has stunk.
Fortunately, it only looks like those 2 pen arms might need to be changed - last year, more arms were constantly malfunctioning, starting a revolving door of "dreck" all year.
Jason Vargas has looked passable for a 5th starter, but unimpressive. He does not deserve the benefit of the doubt...he'll have to, as the old commercial said, "do things the old fashioned way...by earning it."
WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO?
If it were me, and I were cutting the checks, I would sign Keuchel and/or Kimbrel and make the Mets have a killer staff.
My brother Steve and friend Eric both follow the Mets closely, and both Mets fans still see the Mets as a loser organization - historically, mostly true - many examples could be cited to make the case that they are right...but many fans see big strides in 2019.
Keuchel, at least, would be a real plus - I'd sign him immediately, budget be darned.
But I do not think that Kimbrel would want to come to the Mets as an 8th inning man, and how could anyone move Diaz from the closer role to accommodate Kimbrel? I wouldn't.
All in all, a lot more exciting than worrying in Metsville. A team that should hit a ton in 2019 (and just think of when Lowrie and Cespedes return), and a staff that, even as constructed, should be better than 2018's if for no other reason than Edwin Diaz.
I'm a lot more excited than worrying.
If I were a Cubs fan (2-7), I'd be worried. 6-3 is so much better than 2-7, don't you agree?
I'll be honest I'm not impressed by Gsellman. I think he is another upgradeable piece. He hasnt been good since 2016.
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested to see how the roster changes with the arrival of Frazier and Lowrie. At what point do you realize that ever sitting McNeil is a mistake. If you need to fit in JD Davis, Lagares or Broxton it shouldnt be at the expense of McNeil.
Dallas and Kimbrel are both on the downtrend of their careers. I would love them, but you can't sign them to big long term deals unless you want to get burnt and lose flexibility in the future.
Some salary may have to be eaten. Good luck with that, BVW.
ReplyDeleteDallas - you are exactly right on Gsellman - averaging 5.8 runs allowed after 2016. That does not cut it.
ReplyDeleteMcNeil should play every single day he is healthy...agree there, too.
Give Keuchel his $19 MM for 1 year, and Kimbrel $25 MM for one year. You would almost guarantee a division title.
I find it interesting that folks are looking at Zack Wheeler and asking "what's wrong with him"?
ReplyDeleteTruth be told (or maybe just my strong opinion), he is who is his. Look at his career stats and you see inconsistency, at best and a pitcher who needs a ton of pitches to get through five innings. His WHIP (base runners) has always been poor and that goes hand in hand with his performance.
No, the question should have been "who is this guy" late last year when he was on a hot streak (an outlier). He is simply reverting back to who he is, in 2019.
I would sign Dallas on a short term deal (under three years) and move your worst starter to the bullpen.....oh and I let Zack walk after this season ends.
Mike, as of right now, that seems like the right call on Zach.
ReplyDeleteI hope we see a quick return to his second half 2018 form this season.
I've been concerned about Gsellman since last August. He was horrible for 2 months, then struggled in ST and from the start of the season thru now. He's got to turn it around if he wants to keep his job.
ReplyDeleteWheeler may be putting too much pressure on himself since his comments about wanting to test the FA market and no "home team discount" to stay here. I do give him credit for taking full responsibility for his struggles, and I think he'll turn it around. At least both Flexen and Oswalt are off to good AAA starts, and Matz has been quietly our best SP not named Jacob.
I don't see ypur comparison with Conforto and Mattingly, though. I haven't checked the stats yet, but I don't remember Donnie Baseball having 30+ HR potential.
What no one has mentioned yet is that we're missing Lowrie, Frazier and (until the past weekend) Travis, and haven't even missed them at all.
One concern I have is that Mickey likes to make moves with PHing or PRing for whichever Catcher starts. If he's going to continue that, we MUST find a way to carry a 3rd Catcher or we could get into big trouble one day.
Just checked Mattingly stats. Early in his career from ages 24-26, he did have 35, 30 and 31 HRs, but never came close for the rest of his career. And he played in YS. I hope Scooter does better.
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