SAVAGE VIEWS – Early Observations

 

April 22, 2021

Here we are a couple of weeks into the season and it’s clear the Dodgers are in a class of their own although the Padres are a very good team they are still a notch or two behind.  Then there is everybody else.  At this stage, I would rank the Mets number three on the strengths of their starting pitching which will only get better upon the return of Carrasco and Syndergaard.  Normally the Braves would be ranked high but given the significant injuries to their pitching staff, it’s hard to evaluate them fairly at this point.

There are no standout teams in the American League.  No one really expects the Red Sox to continue at their pace.  The National League is far superior.  With few exceptions, the best players reside in the National League.

To my delight the Yankees look a mess.  Going into the season their starting pitching was a question mark.  That’s no longer the case.  Outside of Cole, they have no one to depend on.  The everyday lineup scares no one.  The only two players on their roster that I would take to improve the Mets are LeMahieu and Ursula.  Judge is too fragile and Torres too inconsistent. Having said all that I would not be surprised to see them finish first in a very weak division.  Tampa Bay may own the Yankees but they are still not a good team.

Unless things change dramatically, the NL East is there for the Mets to take.  It’s hard to imagine the Braves overcoming early season injuries.  The Phillies are simply not good enough and Washington has a myriad of issues and now Strasburg is back on the DL.   I think the Marlins are a dark horse that may surprise.  I like their pitching staff and they have just enough hitting to be dangerous.

It’s way too early to be very critical of Rojas, but what was he thinking in game two of the doubleheader in Colorado?  It’s as he thought he was still in Spring Training.  He played the “B” team.  In a one run game and with a rested bullpen why in the world would you bring in Gsellman, Barnes and Hildenberger.  It’s as if he decided to cede the game to the Rockies.

I know it’s only a matter of time for the bats to come alive.  Lindor, thus far, looks like a more expensive version of Gimenez, except Gimenez has four more extra base hits, including two homers.   I prefer McNeil in the two slot and move Lindor to third in the lineup.

As a Mets fan, I would like to celebrate the early season successes of Steve Matz and Wilson Ramos. I thought Matz was mishandled last year.  Both have benefited by a change in scenery.  There was no place for either on this team.

Most of this was written on Monday prior to the Cubs series.  It used to be that you could look forward to day games at Wrigley, especially in April.  The world is changing but not always for the better.

Ray