Paul Articulates - This could be good!

Players have now officially reported to spring training and all is well with last year’s NLDS runners-up. The Mets have Pete back, they have Sean Manaea back, and they have a new guy roaming in right field for the next 15 years. Everyone is happy and excited, especially Carlos Mendoza who welcomed everyone with a smile and a handshake.

So what could go wrong? 

Well, a thousand things could go wrong but I’m not here to talk about that. I did that in last week’s post where I highlighted the five guys who desperately needed to get off to a hot start.

This week I am still talking about ball players’ state of mind, but in a positive light. I think that the Mets hitters will outperform expectations this year for the same reason they have traditionally underperformed. It is all about pressure.  

Pressure does strange things to the mind by cluttering up the thoughts of players that need to have a quiet mind at the plate. You have seen it many times when players are in a slump. You saw it big time last year with Pete when he pressed hard to have a huge season in his walk year and the harder he tried, the worse it got.

This year I think that the Mets have less pressure than ever. Sure, the expectations are high, but they are in a different place now. They have a lineup so deep in hitting talent that no one person has to feel it is up to them to carry the load. 

The power in the lineup like Mark, Pete, and Ally don’t have to feel like they have to hit the next pitch out of the ballpark because they are followed by guys that can deliver hits. That allows them to be looser and more selective. That leads to better counts, which leads to more pitches in the zone, which leads to balls driven hard. Batters in the on-deck circle get excited when they hear the sweet sound of a ball striking the barrel. “I’m next! Gimme some of that!” 

It is all going to spiral upward if any two or three of the hitters in this deep lineup start hot.  I think there is a pretty high probability that will happen because of the work ethic of the guys that David Stearns has assembled on this roster. 

Once it gets started, the game is going to be more fun for all involved. Pitchers can just let it fly if their teammates are putting crooked numbers on the board. They won’t have to worry that one run will sink them, so they don’t have to aim the ball trying to avoid a mistake. Just trust their stuff and let Alvy call the game.

This isn’t typical pre-season optimism. This is built on the confidence these players have in their teammates. You can hear it in every interview this spring. If the guy in front of you and the guy behind you in the lineup is a legitimate threat, you don’t have to press. Step to the plate with a quiet mind and do what you have trained to do since you first wore the uniform.

The Mets are not unique in this way. There are a couple other teams that have the same type of formidable lineups. These teams will be very challenging to beat. But they better not overlook the Mets this season. The Mets will be a team you’ll want to watch.