Home Grown Phuture

Home Grown Phuture: This image is burned into my mind as the low point of the Wright and Reyes love fest. Home Grown, means a lot to Met fans... even if it perhaps shouldn't. David Wright isn't from Flushing, he never went to the Whitestone Deli for rice pudding and he doesn't know that the world lost something great when Lum's Chinese packed up shop and left town. HOWEVER, Met fans treat him like we personally nursed him and got him through his terrible twos. We may not have "RAISED" Wright and Reyes but we saw them as kids in the farm who could have wound up being nothing... and we saw them become something.

2014 New York Mets: So... while we're all fawning over generation 2K and the 5 young arms who may find themselves in the 2013 Met rotation I thought I'd focus on this home grown hitting that might find its way to Flushing by 2014. Put your rose colored glasses on and join me as I preview the VERY home grown 2014 New York Mets.

1. Jose Reyes, SS (S) - Reyes will be over 30 but still capable of getting on base better than nearly any other pair of legs in baseball. Reyes may no longer be shooting for records in stolen bases but he's still a threat on the base paths and capable of stealing 30-40 bags every year. Plus... the contact oriented players who protect him have made Reyes a run scoring machine as he doesn't need to STEAL to get from 1st to 2nd to 3rd.

2. Reese Havens, 2B (L) - In 2012 Reese finally put his injuries behind him and after an unfortunate injury to Daniel Murphy, got his shot to play in the majors. Reese proved to be one of the most advanced eyes promoted within the Met system as he managed an OBP above .400 in his first half season. Since then he's become a dangerous #2 hitter who is adept at moving Jose Reyes around the bases. He knocked 16 HRs in 2013 and hopes to improve upon that in 2014.

3. Cory Vaughn, RF (R) - Cory Vaughn replaced Jason Bay as the starter in left field after his successes in Spring Training (2013) combined with a dominance of AA (2012) forced the Mets to promote him. Vaughn eventually shifted back to his natural position of RF and quickly made Met fans enamored with his speed, patience and power mix. Vaughn supplanted David Wright in the #3 spot after the all-star break because of his .330 average.

4. Ike Davis, 1B (L) - Ike Davis won the NL MVP in 2012 with a 56 HR onslaught and has since become the hero of New York. His HRs took a slight dip in 2013 (43) but he hopes to turn the power back up with all the talent that now surrounds him. Davis was always a sure glove and has easily taken the Gold Glove award in 2012 and 2013. The NLCS MVP from 2013, he has become the quiet and composed leader of the Mets in the clubhouse.

5. David Wright, 3B (R) - David has done everything New York has ever wanted of him. In 2012 he carried the Mets with Davis into the post season. In 2013 he brought the Mets to the World Series and in 2014... he's promised New Yorkers a ring. David's no longer a .300 hitter but down in the five hole he's become an RBI machine. Though... hitting behind Davis has caused him to steal considerably fewer bases.


6. Brandon Nimmo, LF (L) - The Mets are eager to see what Nimmo will do with his opportunity to play every day. The Mets traded Juan Lagares in the off season to improve the bullpen because they knew that Nimmo was on the way. Nimmo hit 37 HRs between AA and AAA in 2013 and led the Met minors in SLG, OPS and RBIs. The Mets think he'll one day be hitting dead center in the heart of their order but know he'll succeed wherever they place him.


7. Wilmer Flores, C (R) - Who would have thought that moving Flores to catcher would have made as much sense as it did. The kid with good hands and a strong arm who didn't have the range to play short... SURE had the range to be one of the league's best catchers. Flores ended the 2013 season hitting .363 with 17 HRs and he hopes to improve on his power numbers in 2014. Matt Harvey, the new Ace of the rotation, has lauded Flores' development calling games behind the plate.

8. Matt Den Dekker, CF (L) - Den Dekker took some licks when he replaced Angel Pagan mid-way through 2012. He's known for his defense as he ever was but he's also getting things done with his bat. He hit .239 in 2012, raised that 13 points in 2013 and hopes for even more improvement in 2014. His power has been surprising. Only Jose Reyes hit more triples than Den Dekker in 2013 and his 11 HRs were timely. His catch in the 7th inning of the final game of the 2013 NLCS preventing Bryce Harper from tying the game will go down in history as one of the greatest catches in Met history.

People... don't look for the clouds to rain on my parade. Sure... Flores isn't a catcher, Nimmo hasn't signed, Vaughn has yet to prove his NYP power, Davis isn't a TOP slugging 1B, Havens is an injury MACHINE and Den Dekker may never be more than a #4 OF. Hoping for the best never hurt anyone. Just beware the spread that GQ Magazine has planned for this bunch.