It seems like a never ending cycle for the New York Mets and their ball club. The laughable cycle always begins heading into the season with an exciting roster. Following that, the team in Queens usually has a strong month and a half coming out of the gates to open up the season. But unfortunately, that’s the most success they will have in a typical season. The season shortly falls apart after that stretch. This unfortunate cycle for the New York Mets have caused many to doubt their potential success in seasons to come.
With a very strong roster this year and a difficult schedule, predictions vary among MLB analysts. One way to see if this team is capable of a playoff run is to compare them to the 2015 National League Champion New York Mets team.
SP: Jacob DeGrom vs Matt Harvey
Favored: 2020, DeGrom
Coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons, it can be said that DeGrom is the best pitcher in all of baseball. Although Harvey put up impressive numbers, he was nowhere close to the level dominance DeGrom showcases.
1B: Pete Alonso vs Lucas Duda
Favored: 2020, Alonso
While fans only saw one season of what Alonso could do, his ability was promising and seems like he can stay consistent throughout his career. In 2019, Alonso had more RBI’s, HR’s, and a better batting average than Duda in the 2015 season. Thus, giving the Home run derby champion, Alonso, the upper hand.
2B: Robinson Canó vs Daniel Murphy
Favored: 2015, Murphy
There really isn’t much explanation needed for this matchup. Canó is a consistent player who provides a good leadership presence in the clubhouse for younger players. Murphy’s peak with the Mets featured a .328 batting average in the post season along with an impressive 7 home runs. Safe to say, the 2015 second baseman takes this battle
3B: Jeff McNeil vs David Wright
Favored: 2020, McNeil
Before you get angry, this statement is not saying that Jeff McNeil is better than David Wright. Jeff NcNeil will contribute more for the 2020 Mets rather Wright in 2015. The 2015 season began Wright’s downfall of his career. To bad this up, Wright did not put up great numbers too. On the other hand, McNeil had an amazing season last year with a .318 batting average, earning him a spot on the All-Star team.
SS: Amed Rosario vs Wilmer Flores
Favored: 2020, Rosario
This was a tough decision between two strong candidates, although the edge lies with Amed Rosario. Although Rosario’s 2019 campaign consisted with what seemed like a lot of errors, 17 to be exact, Flores only had three less than him with 14 on the season. Rosario has a clear advantage in the speed category and had a better bat than Flores.
LF: J.D. Davis vs Yoenis Céspedes
Favored: 2015, Céspedes
While Davis did show a promising future for himself, his season was not as strong as Céspedes. Although hurt for a fair amount of games, Yo had a strong presence in the lineup with his explosive bat and arm power.
CF: Brandon Nimmo vs Juan Lagares
Favored: 2015, Lagares
Another tough choice here between two consistent players. In Mets fans’ eyes, Lagares was more consistent and trustworthy. From 2013 to 2015, his first three years in the MLB, Lagares had played most games of the season. On the other hand, Nimmo was not able to play a lot of games in three out of his four seasons so far. With similar bats, Lagares’ consistency and glove work gives him the edge.
RF: Michael Conforto vs Curtis Granderson
Favored: 2020, Conforto
In arguably the most difficult decision yet, Conforto takes the edge here. Conforto had an increase in average, homers, and RBI’s from the 2018 to 2019 season. With the addition of an extra few months to prepare, many have high hopes for Conforto this year. This is not saying that Granderson was bad in 2015, since he was a great player, merely that Conforto has much more potential for this season.
Bullpen: 2015 vs 2020
Favored: 2015
While the Mets did make some improvements to the bullpen this offseason, adding Dellin Betances, many enjoy the 2015 bullpen much better. With arguably the best closer in the league at the time in Jeurys Familia, a young Steven Matz, Addison Reed, and Tyler Clippard, the 2015 bullpen was in a much safer, stronger place. The 2020 bullpen can be better if they played up to their full potentials. However, it would be a little risky to put all my faith into a bounce back season from Edwin Díaz, Jeurys Familia, and Dellin Betances.
Verdict:
Ultimately, the Mets this year definitely have the potential to be similar to the National League Championship 2015 team. Although some scares such as a hard schedule and injuries can be frightening to the club for this season. New York is definitely capable of giving teams like the Dodgers and the Braves a run for there money in the National League.
Photo: Youtube / Matthew Lilen ( 2015 New York Mets Highlights)
