The New York Mets have made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Let us take a look at how the post season roster could shape up.
By Ernie DeFalco
Age of a player, postseason experience, season performance, and recent performance is always considered. Even left-handed and right-handed splits are also often dictated by the match-up.
Feelings will be hurt.
Some of those hurt feelings will never be reconciled. But one thing is for certain, a series can be won or lost by making the correct roster decisions. So let’s take a look at the how the New York Mets 25-man playoff roster will shape up.
Everyday Lineup:
C, Travis d’Arnaud (.271, 12 HRs)
1B, Lucas Duda (.246, 25 HRs)
2B, Daniel Murphy (.285, 13 HRs)
SS, Ruben Tejada (.267, 3 HRs)
3B, David Wright (.307, 5 HRs)
LF, Micheal Conforto (.280, 8 HRs)
CF, Yoenis Cespedes (.293, 35 HRs)
RF, Curtis Granderson (.256, 25 HRs)
The starting eight comes with maybe just one surprise. Ruben Tejada, batting .267 with a .980 fielding percentage, has been getting the majority of the starts at shortstop lately. Expect that to continue into the playoffs.
The Mets defense up the middle is incredibly weak when Wilmer Flores (.965 FPCT) and Daniel Murphy (.935 FPCT) are out there. While the Mets were able to survive through much of the regular season, the playoffs are a different animal. A fielder failing to get to one ball could change a series. Murphy is a much better offensive player, and must be in the starting lineup. That spells doom for Flores. Terry Collins will put the best defense as possible out there. That means Tejada at shortstop.
Michael Conforto, batting .176 against left-handed pitching, could be spelled against a lefty in favor of Michael Cuddyer who is batting .281 against left-handers. But Terry Collins should throw the book away and go with his best players at this point and let Conforto start regardless of the opponent.
Bench:
L, Kelly Johnson IF/OF (.265, 14 HRs)
R, Wilmer Flores IF (.262, 16 HRs)
R, Juan Uribe IF (.253, 14 HRs)
R, Michael Cuddyer 1B/OF (.267, 10 HRs)
R, Kevin Plawecki C (.224, 3 HRs)
Terry Collins will more than likely go with a five-man bench consisting of one left-handed batters and four right-handed batters. The fifth bench spot is reserved for the backup catcher, Kevin Plawecki.
Kelly Johnson (.250, 5 homers) is a lock. Juan Uribe, assuming he gets healthy, is also a lock. Uribe has proven to be a clutch playoff performer in the past and the Mets will look to him to keep it going. Michael Cuddyer is also a lock. Cuddyer has not been great this year, but has not performed so poorly to be left off the roster. Fan favorite Wilmer Flores, will make the roster. Only because he is the only other shortstop on the roster. Had he been an outfielder, he would be off. But his ability to play multiple infield positions and his clutch hitting gets him on.
Notable position player omissions: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Eric Young Jr., Eric Campbell, and Juan Lagares
One time cleanup hitter Eric Campbell, stolen base extraordinaire Eric Young Jr. and the one year wonder Juan Lagares never see the playoffs. In Young’s case, it is a hard sell to put him on the roster just to steal a base or to pinch run. Could it happen? Sure. But should it? No. Lagares’s only use right now is defensive specialist. Many playoff games are decided in the late innings. On most nights Collins will need his big bats in the outfield to play all nine innings. That leaves little room for Lagares. Kirk Nieuwenhuis is off too. Nieuwenhuis’s best asset is that he would give the Mets second left-handed bat off the bench. But, hitting just .196, is that really an asset?
Starting Rotation:
SP, Matt Harvey (13-7, 2.80 ERA)
SP, Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.60 ERA)
SP, Steven Matz (4-0, 2.27 ERA)
SP, Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 3.34 ERA)
Matt Harvey will be all-in in the playoffs. No pitch counts, not innings limit.
The Dark Knight will finally go to the mound, with no controversies, and he’ll do what he does best. Jacob deGrom, who looked great in his last start, will follow Harvey. A pretty nice 1-2, maybe the best not named Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke. Matz and Syndergaard could very well be the x-factors. They will match up against the other teams 3 & 4 guys. These two have a chance to be the difference makers in a short, or long series. The Mets success could very well rest on these two starters.
The Mets rotation is young and inexperienced. But no better time than now to get these kids playoff exposure. The Mets believe this is the group that could lead the franchise to multiple playoff berths. So the Mets may as well let them get some playoff experience now.
Bullpen:
LHP, Jonathon Niese (9-10, 4.16 ERA)
LHP, Sean Gilmartin (3-1, 2.58 ERA)
RHP, Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.15 ERA)
RHP, Eric Goeddel (1-1, 2.56 ERA)
RHP, Hansel Robles (4-3, 3.42 ERA)
RHP, Addison Reed (1-0, 0.00 ERA) *with Mets
RHP, Tyler Clippard (3-1, 2.97 ERA) *with Mets
RHP, Jeurys Familia (2-2, 42 Saves)
The sad part here is, if the Mets are going to advance it is more than likely because the starting four are pitching deep into games. If the starters are pitching deep into games, then all these relievers are not necessary.
But, Collins will prepare for the worst and go with eight relievers. The most glaring names on the reliever list are veteran starters Jonathon Niese and Bartolo Colon. Niese has had an up and down season. Let’s make no mistake about it, Niese is still a quality MLB pitcher. Although he will not be starting, he will play an extremely important role during the playoff run. His primary responsibility will be to get left-handed batters out. That is an area in which Mets pitchers have struggled all season. Niese will solve those issues. He will also allow Collins the flexibility to leave him out there. In other words, Niese does not have to be a “get one lefty hitter out” type of reliever. He can give Collins a full inning or more.
Colon, who is tied for the Mets lead in wins, will take his rubber arm into the bullpen. He will be ready for whatever role Collins needs. Whether it is to come in and get a big out, or take over if a starter is pulled early. Much like Sid Fernandez during the 1986 playoff run, Colon will at some point have a big moment.
The other relievers on the list are made up of guys Collins has trusted most throughout the season and late season acquisitions. Tyler Clippard, who has struggled of late, and Familia will continue to get eight and ninth inning duties. Robles, Goedddel and Gilmartin will see time if the Mets are behind or tied in the middle innings. That leaves Addison Reed. Addison Reed has been a great acquisition for the Mets, and expect Collins to use him in the seventh inning to help protect leads.
Notable Omissions: Carlos Torres, Bobby Parnell, and Eric O’Flaherty
Poor Carlos Torres, he has been a staple in the Mets pen for 100 years. Well, maybe not that long, but pretty long. He has done everything the Mets have asked of him during his tenure with the Mets. Now they will ask him to watch the playoffs from the luxury boxes. With Colon in the pen as a long man, and with the addition of Addison Reed, Torres will be forced to watch from the sidelines. Bobby Parnell just has not been able to regain his form. He has become a liability on the hill. Collins cannot trust Parnell to come in and get a big out.
Finally, there is Eric O’Flaherty. He was brought in to solve the Mets left-handed reliever woes. But he has been everything but. He found a way to get worse since he left Oakland. The Mets should really just send the guy home, as far away as possible.
Oh man Ernie....they're gonna keep 14 hitters, 11 pitchers. Lagares or Young will be on the roster. Both guys if Uribe is out.
With only 4 starters, the postseason rosters are 14-11 as opposed to 13-12 a lot.