Here are a few phenomenal reasons the 2015 New York Mets playoff run will be much greater than the 2006 version of yesteryear.
By David Hong
They did it with maybe the best lineup in baseball that year. Dangerous from the top to the bottom, they had a lot of power and also speed too.
They also did it with a deep bullpen which was effective for most of the year and a good enough starting rotation.
They advanced all the way to the NLDS but fell one game short of the World Series when they lost in seven games to the St Louis Cardinals.
That was the last Mets team to reach the playoffs.
Until this season in 2015.
The 2015 Mets already clinched the NL East division a week before the final weekend of the regular season. They have 89 wins so far with three games left in the season. Even though the 2015 Mets weren’t as consistent as the 2006 Mets in the regular season, I think this year’s Mets team can make a deep playoff run and perhaps make it to the World Series, something the 2006 Mets failed to do.
Here’s a few reasons why this playoff run will be a deeper one than what we saw from the 2006 club:
1. The Rotation
The 2015 Mets have probably the deepest rotation in baseball. And even if Steven Matz is not ready for the NLDS with his back issue, the Mets will still bring up Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey for the first three games. That’s as a great a Big 3 in a rotation as anyone can put up. And Bartolo Colon would replace Matz as the 4th starter which is a better 4th option than most teams have.
One thing that might’ve hurt the 2006 Mets World Series chances was their lack of rotation depth because of injuries.
The 2006 Mets had their ace Pedro Martinez already done for the year with a calf injury. The,n a day before Game 1 of the NLDS, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who was scheduled to pitch in that first game, felt tightness in his leg during warmups and had to miss the playoffs as well. So they were left with Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel and fill ins like John Maine and Oliver Perez.
Glavine was good for the most part in the playoffs. Maine and even Perez had some fine playoff moments. But Trachsel was awful and after he got hurt in Game 3 in the NLCS vs the Cardinals, the Mets had to put Perez in for Game 7. Perez was actually effective in that game. But without Pedro and El Duque, the rotation was clearly not the same. We all know pitching wins championships.
The 2015 Mets clearly have the edge in this category.
2. Better Bullpen
The 2015 Mets bullpen could be more effective. The 2006 Mets bullpen was one of the best in the regular season. But set up man Duaner Sanchez got hurt in July and even though Aaron Heilman did a fine job as set up man for the rest of that year (until he gave up Yadier Molina’s game winning home run in Game 7), the Mets bullpen that year was not the same without Sanchez. And plus closer Billy Wagner struggled mightily in the NLCS.
I know the 2015 had some of their struggles during the season, but the 7th, 8th and 9th inning guys could be a big weapon. Especially closer Jeurys Familia, who had an unbelievable year with 42 saves and has one of the nastiest stuffs in the game especially the splitter which ranges in 90 mphs.
This will be Familia’s first playoff experience. If he can shake off the jitters and pitch like he did in the regular season, it will be game over in the ninth inning when the Mets have the lead. Tyler Clippard struggled in September. But if he can bounce back, he can be an effective seventh or eighth inning man depending on what Collins does with him and Addison Reed. And with Reed, he has been a nice addition and has been great since coming over to the Mets. All three of them have closed, so they should be able to handle the pressure well and Clippard has had some playoff experience. Another pitcher who can be useful in the pen, is starter Jon Niese. who will be placed in the bullpen in the playoffs. Niese is a lefty who could be used to get big lefty hitters out and also pitch in long relief.
3. Timely Lineup
The 2015 Mets lineup is gaining momentum.
The 2006 Mets may have a much better lineup, but the 2015 Mets lineup has been on a roll in the second half especially after the acquisitions. Playoffs is all about momentum. And the Mets lineup in the second half has been one of the best. They may not have much speed but they have power with Cespedes, Duda, Granderson, and Wright.
Also, the Mets lineup has been more clutch lately too, getting big hits down the stretch. Their improved lineup is why the Mets ran away with the NL East in the second half.
4. Fortitude
The 2015 Mets are more resilient. The 2006 Mets have ran away with the division all year, even seeming too easy to them at the start. They didn’t go through a lot of tough moments in the regular season. So when they faced their first real test in the NLCS, they didn’t seem to handle it well overall.
The 2015 Mets have been resilient all year. Through the injuries, performance struggles at times, botched Carlos Gomez trade, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise and finally the Harvey innings limit saga, the Mets have overcome them all and are NL East champions. Their resiliency should pay off for them in the playoffs because they know how to overcome them.
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