Hey New York Mets fans, relax. Your team will be in the postseason this year.
As the Flushing Faithful can attest to, this Mets team has been quite difficult to watch.
Whether it’s been the anemic offense, or the crippling injuries, Mets fans have not had the most enjoyable time watching their team.
Despite all their struggles so far this year, the Mets are still going to make it back to the postseason this year, and here’s why…
Next: Pitching Problems In Pittsburgh
Pitching Problems In Pittsburgh
The Pirates’ pitching has had well publicized problems for much of this year.
Jon Niese, now on the Mets, leads the pirates staff with 8 wins, and a 4.91 ERA; Francisco Liriano, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, leads the team with 116 strikeouts; Mark Melancon, now on the Washington Nationals, leads the team with 30 saves.
The Pirates staff has an undisputed ace in Gerrit Cole, but after that, there are no sure things in the Pirates’ Rotation.
Veterans Ryan Vogelsong, who has three starts this year, and Ivan Nova, who has a 4.90 ERA, are now being relied upon in the middle of the Pirate rotation after the trades of Niese and Liriano.
Rookies, Jameson Taillon, and Tyler Glasnow give the Pirates a chance to fill out a solid rotation, but Glasnow is on the DL, and Taillon has never thrown more than 147.1 innings in a season.
Oh, and Jeff Locke, the 2013 All-Star? He’s been relegated to the bullpen with a .295 BAA and 1.51 WHIP.
Next: The Marlins’ Pitching Conundrum
The Marlins’ Pitching Conundrum
The numbers say that Marlins staff hasn’t been that bad, but the coming weeks will put their young pitchers to the test.
Adam Conley, Tom Koehler, and David Phelps are all on pace to shatter their career highs in innings pitched, leaving us to wonder if they will hold up down the stretch.
Wei-Yin Chen, the Marlins number two starter, is on the DL and has a 4.99 ERA in 19 starts this year.
The biggest problem for the Fish rotation in the coming weeks is Jose Fernandez. Fernandez’s last two seasons have been riddled with injuries, so now the Marlins want to cap him at 180 innings this year.
At the rate he is pitching, Fernandez will only be able to make 7 or 8 more starts this season.
Would the Marlins risk finally making the playoffs for their future? Or will they pull a 2015 Mets and let their young stud finish the year?
Next: The Dodgers’ Injury Woes
The Dodgers’ Injury Woes
If you think the Mets injuries have been bad in 2016, check out the Dodgers. They have 12 pitchers on the DL, including ace Clayton Kershaw, and reinforcements, Rich Hill, and Bud Norris.
Along with those pitchers, outfielders Trayce Thompson and Andre Either have hit the shelf, and are far from a return.
The fate of the Dodgers season hinges upon how effective guys like Ross Stripling, and Kenta Maeda can be stepping up in the rotation.
A late season return for Kershaw would certainly help the Dodgers’ stay in the heat of the race, however, as of now, his return looks highly questionable.
Next: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation
Rotation, Rotation, Rotation
The Mets knew coming into this season that their rotation would have to carry them if they wanted to return to October.
The Mets pitching has been excellent despite losing Matt Harvey, with a 3.40 ERA, third best in the NL, having only allowed 94 home runs, the least in all of baseball.
The Mets four core starters (Bartolo Colon, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, and Noah Syndergaard) all have a top 25 ERA in the NL, and a WHIP in the top 30.
On top of the rotation’s excellence, the bullpen has become quiet dominant.
Lead by Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia, the Mets pen is third in the NL with a 3.27 ERA. Not to mention, Familia leads baseball with 38 saves.
If the Mets’ pitching continues to keep them in games, they will always have a shot to make a push into October.
Next: Help Is On The Way
Help Is On The Way
The Mets have absolutely been hammered by injuries this season, with 10 players currently on the DL.
While guys like Lucas Duda, David Wright, and Matt Harvey are lost for the year, the Mets have plenty of guys set to return to close out this stretch run.
Jose Reyes is slotted to return as soon as he can, on August 11th, and will provide the Mets with relief on the completely decimated left side of the infield.
Reyes can play both short and third, depending on how well Matt Reynolds, Kelly Johnson, and Wilmer Flores continue to play.
Yoenis Cespedes should also be back as soon as possible, on August 19th, and will hopefully continue to spark the Mets offense like he has for the past year.
On the pitching front, Zack Wheeler and Jim Henderson will hopefully be back by the end of the month, with both pitching an inning of rehab in Port St. Lucie yesterday.
Wheeler, the forgotten ace, will look to fill the final spot in the Mets rotation, where Logan Verrett has been shaky since Matt Harvey went down.
Henderson will look to provide relief to a Mets bullpen that has been heavily taxed again this season.
While the season may look bleak to the fans in Flushing, by no means is it time to throw in the towel on 2016.
Look for the Mets to make another “Miracle” run down the stretch. And as Tug McGraw would tell Mets fans, “Ya gotta believe!”