With MLB Opening Day just weeks away, many more eyes are on the New York Mets. Tim Tebow, however, isn’t the only name making waves.
With spring training in full swing, the New York Mets are getting the opportunity to plan for opening day. For the most part, the 25-man roster is set, but questions about pitching rotation and bullpen depth still remain.The rotation was the biggest question mark coming into Spring Training. At least three of the five spots in the rotation will see a pitcher coming off a season ending injury to start the new campaign. Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Jacob deGrom are certain to be in the rotation. How they progress over the next few weeks will set the tone for the season.
No word on a possible Jeurys Familia suspension so far from MLB. Who will fill the role in his absence? How long will the suspension be? What if Plan B is a failure? These questions among others will be what Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins will face over the next few weeks. Solidifying the bullpen should be priority number one for the Metropolitans.
Many questions about pitching will need to be answered, but it’s the general health of the club that is most concerning. Outside of the pitching staff, team captain, David Wright is still dealing with back issues that have plagued him over multiple seasons. Neil Walker and Lucas Duda, are also two players working their way back from injuries that ended their 2016 season.
But spring is a time to look ahead and dream about where this team will be in October. There will be plenty of time to see how this all plays out, on the field. For now, let’s take a look at the players in camp that are turning heads and getting this fan base excited for another year of Mets baseball.
Tim Tebow
Haters, lovers, doubters and believers, it depends who you talk to about Tim Tebow to understand the hype. Tebow is a lightning rod, the likes that the sport’s world has never seen before. There is usually never a gray area when it comes to Tebow. Some call him a genuine hero, while others question his authenticity.
For the New York Mets, the intention was never to turn Tebow into an MLB player. In fact, it’s very hard to argue that he even belongs on the minor league field he has roamed over the past few months. However, Tebow puts fans in the seats, which puts cash in the Mets system’s pocket.
The “hype machine” rolled into Port St. Lucie just under a week ago, and the doubters have relished in what looks like a failed experiment. But before the haters can bask in the glory of seeing the 29-year-old former NFL quarterback fail, Tebow accomplished what seemed unlikely. He got a hit.
Nobody expects Tebow to break camp with the big club. In fact, nobody expects him to be in Port St. Lucie much longer. But for one moment in time, Tebow looked like a big leaguer, a moment that gives fans and analysts a bit of a pause with what this athletic marvel can do.
Yoenis Cespedes
On Nov. 29, it was reported that Yoenis Cespedes had signed a four-year, $110 million dollar deal with the New York Mets. It was the largest annual free-agent deal handed out by the Mets, exceeding the contract Johan Santana signed in 2008.
Cespedes will be the centerpiece of the Mets offense for the foreseeable future. Twenty-sixteen saw the two-time all-star mash 31 home runs and bat a respectable .280 in 132 games for the Mets. The power numbers left Sandy Alderson in a scenario where re-signing Cespedes was priority one for New York.
This is a legacy making year for Cespedes, who has finished in the top ten in MVP voting while playing for four different MLB teams in his five-year career. La Potencia now has a home where he will play the most prominent role in the lineup. As a team built on pitching, Cespedes’ performance could take some stress off of the returning starters this season.
Spring training thus far has seen Cespedes be everything that Alderson had hoped for when he handed him his new contract. Cespedes is batting .458 with 4 home runs in 24 at-bats. His early arrival at camp was a welcomed sign, and the early dividends have the Mets optimistic in his regular season production.
Travis d’Arnaud
There is probably no other player in the starting lineup that needed a quick start to his spring than Travis d’Arnaud. d’Arnaud is coming off of a dreadful 2016 season where he struggled at the plate — four homeruns, knock in 15 RBI and garner only seven extra-base hits.
Many called for the signing of Matt Wieters to compete, if not replace d’Arnaud for the starting catcher role. Wieters would eventually sign with division rival, the Washington Nationals on a one-year deal.
Sandy Alderson has shown his confidence by passing on Wieters and allowing D’Arnaud to regain some of the swagger he had during his first season with the Metropolitans. The confidence boost has paid off so far for Alderson, who has seen d’Arnaud hit .345 with two home runs in the early going. Travis has also collected two extra-base hits, something he struggled with last season.
If d’Arnaud can keep the momentum going into the 2017 season, not only will he add to the cohesiveness of the pitcher-catcher battery, he’ll extend the threat within the batting order. He was touted as a catcher who had great hitting ability when he was first brought to the majors, it is time for that potential to come to fruition.
Amed Rosario
From a talent perspective, no prospect carries as much hype as shortstop Amed Rosario. Rosario’s path to the big club will mostly depend on how he is able to consistently hit Major League pitching. Already touted as an exceptional defensive shortstop, Rosario took a giant leap during the 2016 season by hitting .324 in two minor league levels.
The flashes he has shown in a small window during Spring Training should leave the Mets’ faithful optimistic for the future of the position. Rosario will also have the benefit of being mentored by two established former all-stars, Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera. From a baseball perspective, their insight will prove to be invaluable for the young budding star.
In 30 at-bats with the Mets, Rosario has eight hits with three RBI. He has seven strikeouts within those at-bats but has shown great patience at the plate. This is the type of experience that he will need to make that jump permanently to the big leagues.
At the next level, Rosario should be a top of the order staple. If he can limit strikeouts and take a few more walks, a spot behind Jose Reyes, per se, would be a dangerous 1-2 punch to get things started for the offense. The future is bright for this young prospect. Let’s hope he is more Reyes than Kaz Matsui.
Jacob deGrom
The New York Mets have multiple players returning from season ending injuries. Three of those players account for three-fifths of the starting rotation. Jacob deGrom, arguably, is the most important of those three.
It would be foolish to understate the impact that Matt Harvey and Steven Matz will have re-joining the rotation this season. However, it is Jacob deGrom that will create that dual-aces scenario with Noah Syndergaard that could catapult the Mets back to the World Series.
In the Mets’ 2015 World Series season, deGrom was without a doubt New York’s best pitcher. The deGrominator had a 2.54 ERA with 14 wins. A season that saw him selected to his first all-star appearance. But where deGrom shined was during the National League Pennant race, where he was 3-0 in leading the Mets past the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
Jacob deGrom has looked great during Spring Training thus far. In limited action, Jacob has only given up two hits during his six innings of pitching. A positive sign for Mets fans that may have worried what his return might look like. Reports out of camp are, he’s throwing harder than ever before, a welcomed site.
Rafael Montero and Seth Lugo
Before the rash of injuries that occurred mid-season in 2016, Seth Lugo was not a household name for New York Mets’ fans. In fact, the Mets faithful were probably more familiar with the struggles of once touted, Rafael Montero, than the successes of Lugo.
Spring Training in 2017 is a new chapter for both pitchers. For Seth Lugo, it’s a chance to capitalize on the sensational finish to his 2016 campaign when he was called up for help in the playoff push. In Montero’s case, it’s time that he finally takes that next step and contributes to the club that has believed in him for a number of years.
Lugo has opened eyes this spring by pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. In his lone outing, Lugo completely shut down a star-studded Venezuela lineup for five innings. He also has been steady during Grapefruit League play, compiling seven strikeouts in seven innings, giving Robert Gsellman competition for the open fifth starter role.
Rafael Montero has also been a pitcher to keep an eye on during Grapefruit League play. In nine innings worth of work, Montero has struck out more than a dozen batters while earning a 1.84 ERA. For a bullpen that may be missing one of their most consistent regular season pieces in Jeurys Familia, Montero may earn himself a depth role to begin the season. From there, he will have every opportunity to prove to the Mets brass that he is, who they think he is.