1 METS
MANAGER TERRY COLLINS
6TH SEASON WITH METS
[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
NEW ACQUISITION (R) ROOKIE
2016 PROJECTED STATISTICS BY ROTOWIRE.COM
How They Can Win
The Mets waltz into 2016 with the highest upside of any team in baseball. Their path to a championship is clear: Get the lion's share of their starts from the group of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler. If those five pitchers stay healthy—or in Wheeler's case, return from Tommy John surgery healthy—the Mets should allow the fewest runs in MLB and be well on their way to greatness. That's no small request; three of the five have had TJ surgery and a fourth, Matz, has a long history of health problems. The Mets need that group to be effective and durable because they don't have much quality depth behind them, though Bartolo Colon (4.16 ERA) returns to eat innings and inspire Twitter memes. There are questions about the Mets' bullpen and defense, but the rotation, which has a real shot at being the first in MLB history to strike out 1,000 batters, could erase them all.
Enemy Lines
A RIVAL SCOUT SIZES UP NEW YORK
OVERALL 2 RANK
When the bell rings, they've got to come out and say, We're here to stay. Their Fab Four starters might be one of the most talented young groups ever assembled.... Travis d'Arnaud continues to mature as a catcher, game handler and offensive presence. He understands what his guys bring and how to work hitters.... If Lucas Duda stays healthy, he's a very dangerous power guy and will produce runs in the middle of the order.... Neil Walker is like Daniel Murphy, although I think he is an upgrade defensively, a bit steadier.... Shortstop might be one point of weakness. Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores don't have the range you're looking for, but both are pretty good hitters.... David Wright gives good veteran at bats in the middle of the lineup, but he's not the impact player he once was. He still gets big hits when he has to, and it's a psychological benefit to have him in the order.... Yoenis Cespedes is a really good leftfielder but just average in center. That defense could bite them in the ass at some point. Cespedes is a dangerous hitter, but he's kind of up and down.... Matt Harvey is driven to say, "Look at me, I'm the No. 1 guy." He's got Jacob deGrom nipping at his heels. DeGrom is so athletic in his delivery, everything works so easily. He's got a plus fastball, a plus curveball, a plus slider, a plus changeup. He's not afraid to mix them, and he throws a lot of strikes.... I would go DeGrom, Harvey, Noah Syndergaard(below) in terms of stuff right now. But it's 1A, 1B, 1C.... If everything clicks for Steven Matz, he could be 1D.... Bartolo Colon makes pitching look like playing catch in the backyard. His fastball has a 5- to 6-mph range, where he adds a little, he takes a little off.... With the late life and power on Jeurys Familia's splitter and slider and the velocity on his fastball, there are nights when hitters don't have a chance against him.
PHOTO
JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES (CESPEDES)
REPEAT AFTER US ... The Mets will celebrate another East title, thanks to their unmatched starting rotation and the return of the slugging Cespedes.
PHOTO
PATRICK MCDERMOTT/WASHINGTON NATIONALS/GETTY IMAGES (HARVEY)
PHOTO
CHUCK SOLOMON FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (SYNDERGAARD)