METS PREVIEW
February 20th 2009 02:38
CATCHER: Brian Schneider returns for his second season with the Mets. Schneider is known more for his defense than offense. Last season he hit .257 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs in 110 games. He has a .253 career batting average so he is not in the lineup for bat and he showed that last season by throwing out 21 of 62 potential base stealers. He has been in the major leagues since 2000 so it helps to have a veteran catcher with this veteran pitching staff. Ramon Castro will be backing up Schneider. Castro is going into his 11th season with a .235 career batting average.
1st BASE: After a dismal first half, Carlos Delgado turned it on and helped the Mets make a run at the playoffs. At one time he was being considered the National League Most Valuable Player. He batted .303 with 21 home runs and 63 RBIs after the All-Star break, including .340 in September. Can the 36-year-old veteran match his second half performance or will his bat slow down again like it was in April and May last season?
2nd BASE: This is a very shaky position for the Mets going into spring training. Luis Castillo is the frontrunner for the position, but he only played in 18 games after the All-Star break because of injuries and the organization’s decision to start Damian Easley. Castillo only hit .245 last season, but general manager Omar Minaya signed Castillo to a four-year deal a year ago so the position is his to lose. If he falters the Mets will turn to Alex Cora.
3rd BASE: David Wright will be the Mets’ third baseman for many years to come. He is the face of the franchise. He has batted over .300 in four straight seasons, and had his most productive season in 2008 with 33 home runs and 124 RBIs. This was the second straight season with 30-plus home runs and has 100-plus RBIs in four straight seasons. Wright is an important component to the Mets lineup, and one of the most consistent players in the major leagues.
SHORTSTOP: Jose Reyes recorded typical Reyes statistics in 2008, hitting .297 with 16 home runs, 68 RBIs, 113 runs and 56 stolen bases, but again was missing in action in September. He has a difficult time finishing a season strong. Reyes hit .243 with a .314 OBP so it shows he just ran out of gas again. Reyes is one of the best all-around players in the major leagues, but the Mets are going to need him down the stretch if they plan to make a run at the playoffs.
OUTFIELD: The Mets outfield in the new Citi Field will be led by centerfielder Carlos Beltran. This will be his fifth season in a Mets uniform and has recorded similar statistics to his days in Kansas City. His home run total in 2008 was down from a year ago but his batting average increased. His .284 batting average was the highest since signing with New York in 2005. After only having a brief stint in the major leagues last season, Daniel Murphy is expected to start in left field. Murphy was a spark last season when he was promoted from the minor leagues and helped the team turn around the season. He batted .313 with 17 RBIs and 24 runs scored in 49 games. Now the question is if Murphy can produce all season. Ryan Church is expected to start in right field after only playing 90 games due to injuries. His home run and runs scored totals last season nearly matched his totals in 2007 and he played the entire season so there is promise leading into this season.
STARTERS: The Mets first four in the rotation are the same as last season. Johan Santana is the Opening Day starter, following Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine. There is competition for the fifth spot between Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, Livan Hernandez and Jonathan Niese. The starters ranked 5th in the National League with a 3.98 earned run average, and ranked third in innings pitched and now they possibly add a workhorse like Livan Hernandez to the mix. This should take the pressure off the bullpen.
BULLPEN: This was an area the Mets felt they needed improve this offseason. They were 13th in the National League with a 4.27 earned run average and were ranked 10th after allowing a .258 batting average. The worst came in September when the bullpen started falling apart for the second straight season. To improve this area of concern Minaya signed Francisco Rodriguez and acquired J.J. Putz and Sean Green from the Mariners to give the group veteran leadership and experience with pitchers that know how to close games. Putz was an excellent closer for the Mariners and now will be in a setup role so that could shorten games for Mets’ opponents.
OUTLOOK: This team has many questions going into spring training because the only place this 89-win team improved on was in the bullpen. Minaya needed to make changes to the bullpen, but the pitching rotation and batting order remains the same. It’s hard to think Carlos Delgado will have the type of year he had in the second half of last season. The Mets are also relying heavily on Daniel Murphy to be an everyday outfielder and be productive for an entire season, and can Luis Castillo bounce back from an injury plagued season. This lineup does not matchup to the Phillies, but the pitching staff will keep the Mets in the NL East race for the entire season.
1st BASE: After a dismal first half, Carlos Delgado turned it on and helped the Mets make a run at the playoffs. At one time he was being considered the National League Most Valuable Player. He batted .303 with 21 home runs and 63 RBIs after the All-Star break, including .340 in September. Can the 36-year-old veteran match his second half performance or will his bat slow down again like it was in April and May last season?
2nd BASE: This is a very shaky position for the Mets going into spring training. Luis Castillo is the frontrunner for the position, but he only played in 18 games after the All-Star break because of injuries and the organization’s decision to start Damian Easley. Castillo only hit .245 last season, but general manager Omar Minaya signed Castillo to a four-year deal a year ago so the position is his to lose. If he falters the Mets will turn to Alex Cora.
3rd BASE: David Wright will be the Mets’ third baseman for many years to come. He is the face of the franchise. He has batted over .300 in four straight seasons, and had his most productive season in 2008 with 33 home runs and 124 RBIs. This was the second straight season with 30-plus home runs and has 100-plus RBIs in four straight seasons. Wright is an important component to the Mets lineup, and one of the most consistent players in the major leagues.
SHORTSTOP: Jose Reyes recorded typical Reyes statistics in 2008, hitting .297 with 16 home runs, 68 RBIs, 113 runs and 56 stolen bases, but again was missing in action in September. He has a difficult time finishing a season strong. Reyes hit .243 with a .314 OBP so it shows he just ran out of gas again. Reyes is one of the best all-around players in the major leagues, but the Mets are going to need him down the stretch if they plan to make a run at the playoffs.
OUTFIELD: The Mets outfield in the new Citi Field will be led by centerfielder Carlos Beltran. This will be his fifth season in a Mets uniform and has recorded similar statistics to his days in Kansas City. His home run total in 2008 was down from a year ago but his batting average increased. His .284 batting average was the highest since signing with New York in 2005. After only having a brief stint in the major leagues last season, Daniel Murphy is expected to start in left field. Murphy was a spark last season when he was promoted from the minor leagues and helped the team turn around the season. He batted .313 with 17 RBIs and 24 runs scored in 49 games. Now the question is if Murphy can produce all season. Ryan Church is expected to start in right field after only playing 90 games due to injuries. His home run and runs scored totals last season nearly matched his totals in 2007 and he played the entire season so there is promise leading into this season.
STARTERS: The Mets first four in the rotation are the same as last season. Johan Santana is the Opening Day starter, following Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine. There is competition for the fifth spot between Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, Livan Hernandez and Jonathan Niese. The starters ranked 5th in the National League with a 3.98 earned run average, and ranked third in innings pitched and now they possibly add a workhorse like Livan Hernandez to the mix. This should take the pressure off the bullpen.
BULLPEN: This was an area the Mets felt they needed improve this offseason. They were 13th in the National League with a 4.27 earned run average and were ranked 10th after allowing a .258 batting average. The worst came in September when the bullpen started falling apart for the second straight season. To improve this area of concern Minaya signed Francisco Rodriguez and acquired J.J. Putz and Sean Green from the Mariners to give the group veteran leadership and experience with pitchers that know how to close games. Putz was an excellent closer for the Mariners and now will be in a setup role so that could shorten games for Mets’ opponents.
OUTLOOK: This team has many questions going into spring training because the only place this 89-win team improved on was in the bullpen. Minaya needed to make changes to the bullpen, but the pitching rotation and batting order remains the same. It’s hard to think Carlos Delgado will have the type of year he had in the second half of last season. The Mets are also relying heavily on Daniel Murphy to be an everyday outfielder and be productive for an entire season, and can Luis Castillo bounce back from an injury plagued season. This lineup does not matchup to the Phillies, but the pitching staff will keep the Mets in the NL East race for the entire season.
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