Top Ten Disappointments of the 2013 Mets

by John Vittas

1. Matt Harvey’s Torn UCL

This was an absolute tragedy. It can only lead you to believe that the organization is cursed. Harvey represented everything that was “right” about the Mets. He signified the attitude, the skill set and the method for future success. And it all came crashing down at that August 26th press conference.

Harvey burned two months in ignorant denial, sealing the fate of his 2014 season. Beyond the fact that the Mets will be 6-8 games worse because of his absence, it’s disappointing purely because it will be another 17 months before we get to see him dazzling hitters again. Get well soon, Matthew.

Image: AP / sportingnews.com

The Fallout

2. Ike Davis

Ike has Regressed, with a capital R. His first half struggles have become a constant. His once-promising bat is now a liability. His .468 August OBP might keep him on the 2014 roster, but Ike has flaws in his swing that need to be corrected.

His confidence needs to be resurrected and he’d be well-served to learn how to hit a breaking ball on the outer half of the plate. Unless he shows signs of a true Major League slugger in Spring Training, the Mets might be headed in another direction at first base.

3. David Wright’s Hamstring Pull

After signing his big 10-year deal, David Wright did exactly what he was paid to do. As the Mets entered the rebuilding stage of 2013, calling up their young prospects in August and September, it was Wright who was counted on to mentor them into Big Leaguers. But when he came up lame on August 2nd against Kansas City, the Mets lost their leader, essentially ending their season.

Still a presence in the clubhouse, Wright did what he could to help the youngsters from the bench, and even made it back to play seven games in September, but there’s no denying that his hamstring injury derailed his first season as the captain, leaving late-season Mets games anything but intriguing.

Image: Jay Jaffe (mlb.si.com)

4. Ruben Tejada

The kid appears to have hit his athletic peak at 21 years old, because the past two years have been a consistent free fall. He’s drawn the ire of his head coach and general manager with a lackluster work ethic. With three years remaining on his Mets’ clock, it’s curious as to whether Tejada will be dropped, traded or buried in Triple-A.

Speaking of Triple-A, Tejada ended up in Vegas this summer to rehab, and ended up being stuck there for 57 games (not sure if you can get “stuck” in Vegas). At the Major League level, his average dropped over 80 points and he looked incredibly benign at the plate. On top of it all, his sure-handed defense took a hit as well.

5. The Lackluster Debuts of Travis d’Arnaud and Wilmer Flores

Considering these two were the top position-player prospects in the system, a combined .206 average is not exactly what the Mets were looking for upon their arrival. Phenoms are supposed to look overzealous, not overmatched. And both d’Arnaud and Flores appeared lost at the plate at times in September.

d’Arnaud isn’t going anywhere, he’s going to have to figure it out - it’s that simple. On the other hand, the Mets have to make some serious judgements on Flores this winter.

6. The Demise of Jordany Valdespin

Valdespin may have been the most gifted athlete on the Opening Day roster, but he may be unemployed very soon. ‘Demise’ is definitely the right word. ‘Fall from grace’ is another. JV went from being one of the most exciting bench players in baseball in 2012 to an absolute pathogen in 2013.

A consistent pusher of the rules, Valdespin made up for it with offensive pazazz. But when he failed miserably on the field for the first time, his presence became a detriment. Tack on the 50-game drug suspension, and I’d be shocked to see Valdespin in Flushing ever again.

Let's Try to Remember This Valdespin

7. Bullpen Prospect Injuries: Josh Edgin and Jeurys Familia

As inconsistent as the Mets’ aging bullpen was in 2013, Josh Edgin and Jeurys Familia had two of the most promising arms coming into the year: Familia a highly touted prospect, and Edgin a southpaw 30th round steal. Both can chuck it in the mid-90s, but both had their seasons halted due to injury, forcing Collins to squeeze more out of guys like Scott Atchison, Scott Rice and LaTroy Hawkins. Personally, I would've rather seen Edgin and Familia.

8. Shaun Marcum

Shaun Marcum failed to be the Zack Wheeler placeholder he was supposed to be. 10 losses in 12 starts...ouch. His 5.29 ERA was better than 1.40 points higher than his career mark. It’s a shame too, because Marcum would have gotten plenty of late-season innings had he been effective.

9. Veteran Relievers (Aardsma, Atchison, Lyon, Feliciano, Byrdak)

With the exception of LaTroy Hawkins, none of the Mets’ veteran relievers were able to reinvent themselves and be high-leverage stoppers. Headlining the list, Brandon Lyon. The 10-year vet gave up 43 hits in 34 innings and couldn’t even make it to the All Star break.

10. Frank Francisco

Francisco must’ve had a thing for Port St. Lucie, because he had no desire to leave. And Terry Collins had no problem hiding him there. The guy who was meant to be New York’s closer wound up “rehabbing” a sore arm for five months, finally making it to the diamond just in time for the meaningless September slogs. Add him to the list of bad contracts, safe to say that $12 million went to waste.

Photo: Getty Images, zimbio.com

Thoughts on the 2013 Mets Season

by John Vittas

With Opening Day just hours away, the giddiness that comes with the start of the baseball season has already set in.
With that said, despite my eternal optimism regarding the New York Mets, this is the least confident I've ever felt with an Opening Day roster. The last 5 years, the team struggled after injuries took their toll. But this year, there are holes already built into the roster.
Here are my predictions, concerns and potential bright spots heading into the year:

Top 5 Concerns

1. Who Will Fill Santana's Void?
With Johan Santana's career possibly reaching its tragic conclusion, a gaping hole remains in the rotation. Jeremy Hefner will fill it to begin the year. He is capable of eating up some innings, but will give up hits. I worry about how he will hold up later in the year when teams start to figure out what he is.
Zack Wheeler is the obvious answer to this question, but when will he come up and how effective will he be when he does?
If Shaun Marcum doesn't prove to be healthy or if Gee, Niese or Harvey get hurt, the starting rotation went from a major strength to a major weakness in just a year's time.

2. Can the Mets find steady and productive outfield?
Take 1 will include Lucas Duda in left, Collin Cowgill in center and Marlon Byrd in right.
I hope they outperform expectations, but that doesn't tend to happen with the Mets. There's plenty of options in AAA or even the bench, but it's doubtful that any of them will perform much higher than replacement level.

3. Who can be a reliable reliever?
There's many unknowns in the Mets bullpen, the greatest of which is Frank Francisco, who remains hurt after an ineffective year last year. Other than Bobby Parnell, LaTroy Hawkins and Brandon Lyon, there is almost zero MLB experience in the Mets bullpen, and that causes me concern.

4. Will Terry Collins keep his job?
Terry is a great manager. I want him here for the long term. But with his contract being up after this year, if the Mets get off to a rough start, the questions will undoubtedly swirl about his job security. That type of distraction is the last thing the team needs.

5. Will the team stay healthy?
This is the kind of team that will not be able to withstand any injuries, especially to their everyday lineup. If Davis, Wright or Murphy go down, the lineup will look incredibly bleak.
Injuries have been a major problem for New York over the past five years and it's just one of those things you cannot control.


Possible Surprises:

Collin Cowgill and Jordany Valdespin
I think both of these guys can have big breakout seasons in 2013. They're both knocking on the door of being Big League starters, and I think by year's end they will be a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the batting order. They represent all the speed on the Mets roster and combine that with legitimate power and an entertaining flair.

Collin Cowgill

Jeurys Familia
The young righty will start the year in the Mets' bullpen. With his mid-to-high 90s heat, I could see him being a dominant back-end pitcher right now.


Guys to Keep an Eye on:

Obviously, top prospects Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud will be promoted by the All-Star break and have a chance to make a big impact in the second half.
However, keep an eye on these names to come up and potentially help the team sooner than later:

Wilmer Flores - if one of the infielders goes down, Flores can step in and start right away. He's a natural hitter with some power

Rafael Montero - Montero dazzled Major League hitters in Spring Training and is good enough to be in the bullpen now. However, we may see him in the rotation come September

Matt den Dekker - I don't see den Dekker making a big impact this season, but the chances he gets called up at some point are rather high. He won't recover from his wrist injury until May, but he seems like a likely candidate to be promoted if and when an injury occurs to any Mets outfielder. He can make some noise with his glove alone.

Overall Prediction: 79-83

This is the first time I've ever picked the Mets to finish below .500, but looking at the roster honestly, I just see too many names that won't be impactful.
And without a legitimate ace like R.A. Dickey, it'll be hard for the team to even sniff the postseason.

10 Pleasant Surprises for the Mets in 2012

by John Vittas

My analysis of the list

10.   Jeremy Hefner

I know what you’re thinking, what did Jeremy Hefner do that was so great? But what you should be asking is, what didn’t he do? Hefner was the Hisanori Takashashi of 2012, filling whatever role the Mets needed and doing so adequately.

He finished 4-7 with a 5.09 ERA, but some of his deeper numbers suggest he pitched much better. If you take out his 7-run debacle against the Phillies in late September, his ERA becomes a respectable 4.42.

And how did Hefner respond to that adversity? He won his last two starts, pitching 14 and one-third innings and allowing just two runs on eight hits, while striking out 14 and walking only three.

It was an up-and-down rookie season for Jeremy Hefner, but who expected he would chew up 93 innings for the Mets prior to the season? No one. That’s why he sneaks onto this list of surprises, and he’ll have a chance to do it again in 2013, either as a long man or as a member of the rotation. 

9. Collin McHugh’s Major League Debut

After Johan Santana was shut down for the season, the Mets called on an 18^th rounder out of a tiny Georgia college. Collin McHugh arrived to the ballpark just hours before he was set to take on the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field.

He took the mound and never looked back, tossing seven shutout innings of two hit ball, walking only one and striking out nine. McHugh struggled as the swingman in September, but his August 23^rd debut provided a much-needed shot in the arm for a struggling team and showed the potential that McHugh and the entire Mets farm system has in the years to come.

Collin McHugh

8.    Chris Young and Jon Rauch Standing Tall Through Injury

The Mets pitching staff had a lot of holes to fill this past season, especially after Mike Pelfrey and Dillon Gee went down with season-ending injuries.

While the Mets struggled to fill those gaps with average pitchers, two veterans who did step up despite physical ailments were Jon Rauch and Chris Young.

Young overcame a second major shoulder surgery to become as reliable as anyone in the rotation. While a 4.15 ERA might not win him a Cy Young award anytime soon, the Princeton grad gave New York 12 quality starts and never missed a start, finishing the season strong with a 2.73 September ERA.

Rauch, on the other hand, flourished in the middle of the season, allowing just two runs in 25 appearances between July and August.

What makes Rauch’s effort so remarkable was that he put together a solid season at age 33 after a rough 2011, which left many wondering whether he would ever amount to his old self again.

But Rauch answered the questions by grossing a WHIP below one, somehow managing to stay off the disabled list despite battling two balky knees that had to be drained several times throughout the season.

And yes, I know, the joke’s on me but you have to admit the title of this section is clever (Rauch is 6’11” and Young is 6’10”).

7.  The Ability of and Emergence of Young Lefties Jordany Valdespin and Josh Edgin

Of the many Buffalo Bisons that emerged out of the Mets dugout this year, Jordany Valdespin and Josh Edgin proved they belong in the orange and blue.

Edgin allowed just three runs in his first 13 outings, and backed it up with a stretch of 16 straight scoreless appearances in August and September.

After two disappointing outings against the Phillies, his ERA ballooned to 4.56 and the Mets shut him down. But don’t overlook the mediocre earned-run average. Edgin’s WHIP was only 1.13 and he struck out 30 batters in under 26 innings.

The southpaw out of Francis Marion College proved he can get Major League hitters and out and even overpower them at times. At the very least, Edgin can be a lefty specialist. He held left-handed hitters to a remarkable .164 average this year.

Valdespin, on the other hand, has a package of talent unmatched throughout the organization. In my amateur opinion, he’s the only current Met that could have competed with Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan athletically.

If you extend Valdespin’s production over a full MLB season, he would have hit 25 home runs and stolen over 30 bases. That’s a rare speed-power combo to say the least when you look across the Mets’ skill set.

On top of it all, Valdespin broke the club record for pinch-hit home runs in a season and provided a large portion of the exciting moments of 2012.

But in addition to his long swing, Valdespin’s primary downside has always been his behavior. He was suspended for two games for not running out a batted ball in the Dominican Winter League last month and decided it would be a good idea to tweet pictures of himself in fancy clothes wearing a Miami Marlins hat.

Selfies on Twitter? What grown man does that? Imagine Bill Gates tweeting a picture of himself smiling behind an iMac. I’m sure that would go over well.

As Valdespin continues to walk the fine line between swagger and obnoxiousness, there’s no doubting his ability to be an impact player at the highest level.

Jordany Valdespin's Season Highlights

6. Jon Niese's Big Step Forward 

Not only did Jon Niese finish his first full and healthy season in the Big Leagues in 2012, but he achieved the most success he’s ever experienced in the Major Leagues. The lefty from Ohio put up career highs in wins, innings, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP, essentially the five most important basic statistics for a starting pitcher.

After fading down the stretch each of the previous two years, Niese stayed healthy and effective until the end of 2012. In fact, he put up some his best efforts in the final two months, earning an ERA of 2.57 over that span.

With R.A. Dickey in Toronto, Niese heads into 2013 as the de facto ace. Johan Santana may still get the ball on Opening Day, but Niese will likely be the best pitcher the staff, as he enters his prime at age 26.

Jon Niese

    

5. Official Announcement of Citi Field as the Host for the 2013 ASG

Rumors had swirled that Major League Baseball had interest in moving the All Star Game back to New York in 2013, but when the announcement was formally made in mid-May, every Mets fan had to be delighted.

It will be the first Mid-Summer Classic to be hosted by the Mets since Shea Stadium’s inaugural season of 1964. The entire baseball spotlight will be focused on Citi Field for a few days, and that thought alone has to make Mets fans smile. Because let’s be real, the good memories at Citi have been few and far between in the stadium’s lackluster history.

Commissioner Bud Selig makes ASG Announcement and Wilpons offer thoughts

4. The Value of Scott Hairston

One of the biggest offseason questions still surrounding the Mets’ 2012-2013 offseason his certainly whether Scott Hairston is worth bringing back on a two-year contract.

When you look at his value to the team in 2012, he undoubtedly is. Hairston stepped in to start 86 games in 2012, much more than he signed up for.

Usually extended at bats will expose a bench player, but Hairston more than held his own, leading the entire club in slugging, earning a .504 mark, twelve points ahead of David Wright.

He never got cheated on a single swing, spanking several missiles into orbit in his tenure with New York.

Hairston hit 20 home runs for the first time in his career in 2012 and appears to be getting better at age 32. If the Mets fail to acquire an impact outfield bat this offseason, they will miss Hairston’s power tremendously.

3. Matt Harvey’s Test Run

There is no greater source of hope for the Mets than Matt Harvey. The 23-year-old from Connecticut set the National League on fire following his promotion to the Major Leagues.

Harvey provided one of the highlights of the season on July 26, dazzling the Diamondbacks in his Major League debut, punching out 11 Arizona hitters over 5 and one-third shutout innings in a truly dominating performance.

But the best part was that Harvey sustained his effectiveness over ten starts, finishing strong with a 7-inning, one-run gem against Philadelphia to end the year.

All in all: 70 strikeouts in 59 and one-third innings, an ERA of 2.73 with eight of his ten starts going for 2 earned runs or less.

With R.A. Dickey gone, more weight falls on Harvey’s shoulders to be a stopper in 2013. With his perfectionist attitude and razor-sharp focus, Matthew Harvey should blossom into a superstar very soon.

Matt Harvey

2.  Johan Santana’s No-Hitter

Most Mets fans may be surprised to find Johan’s no-no at #2. Some might put it number one for the decade. But you’ll find out why in a second.

June 1^st was a night to remember for Mets fans. A left arm trying to return to relevance after a devastating injury that left Johan wondering if he would ever pitch well again.

Dramatic words aside, everything about Santana’s no-hitter was indeed, theatrical. From Baxter’s spectacular catch, to Beltran’s line drive that clipped the third base line (or, didn’t), to the final inning, it was undoubtedly the best night in the history of Citi Field.

Eight strikeouts, five walks, 134 pitches. Nine innings, no hits. History sealed for the aging lefty legend from Venezuela. Every bit of that 6 year, $137.5 million dollar contract, earned. 

Brilliant Call of Howie Rose

Johan's Victory Cry

ESPN's Jayson Stark puts it in perspective

1.  R.A. Dickey’s Cy Young Campaign

As impossible as a Mets no-hitter seemed, a Cy Young-award season from a journeyman knuckleballer was an equally as unlikely tale.

R.A. Dickey came into 2012 with 1283 innings logged in the Minor Leagues over 14 painstaking seasons. He had been through four organizations and had been released, discarded or demoted more than anyone could count.

With only one full Major League season under his belt, Dickey not only proved he belonged, but dominated a level of baseball that had eluded him for over a decade.

The numbers tell the story, 233 innings, 230 strikeouts, a 20-6 record and an ERA of 2.73. He finished it off with a day to remember, picking up his twentieth win in front of a grateful Citi Field crowd, who came to celebrate R.A.’s brilliance and cheer for him one last time.

Dickey baffled the National League with the most effective pitch Planet Earth has ever seen. Seriously though, what other pitcher has ever been able to dictate an entire league with one pitch?

Dickey’s six years of work with the knuckleball has finally come to fruition. Just in time for New York to cash-in on two front-end prospects. After all the memories Dickey has provided the past three years, there is no doubting how much he will be missed in 2013.

SNY Post Game Extra - Dickey's 20th Win

Season Highlights

ESPN's E60 Piece on Dickey's Journey