The State of New York Baseball: For New York Sports to Gain True Relevance Again The Yankees and Mets Need To Live Up to Expectations

 The State of New York Baseball: For New York Sports to Gain True Relevance Again The Yankees and Mets Need To Live Up to Expectations

Something To Be Excited About? 

For the first time in a long time the greatest city in the world New York City from every corner has something to be excited about. After a year of covid, people losing loved ones, jobs, homes, people’s favorite restaurants closing, business boarded up, major sports organization cancelling and shortening seasons. Coming from upstate New York but having to go to the city for work you could see the effect covid had on the once popping city. Times Square, the most active street in the world was quiet, Wall Street had no movement,  Penn Station was inactive, Yankees Stadium and Citi Field were empty. No movement, no sound, the city was a ghost town as if we were in a scary apocalyptic movie. At times over the last year it felt like we were. For some it still does. Nonetheless in New York slowly but surely we are getting back to our never sleeping mentality. Businesses are opening, restaurants are allowed 25%, and the Mets and Yankees will have 25% of their stadium filled for Opening Day. The real Opening Day not some 60 game schedule Opening Day. A Spring sun Opening Day.  As Spring has always represented for many when the season depression ends as we see the snow melt and the flowers grow. Spring feels a little more special in 2021. There is actual hope and life. In New York that doesn’t stop just at everyday life. If you are a New York sports fan you have more to cheer about as we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not one but both baseball teams are more than relevant coming into the 2021 MLB season. Yes that’s right the dark shadow that has been hanging over New York sport’s fans heads for the last ten to twenty years seems to be fading. The city hasn’t seen a World Series since the 2009 Yankees team. The Mets made a run in 2015 but a loss to the Royals in the World Series broke the hearts of many even myself. The Yankees lost to the cheating Astros in the 2017 ALCS. Yes we’ve had things to cheer about but this isn’t Cleveland we don’t settle for things to cheer about in New York. We want winners. Of course the city that has thrived off supply and demand will only expect a winner. Something that these two New York teams seem to have in mind. Both teams have made major changes. The Mets have made changes at the top that have trickled down all the way down and the Yankees have continued to avoid rebuilding but constantly reloading. Let's take a look at the new hope New York baseball teams and how New York sports is headed in a new direction with baseball maybe being the leader of the charge. There is a major expectation for these two teams. Let's break them down. They have a mighty high standard to live up to in a city full of people clamoring for something like a major sports title to cheer about. Can either one of these two teams bring that joy back? They both can do more than just that. 

Yankees 

New York Baseball Bronx edition. Let’s talk about the Yankees first. Ladies first that’s what they say right? Oh just kidding don’t worry Yankees fans don’t get so pent up over just a little joke. Anyways the Yankees are probably the most historical franchise in the sporting world. You didn’t know, ask one of their fans they’ll tell you. Actually you don’t even have to ask, they'll just tell you. In fairness to Yankees fans, unlike Cowboys, Jets, or Patriots fans the Yankees were the standard of excellence in the MLB which was the most popular sporting league in the United States for over 80 years. They have 27 World Series that’s the most by far. They may have the worst fans to hear. When they are screaming about how they should trade star players because they are in a slump in April yes it’s very annoying. Nonetheless that doesn’t change the fact they do have bragging rights and are allowed in a way to have such high standards. They just need to maybe be a little more appreciative. The Yankees have had a good amount of success since winning the last New York world title with their World Series in 2009 but not nearly the expectations the fans will accept. ALCS losses aren't good enough. Those expectations will not change going into 2021. Being the American League representative the Yankees are among the top contenders and have more than enough talent to represent New York City in the World Series again.

Offseason summary 

The Yankees lost in the ALDS last season to division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Losing to the Rays who the Yankees have beaten up on for years hurt. Even in a shortened 60 game season. In 2019 and 2020 the Yankees have had injury problems. The last two seasons injury problems left them with questions going into the 2020-2021 offseason. The struggles of Gary Sanchez left the question: would the Yankees move on from the slugger? The health of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge is always a concern. The Yankees expected their bullpen to be elite in 2020. It was very average. Adam Ottavino's 10 million dollar deal is a lot for the production he gave. They needed to beef up that starting rotation to compete in the offensively competitive American League. The lineup was desperate for a left handed bat. Then of course are the Yankees going to let DJ LeMahieu walk? He was the biggest part of that lineup in 2020. He was an MVP candidate. Are the big money Yankees really going to let him walk? Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman had a lot of work to do in the 2020-2021 offseason. At first he didn’t get right to it which had Yankees fans upset thinking he was just waiting for something to happen. He wasn’t super aggressive on LeMahieu which had many worried. They signed former All Star but well beyond those days Jay Bruce to a minor league deal. They were more worried that they were preparing to move on from LeMahieu by replacing him through a committee. LeMahieu was asking for a lot of money for too long of time according to reports. That’s what the Yankees problem was the length of the deal. However LeMahieu knew someone would pay him so he waited. The first move besides Bruce for the Yankees was picking up Zack Briton option to pay him in 2022 making Britton accept the 13 million he’ll be paid in 2021. Britton was a big piece in that pen and can be an upgrade as a setup man. Then a few month of silence from the Yankees until Cashman strikes a deal to get right handed pitcher Jameson Taillon from the Pirates. Who can be a reliable two or three for the Yankees to start the season. That’s when the Yankees decided to do something rare and work with the Red Sox. Sending Ottavino to Boston for cash considerations. Keeping the Yankees under the 210 million luxury tax. Now things heat up for the Yankees. Cashman makes a splash with an 11 million dollar one year deal signing former CY Young winner Corey Kluber. Giving the Yankees a true number two in the rotation. After months of working on a deal and rumors of other teams making offers the LeMahieu deal gets done for six-years, $90 million dollars. So LeMahieu gets the security he wants and the Yankees don’t have to overpay him. Some would even say they are under paying him. Then the final note is when the Yankees bring back Brett Gardner for defensive help. Many thought the longtime Yankee would have to walk but fan favorite Gardner will be in the Bronx for one more year. The Yankees needed to re-sign LeMahieu, bullpen help, starting rotation help, and a left handed bat. General Manager Brian Cashman addressed all of these. Setting up the Yankees for another run at the World Series. 

The Yankees Infield Going Into 2021 

The Bronx Bombers have a well rounded infield. The Yankees infield will be led by DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres. LeMahieu will more than likely play the second majority of the year. His .327 batting average is something to brag about. He will be a huge piece in the Yankees lineup when they have runners in scoring position and they aren’t playing at the little league field they call a home stadium. LeMahieu can play anywhere and hit anywhere. Expect him to be up and down the lineup. While playing second most days, first others, and some third. He’s a huge piece to the infield. Torres on the other hand could be considered the backbone. Torres may have only batted .243 but expect the 24 year old to turn that around. Torres will be a star in the league not just New York someday. 2021 could be that true breakout season. The Yankees need Torres to be somewhat of that superstar. At third the Yankees will be starting Gio Urshela majority of the time. Urshela has a lot of potential. He hit .298 in 43 games last season but .314 in 132 games in 2019. Urshela also had an on base percentage of .355 and .368 the last two seasons. Some scouts say Urshela is a six tool player, one tool above a five tool superstar. Is Urshela that good? We’ll see but he is more than reliable at the hot corner. The 29 year old is entering the prime of his career and will be a big piece to the Yankees run in 2021. With injuries throughout the years the Yankees have found some diamonds in the rough to stay relevant. Across the diamond the everyday 1st baseman Luke Viot is one of them. Viot was signed to the Yankees in 2018 as Cardinals scraps. Now he’s the starting first baseball for what might be the American League favorite. He hits an average 250-280 but his high 300s on base percentage is why the Yankees love him. Viot gets on base and setups the big bats for big bat hits. You have to love Viot if you’re a fan of the game. His hustle is great to watch and you can see he’s just enjoying himself out there. Viot will be moved around from designated hitter and have LeMahieu take over first for defensive reasons. However if Stanton gets injured again Viot could be playing designated hitter more than not. Voit won’t be the major reason for the Yankees success but he is a reason. He does things for the club that aren’t on a stat sheet. Now who really needs to play good for himself and the team? That would be Gary Sanchez. It seems the Yankees will stick with Gary Sanchez at catcher. Another disappointing 2020 leaves Sanchez on the hot seat. He needs to produce for the Yankees. Back up catcher Kyle Higashioka may get plenty of playing time if Sanchez can’t. The Yankees may look for options in a trade if it’s clear early that Sanchez isn’t what he used to be. However the Yankees have confidence in Sanchez or they wouldn’t give him the chance. Sanchez really does need to produce in some way for the Yankees in 2021. Finally backup infielder Tyler Wade is good depth for the Yankees he can play anywhere. He can give anyone a day off which is always great to have. The Yankees infield is very solid, one of the best in the league. They have great talent, good utility players, and they’re young but old enough to be elite. If the Yankees can get rid of the injury bug expect big things from the infield offensively and defensively. 

Grade: A-

Outfield Grade 

The outfield defensively is questionable but is an offensive juggernaut. For one they have Aaron Judge playing right field. Expect him to Jack over 35 home runs in 2021 that’s a prediction from The Shepherd himself. Judge is the batter they need at three since he’ll see pitches with Stanton behind him. Judge injuries hurt the Yankees over the last two-three seasons. If he can get back to that 2017-2018 magic that makes the Yankees so much more scarier. Especially since they really haven’t had that from Judge, and they still contend. Judge will be back in a big way in 2021. Manager Aaron Boone seems to finally be committing to Clint Frazier. Saying that he’s the team’s starting left fielder. Which is the right move. Frazier has earned the spot. Last season Frazier hit .267 but has an on base in the upper .300s. In 2020 he had an on base percentage of .390. Getting on base is important for Frazier. He’s not the big knock Judge and Stanton are his job is to get on base. He does that well. His defense has improved and the 26 year old deserves the opportunity. The most questionable spot in the lineup for me is center field. Yes Aaron Hicks is the starter but does the team really believe Hicks is good enough to be an everyday starter? Trust me be sure that Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman will get their time in center but Hicks is the everyday starter. Hicks barely hit his weight in 2020 playing 54 of the 60 games only batting .220. He only hit 6 home runs and had 21 runs batted in. He does get on base though with a .332 career on base percentage. In reality that’s his job as a hitter in the lineup. His does have a gun for an arm that we’ve seen highlights of. He’s there for defense so it makes sense to have Hicks out there in reality. Gardener and Tauchman are acceptable backups but they aren’t every day players. They are where they should be. Then of course someone who may play very very limited outfield in 2021 is Giancarlo Stanton. His bat is what they want from him, that's why he is the main designated hitter. He’s also not very good at defense and gets injured a lot. Having Stanton play the field will just increase his chances of getting hurt. While also not being very good at the aspect of the game. He’s really good at hitting keep him there. Stanton will have to stay healthy. He of course doesn’t have to play 162 games but they need him there for more than 90 games. Nonetheless Stanton will be the big four hitter in the lineup that the Yankees offensive juggernaut needs. He will be produced if he can avoid being injured. Cross your fingers Yankees fans. The Yankees outfield is also very good. They have great bats and good enough defense. The outfield is where the Yankees true power of the lineup is. 

Grade: B+

Starting Pitching Grade 

Something that the Yankees had to address in the offseason was the rest of their starting rotation aside from the top of the rotation. Gerrit Cole the second best first starter you can have in the majors in 2021. The Yankees are solid at top of the rotation; they have a solid number one. We can keep that one short and sweet. Their second starter will probably be Corey Kluber. He struggled in his seven games in 2020 with a 5.40 ERA. The year before he had a 2.89 ERA. Could have covid affected Kluber? Most definitely. Also playing in the thin hot Texas heat could as well. The ball flys better out there. Nonetheless Kluber is a great number two considering he could be one on a lot of MLB rosters. The Yankees 1-2 punch at the top is a solid one. The 3-5 spots seems more of a done by committee job. Last time we saw Domingo German was in 2019 where he had an ERA of 4.11 in 24 games started. German is only 26 years old and he still has time to be a good starter. He has the potential but he needs to stay out of his own way. He can be a bigger factor than some would give him credit for, German has the skill he just needs to apply himself. Cashman traded for Jameson Taillon from the Pirates in January. Expect him to be the third or fourth starter in the start of the season. Taillon had an ERA above four in seven games started last season. Taillon will need to be a bit better than that. He wasn’t a huge acquisition but Taillon does more good than bad. Taillon can be effective for the Yankees since they’re only asking him to go six then hand it off to the bullpen. Making Taillon a reliable third or fourth starter. Speaking of bullpen helping starters they’ll need to do that as we get to the fifth maybe even the sixth starter. David Montgomery may be in the initial rotation five but his staying is on him. Montgomery didn’t look great at all last season. In ten starts he had an ERA of 5.11. Yes it’s a lot harder to win when your starter is giving up five runs a game. After his very good rookie campaign in 2017 Montgomery hasn’t looked the same. If he wants to stick around he’ll have to be better or he’ll be in the bullpen or a trade package. Deivi Garica is still very young, he's only 21 but he didn’t have a good campaign to start his career off. He was sent down last week to start the season in triple A. However his first season was a covid year that's a rough foot to start on. He had a 4.98 ERA in six starts. Garcia should get another opportunity to be a part of the rotation as he is this spring. He will be in the rotation during the year; we just don’t know if it’s consistent. Seems not too much. Now the final pitcher that could be in the Yankees rotation Michael King. King had a terrible 2020 in four games started and nine total games pitched he had a 7.70 ERA. King needs to rebound not just to be in the rotation but for his career. He’s 26 this being his third year in the MLB. King needs a solid year. Not sure how the Yankees will use him maybe as a fifth or sixth starter. Or a starter for an extra day off for Cole. Maybe a long reliever. King’s situation is up in the air. Overall the Yankees rotation is good but not great. They do need to make a push for a third starter if you ask me to compete in late October. They’ve made strides but they’re not exactly there yet. They have a great one two for a five to seven games series. It’s the other two to four games those don’t pitch. 

Grade: B-

Bullpen Grade 

The Yankees bullpen is the backbone of the team. That back end of the Yankees pitching for the last few years has been the strongest piece of the team. The Yankees pen has made winning possible with a lackluster rotation through the years. The starters only have to go six innings maybe even five innings. Giving the Yankees a huge advantage. However that luxury has gotten the Yankees front office lazy when getting marquee starting pitching. Yes they have Gerrit Cole a top 3 pitcher in the MLB but nothing much after that. They got Kluber on a deal. Cashman had aging pitchers out there and wondered why they weren’t playing in bigger games. Bullpens need rest as well. Nonetheless the Yankees bullpen is stacked in 2021 once again. However they still have concerns as the injury bug may have entered their bullpen. Zack Britton appears to be out till at least May as he just had surgery to remove a bone chip. The former AL East rival was a great middle man and setup man for the Yankees last year he will be missed early. Another injury is the one to newly signed lefty Justin Wilson. Who is dealing with shoulder soreness. Wilson played for the cross town Mets last season and was going to be a good asset out of the pen for the Yankees. A lefty is always valuable. A great signing for the Yankees bullpen that only made them better in my opinion is Darren O’Day. Darren O’Day will probably start out as the setup man. O’Day played for the Braves last season where he was very good. O’Day had a 1.10 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in 16 1/3 innings. Not much more you can ask for from the sidearm pitcher. He may be an injury risk for the Yankees but for the moment he’s worth the risk. Manager Aaron Boone may also want to go to Chad Green for the setup role. He played in 22 games last season but had an ERA of 3.51. Green will need to improve on that early but in a short season it’s hard to go off of relievers ERA sometimes. Green can be a solid 7th or 8th inning man for the Yankees. Of course the Yankees will go to hard thrower Aroldis Chapman to close out games. Chapman had only three saves last season but he can be trusted. Chapman still is a top closer; he will need to be reliable when the Yankees go through the figuring out stage of people’s roles in the bullpen especially early. Of course they’ll have floaters for the 6th and 7th innings with Luis Cessa, Jonathan Loaisiga, Nick Nelson, and Tyler Lyons. One of those guys can have a bigger role if the injuries stack up. However as we stand those pitchers are very good to come in and pitch an inning or two every two-three days. The Yankees will be very important early in season and in the late days of October it’s the backbone of the team. 

Grade: A-

Overall Lineup Grade 

Projected Lineup via Bleacher Report 

* 2B DJ LeMahieu (R)

* 2. RF Aaron Judge (R)

* 3. CF Aaron Hicks (S)

* 4. DH Giancarlo Stanton (R)

* 5. 1B Luke Voit (R)

* 6. SS Gleyber Torres (R)

* 7. LF Clint Frazier (R)

* 8. 3B Gio Urshela (R)

* 9. C Gary Sanchez (R)

The Yankees to me have a top 3 lineup in the MLB at the moment. They play in a miniature baseball field for half their games which is a huge advantage for these sluggers. The top half is really insane. To me getting through an MLB lineup three times is the hardest task in sports. A lineup like the Yankees is more than impressive. Think about the first two hitters. DJ LeMahieu is maybe the best lead off hitter to have right now. Unless the Angels start Mike Trout there that day. He battles for batting titles and gets on base not much more you can ask from a leadoff hitter. Behind him Aaron Judge can bring him home at any time as we know. If Judge can stay healthy expect that 50 home runs 2017 season once again. Aaron Hicks third is interesting but it’ll let him see pitches being in between Judge and Stanton. Hicks has a bat but he is a switch hitter. With  all these rightys in the lineup Hicks switch to lefty is an asset. Then we have Giancarlo Stanton who if he can stay healthy is a top hitter in the league. His tremendous strength can will baseballs out of the park. The 1-4 for the Yankees is very tough for any starter. That’s a lot of power to control and if you’re at Yankees stadium any one of those guys hit a pop up the ball could fly over that shirt porch. The Yankees 5-9 is better than most. Luke Viot gets on base a lot; he's never had an OBP% below .300. That’s all the Yankees need is someone who gets on base, one of those power hitters can bring them home. Viot provides that. Probably why he hits in front of Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier, Gio Urshela, and Gary Sanchez. Torres and Sanchez had down years last season. Torres however is so young he’s only 24 in a weird covid year struggles are more prone. Expect Torres to rebound. Sanchez at the bottom of the order after another down year makes sense. However if your worst hitter is Gary Sanchez you’re not doing too bad. My two breakout players for the Yankees are Clint Frazier and Gio Urshela actually. Frazier has had defensive woes but how he stays in the bigs is his bat expects more of the same in 2021. To be honest many have said Gio Urshela is a six tool player but to me that’s up in the air. That doesn’t change the fact that my personal opinion is he’s really good at baseball. The MLB world will be put on to that by the All Star break. The Yankees lineup when fully healthy is scary. Hopefully they can stay that war because if they do there is no offense better in the American League. 

Grade: A+

 

2021 Season Expectations 

Well when you’re the New York Yankees there are always huge expectations. It really is a World Series or bust for that fan base every year. If no World Series comes back to the Bronx the organization will definitely hear about it from the fans. As they call for people to get fired and star players be traded or signed until they are happy. We can rough up on Yankees fans all day but they are right in 2021. The Bronx Bombers have the team to win the World Series. They’ve been hit by the injury bug in the last couple seasons as we’ve mentioned and are dealing with some injuries early but luckily none are lengthy. Every team usually deals with injuries in some ways in a 7-8 month season though. The Yankees fully healthy are a top 5 team in the MLB. Their lineup is on another level, the bullpen is shutdown, and their starting rotation has two CY Young winners who will be tough to beat four times in seven games. Yes the bottom half of the rotation needs work but not many have 5 good to great starting pitchers. The Yankees have a phenomenal one, a great two, a mid tier three through five. Wouldn’t be shocked if they make a July splash for another starter. That’s the weak part and it’s not even that weak. The Bronx Bombers are in great position in 2021 to bring home a 28th title. 

Expectations: World Series or bust 

Mets 

On the other side of town over in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York the New York Mets are coming with a new feel in 2021. The team is under new ownership with Steve Cohen with much higher expectations and deeper pockets. New ownership got to work early with their high standards with hiring proven and new faces to run the team while getting rid of the old ones. These standards were tested in the offseason but somehow for once the Mets handle a bad PR move very well. New high level players are in the Blue and Orange with others returning. Mets fans have had a lot of disappointment to deal with since their last World Series in 1986. From the 2000 loss to the Yankees in the World Series, Bobby Bonilla’s million dollars every year, to the 2006 loss in the NLCS to the Cardinals, the 2007 collapse, losing in the 2015 World Series, the countless high expectation seasons to just finish third in the NL East with major injuries and questions in the offseason with no money to spend. Those days seem to be over Mets fans as Queens will be buzzing again in 2021 with World Series hopes, real World Series hopes. Something the fans have lacked in a very long time. 

Offseason summary 

No matter what happened beyond the month of November the 2020-2021 offseason was a historical one for the Mets organization. The former owners Jeff and Fred Wilpon ended their 40 year ownership of the Mets when they sold the organization for 2.4 billion dollars to Steve Cohen. The Wilpon era is one the Mets fans would love to forget however they will never be able too. The suffering is over however God has given his grace and has given the fans an owner willing to use his big market team how he should. Cohen is a lifelong New Yorker and Mets fan. He’s in a dream scenario for most people. He owns his favorite sports team. He also has the money to make them a winner from bottom to top which he said he plans to do. Cohen has stated he wants the Mets to contend like the Dodgers or Yankees in 3-5 years. However 2021 might bring early gifts. 

The first move of the Cohen era was bringing in former general manager of the team Sandy Alderson to be team president. Alderson hired Jared Porter, former assistant GM in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Porter didn’t last long as you can’t be sending your pecker to women for no reason. The Mets handled the bad PR greatly, held their standard at the new organization and let go of the newly signed Porter. Nothing more nothing less. In the Wilpon era that would have lasted a whole offseason. Alderson acted as general manager which he did very good at in my opinion. He addressed a lot of the Mets needs in the offseason. Last season with covid and injuries the Mets clearly needed more starting pitching heading into 2021. Noah Syndergaard got season ending Tommy John surgery in 2020 which will sideline him to at least June, Matz was bad they would release him in 2021 he would later sign with the Blue Jays, David Peterson was good but good enough to be a three behind Degrom and Stroman? No not at all. Peterson is a fifth man or a fourth man in a bad rotation a third. The Mets also lacked a huge bat besides Pete Alonso who had a down year in 2020. Alderson addressed both needs with one move with the blockbuster trade for shortstop Fransisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Flushing gets a superstar with Lindor who is maybe the best shortstop in baseball offensively and defensively. Carrasco is a great addition since he can be a great third or fourth for the Mets in 2021. Another need which has been a need for the Mets since the beginning of time is bullpen help. The first move the Mets made in the offseason was to address the bullpen with signing Trevor May from the Twins. May will be a great setup man to Edwin Diaz in the backend of games. They brought back left specialist Jerry Belvins on a minor league deal and postseason veteran Aaron Loup. Since addressing pitching in a major way, who are these pitchers going to throw to? The Mets declined 2021 options for catchers Wilson Ramos and Robinson Chirinos which made the situation clear that they wanted a new backstop since Tomas Nido isn’t a starting catcher in the MLB. New York found that guy in a four year contract worth 40.6 million with White Sox former catcher James McCann. Who is known for working well with pitching staffs. Manager Luis Rojas was handed a rough situation in 2020 after the Beltran and Astros cheating scandal. However Alderson did a lot of work in the 2021 offseason bringing a lot of hope for Mets fans because for the first time they see someone just going for the wins not patiently waiting. 

Infield Grade 

The infield of the Mets has improved greatly over the years and to be honest is probably one of the best parts of the team. They addressed the catcher's position as we addressed before with James McCan. McCann is a huge upgrade from Wilson Ramos. McCann has been known for building chemistry with his staff and his bat is an upgrade. McCann is only 30 going into 2021 who hit for his career high in batting average (.289) and on base percentage (.360) last season. Expect him to improve on that in 2021. Mets power hitting Polar Bear first baseman Pete Alonso will be back at first. Alonso had a down 2020 but is tearing the cover off the baseball in the Spring. Alonso says he will rebound and many coaches believe Alonso has taken the steps to get back to that record setting 51 home run season. Alonso’s power will be the nuclear weapon for the Mets in the middle of that order. When he needs off expect the Mets to put Dominic Smith in. Who as well has a lot of power in that stick. They just need to find Smith a position. With Alonso at first expecting Smith to play some of the left. A designated hitter would benefit the Mets but being in the National League they don’t get that benefit. New York may also have a top 5 double play combination in the middle of the infield with newly acquired Fransisco Lindor at shortstop and Jeff McNeil at second. Lindor is a huge glove and bat to acquire for the Mets. He’s been to four All Star games in six seasons and he’s won two gold gloves, and is regarded as top offensive and defensive shortstop in the MLB. If Lindor bat doesn’t rebound from last season you can always depend on Lindor’s defense to be on. His bat has been hot into Spring with some good defensive plays already. Lindor is the superstar the Mets were desperate for and should expect a lot of fun highlights from him in 2021. McNeil has been to an All Star game in his four seasons. McNiel is known for his ability to get on base but his defense is good. He can play anywhere in the infield. The Mets are strong up the middle. The infield is weaker at the hot corner. Which the team isn’t used to for all those years Captain David Wright played the hot corner. Since the Mets have struggled filling the hole. JD Davis will do his best in the upcoming season. Davis isn’t known for his defense at all; he's more known for his bat. He was signed last offseason as a nice bat off the bench. Since then he’s proven he’s worth more. Davis can play everyday but he’s certainly a weaker starter. He isn’t going to put him big numbers unless he’s more consistent which has been his struggles. That’s why the addition of Lindor is so big that gives less ground for Davis to cover. Davis will switch out with Luis Gillorme in my opinion the most at third. McNeil can also play third when Davis doesn’t start. Maybe McNeil third then start newly signed Jonathan Villar at second. Villar and Gilorme are assets for the Mets as they can play anywhere in the infield giving any starter a day off when they need it. Smith can give Alonso the day off as well. The Mets have a good defensive and overall infield. 

Grade: B+

Outfield Grade 

Going into the offseason when it came to the  outfield there was some questions to be asked and only some were answered. One question was what would they do with center field? There was rumors that they would go for star outfielder George Springer. Cohen really wanted Springer for his outfield apparently but didn’t want to pay insane money for a 31 year old outfielder. They missed on Springer as he signed with the Blue Jays. Jackie Bradley Jr was also in the talks but he decided to sign with the Brewers. Rojas will trot out home grown Brandon Nimmo for another season in center. Nimmo will more than likely be the Mets leadoff hitter. His speed and defensive play keeps him around. Nimmo has shown much improvement at the plate since being called up in 2018. Nimmo is established to be a great defensive center fielder and a solid top of the order guy. Fan favorite Michael Conforto will be patrolling right field for the Mets in 2021. The question when it comes to Conforto is when are the Mets signing him to an extension? When Springer didn’t sign the move seemed to be the Mets chose Conforto later over Springer now. Conforto is only 27 years old that’s four years Springer’s youth. He’s coming off a .322 batting average and .412 on base percentage in 2020. Conforto played real well in 2020 deserving him of an extension. If he’s off to the races early expect him to get that extension before the offseason when he enters free agency. The big question mark for the Mets outfield is left field. Dominic Smith will more than likely be the man there. Definitely not because of his glove though it’s because how powerful his bat is. Smith ability to play left field are questionable to say the least. He’s definitely a liability out there in left. That’s probably why they signed Kevin Pillar and Jose Martinez. They can swap to left field on days Smith can move to first or take a rest. McNeil will probably be out in left to some days. Left field is a big question mark for the Mets beyond 2021 but they’ll patrol the corner by committee. Giving Smith the chance because of his bat to show he can play the position. The Mets overall outfield defensively is middle of the pack. Pillar is a big addition because of his defense but he can’t just play the field and Smith can’t just hit, giving them some problems to figure out. Either way the Mets have a solid outfield going into 2021. 

Grade: B-

Starting Pitching Grade 

For the last few years Mets fans have been excited about the starting rotation to later be upset. Injuries and no offensive power to back good pitching has plaque the Mets for the last few years. The 2021 rotation looks to turn that around. Of course they have the best pitcher in baseball with Jacob Degrom. Degrom has won two of the three National League CY Young and has the lowest Era in that time. Degrom is punished mostly because the Mets have lacked offense. Degrom has had many 1-0 and 2-1 losses in the last few years but it’s time to right the ship and get Degrom those wins. He’s easily a twenty game winner with an offense. Second in line will be Marcus Stroman. Stroman sat out 2020 and decided to join the Mets in 2021 on a one year deal. Stroman was traded at the deadline to the Mets in 2019 from the Blue Jays. Stroman is looked upon to have a huge 2021. As he has ace talent and will be the second starter for the Mets. The Mets one two punch is insane and is one of the best in the league. Noah Syndergaard was supposed to be the three but they won’t get him back till at least June or July as he recovers from Tommy John. If he comes back playing good baseball like Syndergaard was doing before but more consistently he could be a one or two pitching third in the rotation. Carlos Carrasco suffered a hamstring injury during Spring Training that’ll have him sidelined to at least mid May or June. Carrasco pitched a 2.91 ERA in 2020, he was a very great asset to pick up in a trade for a superstar. Carrasco could be someone’s two, definitely a three but is the Mets fourth best starter. Carrasco gives veteran a reliable presence that the Mets need in big games. He may be one of the best pickups in the last four years. At the end of the offseason the Mets went and got Taijuan Walker. Walker was a great addition for the Mets especially with the injuries. Walker is very solid. Walker being a fifth compliments how good that rotation is. On some teams he may be a two but he’s definitely a three. Walker will have pressure of three in the early season. Walker will need to be solid early until Carrasco and Syndergaard come back. The fifth starter to be is more than likely David Peterson. His debut season was in 2020 he was 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA. Not too bad for a first year starter. Peterson looked good in his debut season giving him the fifth spot to lose in Spring training he’s done well not to lose it even with stiff competition. Joey Lucchesi will probably make the MLB roster due to injuries. Lucchesi had a rough year for San Diego last year but he’ll get a second chance early in the Mets rotation to prove he’s better than a 2020 above seven ERA. The Mets rotation is great when healthy. A very tough rotation to beat four times in a seven game series. The Mets actually might have the best rotation in the game. 

Grade: A+

Bullpen Grade 

Now Mets fans stop cringing. We have to do it, we have to talk about the bullpen. As Mets fans getting over their PTSD from past bullpens we can tell you the Mets bullpen will finally be better in 2021. For me many don’t really see why we keep Diaz in the back of the pen. However he looked much better in 2020 with a 1.75 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched, and struck out 39.6% of the batters he faced. Diaz deserves to be in the back of the pen and you heard it hear first he’ll be a top closer in the MLB again in 2021. The Mets have a very good rotation leaving them with the hope to keep the bullpen rested. Diaz will be consistent since he’s the closer but then who’s the setup man? Well Seth Lugo is recovering from a bone spur in his elbow so don’t expect him back till June. Lugo is a solid lefty who can start and close. He will be missed early. Que Trevor May with awesome rockstar music. May was signed from the Twins during the offseason. May has some of the best stuff for a reliever when he’s on. He’s on a lot so that’s the good news. May will be the primary setup man in the early season expect that. His role depends on him. Dellin Betances, Miguel Castro, and Aaron Loup are great additions in the last two seasons for postseason presence. They all have the experience of the big show which can be a big deal later. These are three middle inning relievers with Betances having the potential to be a setup man. Former Mets closer Jeurys Familia looks to establish himself again after two down seasons. Familia will have that change with Lugo out. Robert Gsellman who was drafted as a starter but turned long reliever is a great asset for the Mets. In extra inning games or if you want to give someone a start off Gsellman will be the guy they go to. The Mets have a good bullpen in the beginning Lugo’s presence will be missed a lot. He’s a lefty specialist who can start and close there’s no replacing that. The Mets should be able to make up those innings. 

Grade: B+

Overall Lineup Grade 

Projected Mets Lineup 2021 via Bleacher Report 

* 1. CF Brandon Nimmo (L)

* 2. 2B Jeff McNeil (L)

* 3. SS Francisco Lindor (S)

* 4. RF Michael Conforto (L)

* 5. 1B Pete Alonso (R)

* 6. LF Dominic Smith (L)

* 7. 3B J.D. Davis (R)

* 8. C James McCann (R)

Many have regarded the Mets lineup as a top five lineup. Which would be hard to disagree with. They obviously have the ninth spot taken away by the pitcher because they play in the National League. Nonetheless their lineup is still very good. The top of the order between Nimmo and McNeil is actually the opposite of cross town rival in a way. Both of their guys get on base. However Nimmo is leadoff because of his speed and on base ability. Not because he has power to go with getting on. Nimmo is a threat on the base path. McNeil hits for average and gets on base. If Nimmo is at first McNeil can hit a double in the gap that could score Nimmo with that cheetah speed. McNeil is also a reliable option after Nimmo. The meat of the order Lindor, Conforto, and Alonso is a scary pecking order. You have to choose to pitch to one. If Lindor is 2017 Lindor, if Alonso is 2018 Alonso, and Conforto just continues to be himself, that's an All Star 3-5 order. Lindor and Alonso have been playing great this Spring. Chilli Davis has them hitting well it’s hard to believe they won’t have a great 2021 season. The Mets really do have good hitters throughout the lineup on regular days after getting through the tough 3-5 things get easier but not much easier. After Alonso here comes powerful Dominic Smith. Smith is just another problem for pitching. He can put it out at any moment and he hits for .310 in 2020. If Smith can get more contact with that power on the ball it makes his inability to play left field worth every play. Then the lineup wraps up with JD Davis and James McCann. For one the reason Davis is on an MLB roster is because of his bat. In the seventh spot he will see pitches advantage Mets. McCann had his best offensive years in 2020 and 2019. McCann will look to grow on that. In the eighth spot he can. Depending on the scenario pitchers will more likely want to pitch around McCann with the pitcher behind him. Nonetheless that gives Davis more pitches to see as they’ll try to avoid the good hitting McCann at the bottom of the order. New York produced a league leading 122 OPS+ in 2020 expect them to build on that. The Mets everyday lineup should score enough runs for Degrom to get wins. They are looked at as a top offensive unit and we expect that in 2021 to come true. 

Grade: A-

2021 Season Expectations 

These Mets expectations are certainly high. High they’ve really ever been since their 1986 title. The Mets have made the moves to not just compete with the Braves, Nationals, and Phillies for the division but they can play with the Dodgers for that National League crown. Mets fans have to remember if they don’t get to that title this team is built for the long haul not the short term. Under a new owner there is new hope as there should be. The Mets will compete as they are built with maybe the best rotation in the game, with a top 5 bullpen and lineup. The Mets will be a hard out for any team on any day. Their ceiling is a World Series title and floor is a Wild Card berth. 

Expectations: NLCS berth

What All This Means For New York Baseball? 

In a basic sense both New York baseball teams being among the top of the pecking order in the MLB brings hope and excitement. A feeling that hasn’t surrounded the city in the long time. Nearly every major media brand has the Yankees and Mets in their top five teams. Both are looked at as a World Series contender. After a covid filled 2020 nothing would help the greatest city in the world getting moving again then a year removed from a pandemic that nearly broke the city then a Subway World Series. Sports brings us together in all aspects of life. The city would be popping leading up to the epic showdown. September and October would be a frenzy. Two of the city's oldest franchises will bring the city together. The Yankees and Mets are embedded into the city. The competition between the two is something the city needs after so much separation on a physical and thinking level. New York sports has been in such a drought since the Yankees World Series not a lot to cheer about. With the Nets becoming an NBA title contender, the Knicks showing life, the Islanders and Rangers building teams for the long haul, Giants making moves in free agency to get Daniel Jones some weapons, and the new up beat head coach Robert Saleh taking over the Jets their already some new hope the cities fans have begged for. The Mets and Yankees projecting to be World Series good and living up to the expectation would maybe take the city out of the dark shadow that hung over the skyscrapers for the last year. Opening Day is already at 25% capacity who knows where we could be by October. Some real things the city can be excited about again. In my opinion New York sports peak won’t feel like true New York sports peak without both the baseball teams being World Series good. So if the Mets and Yankees are as good as advertised New York sports could be heading out of the dark ages to a golden age.

By Matthew Doherty 

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