It is now officially 2014! This means that people have begun to make their New Year’s resolutions, including players on the New York Mets. Therefore, I have come up with the most likely New Year’s resolutions for David Wright, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Bartolo Colon, and Curtis Granderson. Of course, I cannot get inside these five players’ heads, but I have pretty good reason to believe that I will be close to their actual resolutions.
David Wright- In 2012 and 2013, there is no doubt that David Wright carried the Mets on both offense and defense. In 2014, David Wright will be getting married, and beginning his contract extension which he signed in the 2012 off season. So, Wright’s resolution is quite simple: continue to produce, and live up to the first year of his extention. Obviously, Wright does not want to play terrible baseball for the Mets, but this year, it will definitely mean that he will need to put more work into it. Wright cannot get distracted by his wedding, and he also needs to prevent crumbling under the pressure of playing in the first year of an eight year extension.
Matt Harvey- From rookie in 2012, to phenom in 2013, Matt Harvey has already proven himself enough for all of baseball to love. But now Harvey has a problem: he cannot play in 2014. Towards the end of the 2013 season, Harvey went down with a shoulder injury, and was forced into having Tommy John Surgery. There is no way that Harvey will be able to play in 2014, so his New Year’s resolution will be to get healthy, strong, and ready to play at full potential for opening day of 2015. If Harvey is able to do this, not only will he probably win 2015 Comeback Player of the Year, but quite possibly his first of many Cy Young Awards.
Zack Wheeler- Zack Wheeler went 7-5 in his rookie 2013 season. He did have his troubles, though. For example, when he pitched against the White Sox, he tipped his pitches. Going into 2014, his New Year’s resolution is to create a harder work ethic, focusing on his delivery on the mound. He does not want to tip his pitches anymore, and his name has come up in trade talks, making it that much more important to not do so.
Bartolo Colon- On December 11, 2013, Bartolo Colon signed a two year, $20 million deal with the New York Mets. The past two seasons, Colon played with the Oakland Athletics, and had a combined record of 28-15. Colon will turn 41 this May, which is definitely a concern for both him and the Mets. Colon has only played 17 games while wearing an NL uniform (2002 Montreal Expos), but he did go 10-7 during that stint. That said, Colon’s New Year’s resolution will be to prove his doubters wrong. Many people do not think Colon will be able to hold up to his $20 million contract, so he will need to ignore them, and pitch as he usually does. Colon does not need to reach 20 wins this season, but he needs to pitch above a .553 winning percentage.
Curtis Granderson- Last year, Curtis Granderson missed a majority of the season due to injury. However, this was not a serious injury such as a concussion, hamstring, etc. But Granderson got hit by two pitches, both in the wrist. This leads to Curtis Granderson’s New Year’s resolution, which will be to learn to stand further away from the plate, but still put up great numbers. This would prevent Granderson from getting hit as much while at the plate, but would still allow him to hit for a decent average, and hit 30-40 home runs.
Everyone has New Year’s resolutions, and they can be about anything. In the case of David Wright, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Bartolo Colon, and Curtis Granderson, their New Year’s resolutions are most likely about baseball, and maintaining a great career. Also, Harvey and Colon will need to learn how to deal with the New York media, because of Colon’s recent PED suspension, and Harvey’s “adventure” with the media this past year.
Happy New Year to all New York Mets’ fans, and here’s to a positive 2014 for our beloved team this upcoming season!