ABC’s of the 2015 Mets

When Spring Training begins, it means that we are on the raceway to Opening Day. This is the ABC’s guide for the upcoming Mets season with some questions to keep in mind as we approach the start of the season:

A is for Alderson– will General Manager Sandy Alderson be able to trade the surplus of pitching into talent that will help the Major League ball club?

B is for Bullpen- last year’s emergence of Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia enabled the Mets to utilize a solid end of the game duo. This year Josh Edgin enters as the only left-handed pitcher, which has not fared well for the Mets in the past. Will this year’s bullpen be able to replicate another solid effort?

C is for Cuddyer- the big offseason acquisition only played in 49 games last year, but did produce quite well. Granted the past three seasons Michael Cuddyer has played occurred in Colorado, however he can be a solid offensive weapon. How much will Cuddyer’s presence in the lineup impact Curtis Granderson and David Wright’s season?

D is for Duda- after setting career-highs in home runs and RBIs, Lucas Duda looks to build upon an impressive 2014 campaign. Just how much room is there left to improve for Duda? He struggled against left-handed pitching, but crushed right-handed pitching. The Mets are going to need Duda to provide homers throughout the year, and hopefully we see even more improvement from the first baseman.

E is for Edgin- as previously stated, the only left-handed reliever in the bullpen as of now will look to improve from last season. With lefties hitting .185 and righties hitting .219, Edgin may become a regular out of the bullpen. How will Terry Collins plan on using him effectively throughout the season?

F is for Flores- possibly the biggest question mark on the team is the shortstop position. Wilmer Flores will enter the season as the starting shortstop, and he is eager to prove critics wrong. As long as he makes the routine plays, Flores will be a productive member in the starting lineup, as we should get some glimpses of his offensive prowess.

G is for Granderson– last season may have been disappointing from the veteran outfielder. Granderson still managed to hit 20 home runs, but the Mets will need a higher average than .227 for a complete offense. With Kevin Long on board as the Hitting Coach, will Granderson find his New York Yankee form by hitting more home runs with an improvement in average?

H is for Harvey- in case you have not heard, Matt Harvey is coming off of Tommy John and will start the season at Citi Field’s Opening Day against the Nationals. With organizations being tentative with pitchers coming off Tommy John, the Mets plan to have an innings limit, but hope to spread the innings throughout the season. When will Harvey be able to regain his “ace” status, and just how effective will he be this season?

I is for Improvements- for the Mets to be in contention of a playoff spot, improvements from the young players are going to be needed. Players like Travis d’Arnaud, Jacob deGrom, and Zack Wheeler are some of the young guys who will continue to impact the season. How much will these players improve upon their previous successes, and how many wins will be added?

J is for Jacob deGrom- last year’s Rookie of the Year winner looks to continue dominating the competition. A full season in the big leagues may lead to hitters making more adjustments to deGrom and challenging him throughout the season. What is deGrom capable of doing in a full season at the Major League level?

K is for Kids are Coming- With 6 prospects in the Keith Law’s Top 100 prospects, the farm system looks healthy, as players are ready to contribute to the ball club this season. Will Cory Mazzoni, Kevin Plawecki, Cesar Puello or Noah Syndergaard make an impact this season?

L is for Lagares- arguably the Mets Most Valuable Player, Juan Lagares enters the season holding down center field. Without a true leadoff hitter, Lagares will most likely be leading off for the Mets. Will he be able to improve his .321 OBP and steal more than 20 bases?

M is for Murphy- as a consistent presence in the Mets lineup for the past couple of years, Murphy is entering his walk year, which could lead the Mets to trade Murphy if they are not in contention. However, with the Mets looking to compete, it makes sense to hold onto Murphy for the year, and let Herrera gain more experience in the minors. Will Murphy be able to provide enough defense while adding more power offensively this season?

N is for Niese- often overshadowed, Jon Niese has put together a solid career for the Mets. As the only left-handed starter in the rotation, Niese will look to improve upon last season’s September, where he went 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. Can Niese stay healthy and pitch over 200 innings?

O is for Oh boy- a 4-15 record against the Nationals last season was the deciding factor between the two ball clubs. The Nationals decided to bring back their major pieces, and sign Max Scherzer. Their rotation matches up well against the Mets, as Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman may be the best three pitchers atop the rotation. What will be the record between the Mets and Nationals this season?

P is for Plawecki- we know Travis d’Arnaud and how he is considered to be the catcher of the future. Plawecki is a highly touted prospect, and may be called up this season. Will Plawecki be traded sometime this season, or play at Citi Field during the summer?

Q is for Queens- attendance at Citi Field looks to be increasing this season. Ticket sales have been impressive this offseason, and it should lead to a better environment at home. Will the increased attendance lead to an improved home record?

R is for Rafael- last week I wrote an article about Rafael Montero’s roll for the 2015 Mets. Even though starting him in the minors would enable him to be ready for spot starts, it would not be surprising to see Montero in the bullpen alongside Dillon Gee serving as a long-reliever and spot starter. Will Montero earn a spot in the starting rotation?

S is for Syndergaard- we had Matt Harvey, then it was Zack Wheeler, and last year it was Jacob deGrom. Is this the year where top prospect Noah Syndergaard cracks the big leagues and dominates?

T is for Travis d’Arnaud- the second half of the season was when fans became convinced that d’Arnaud was ready for Major League pitching. Can d’Arnaud take what he did in the second half of last season and carry it out for a full season, while staying healthy?

U is for the Unknown- there are always times in the season where no one has any idea what is going on. Baseball is full of surprises and this season should be no exception. What could happen this season that makes us scratch our heads, jump for joy, or make our mouths drop?

V is for Victories- last season the organization put a goal of 90 wins on the table. After winning 79 games, it seems that the organization is hoping for an 8 to 10 win improvement. Can the Mets win go from 79 wins to 87 or 89 wins and compete for a playoff spot?

W is for Wright- a healthy captain should enable the Mets offense to flourish. Last season David Wright wanted to play through his injured shoulder, but struggled mightily from June to August. Will David Wright return to his MVP form from a couple years back if he can stay healthy?

X is for X-Factor- the X-factor this season may be health. Most players in the Mets lineup have had careers riddled with injuries. Cuddyer, d’Arnaud, Granderson and Wright have faced injuries, but do put up numbers when healthy. Hopefully the Mets have decent health throughout the year, leading to a great offensive output.

Y is for You Gotta Believe!– this may be the season where the Mets make that dramatic step towards contending. There are growing expectations from fans and the players, and this confidence could be troubling, but it provides excitement to everyone involved, while creating more storylines throughout the offseason.

Z is for Zack Wheeler- from July to August, Wheeler was one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, going 6-1 with an ERA below 3.00. The Mets have a great starting rotation, but they need Wheeler to step it up even more this season. How many wins will Wheeler have by the end of the season?