The ABC’s of the 2016 New York Mets

As we approach the start of Spring Training, it is time for the ABC’s of the 2016 New York Mets:

A is for Asdrubal– The new shortstop of the Mets looks to start off where he ended his 2015 season by hitting for a high average and providing offense. How much of an upgrade will he be over Wilmer Flores? That remains to be seen.

B is for Bartolo– Arguably the most entertaining player on the Mets roster this season, Bartolo Colon will look to provide another solid campaign before his rotation spot goes to Zack Wheeler. Let’s hope Bartolo gets plenty of at-bats throughout the season, so he can surpass last year’s hit total.

C is for Conforto– After a solid first year in the majors, Michael Conforto will be starting against lefties and righties. We will get to see how much he can produce over the course of an entire season.

D is for “d”– Travis d’Arnaud and Jacob deGrom had impressive seasons last season. d’Arnaud has battled injuries on and off throughout his career. Will this be the year when he stays healthy and plays in over 110 games? As for deGrom, his performance in the All-Star Game was one of the best ever, and last year’s campaign was awfully impressive. What more can the right-hander build on?

E is for Everlasting Excitement– This season is going to be a fun year. The starting rotation features hard-throwing arms, an offense where all the starters have the potential to hit more than ten homeruns, and a bullpen that should be pretty solid. The Mets will be competing for this division, and should be in the playoff hunt when September approaches.

F is for Familia– Throughout the years, the Mets have not had a consistent closer since the days of John Franco and Armando Benitez. After recording 43 saves last season, Familia will look to put in another solid year of closing, and should be finishing many games for the Mets.

G is for Granderson– The man running Lucas Duda’s Instagram, and the powerful leadoff hitter provides tremendous leadership, and a solid veteran presence in the locker room. His cautionary words about a World Series hangover should be taken to heart, as the team should be fighting even harder to get back to the World Series.

H is for Harvey– Is it Harvey Day yet? Many people are saying Matt Harvey has found the touch to throw the slider after struggling to find it last season. Having another pitch in the arsenal may be what it takes to make Harvey a serious Cy Young contender.

I is for Improvised Infield– Terry Collins has plenty of options to choose from. The versatility on display in Spring Training provides the skipper with some tough decisions. Does Ruben Tejada make the roster with Flores being the utility player? Who is backing up Lucas Duda? How many games will David Wright play? Will Neil Walker be platooned? It is better to have plenty of depth, and the Mets have options to choose from.

J is for “Juan”derful– With the re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes, the question of where the Mets would put Juan Lagares seemed to be palpable. Ever since showing up to Spring Training, it has been reported that Lagares is in great shape, and that he will get plenty of playing time. Whether he gets starts in the outfield, or comes in as a defensive replacement, we will be seeing plenty of Lagares this season.

K is for K’s– This starting rotation is beyond explosive. Colon struck out 136, deGrom had 205, Harvey had 188, Steven Matz had 34 (in 35.2 innings) and Noah Syndergaard had 166 (in 150 innings). A full season of these guys is going to feature plenty of strikeouts.

L is for Lucas– First Baseman Lucas Duda had a streaky year last year, but managed to put up impressive numbers by the season’s end. Duda provides plenty of power to the lineup, and will provide support for Cespedes.

M is for Maturing Matz– Similar to Syndergaard, Matz came up last season and made an impression on the team. A full year with Matz will showcase what he can do throughout the course of the season.

N is for New York– Are the Mets finally New York’s team after last season’s performance?

O is for Offense, Offense, Offense– The starting pitching is ready to go, and the lineup is ready to go. Before this season, the offense seemed to be a question mark, but this season should be different, as the lineup is packed with power. The team might be streaky, but hopefully the team does not go ice cold all together.

P is for Prospects– The Mets have several prospects that seem to be future starters, such as Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith to name a few. Other prospects will be ready to produce at the big league level in the coming years. Who will come up this season and make an impact?

Q is for Queens– Kevin James would be proud, as the Mets are the Kings of Queens after last season, but what will they do as an encore after last season’s tremendous year?

R is for Rafael, Reed and Robles– Although he is starting in Spring Training, the Mets may use Rafael Montero out of the bullpen to provide some length. Addison Reed looks to be the set up man with some help from Antonio Bastardo, and Hansel Robles’ power arm is a welcomed tool to have in the pen. All three of these arms will play a part this season.

S is for Scary Sophomore Slumps– The Mets have to beware of sophomore slumps, which could make the season more difficult. Matz and Syndergaard pitched late into last season, and could be sluggish to start off the year.

T is for Thor– Syndergaard throws heat, and can hit the ball out of the park. After an impressive rookie year, Thor looks to become one of baseball’s best pitchers, as he will have a full year in the big leagues.

U is for Utility– As previously stated, the Mets have options off the bench. Eric Campbell can play multiple positions as can Flores. Alejandro De Aza can play all three outfield positions, and starters can play multiple positions. The flexibility will help keep players healthy throughout the season.

V is for Victories– How many wins will the Mets get this season? The team went 90-72 last year, and may need more to reach the playoffs this season.

W is for Walker– Life after Daniel Murphy begins this season, as Neil Walker will be the starting second baseman for the Mets. It will be interesting to see what happens at second base after this season. Dilson Herrera may get starts throughout the season, to give him experience for the future.

X is for Xavier– “X” is a hard letter, so let’s give Xavier Nady a shoutout for this one.

Y is for Yoenis– With all the fancy modes of transportation Cespedes brought to Spring Training, he has provided plenty of interest in the Mets. Arguably the most exciting hitter in the Mets lineup, Cespedes is going to have plenty of pressure to drive in runs and produce at a high level. He has done it before, and has experienced plenty of success over the past couple of seasons.

Z is for Zack– Young right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler had Tommy John Surgery and is rehabbing from the procedure. With Colon handling the backend of the starting rotation, the Mets will take their time with Wheeler in order to make sure he is healthy for the long-term.

That is your ABC guide to the 2016 New York Mets. Hopefully the team follows in the Kansas City Royals footprints and wins the World Series this season. Let’s go Mets!