An informal Mets fan poll as we head to the AS break

Recently, a poll was sent out to Mets fans friends of mine. The fans range from all shapes and sizes and represent a small sample size of the thoughts of a very large and passionate fan base. The fans were polled on eight questions ranging from multiple choice to free form. Below is what was found.

On a scale from 1-10, with 1 being 10% and 10 being 100%, how likely are you to watch a Mets’ game on any given night?

1. 30%: two votes
2. 40%: one vote
3. 50%: two votes
4. 70%: two votes
5. 90%: three votes

Well it seems as though fans are still living in the present of this 2019 squad as they are watching games more often than not. This is not surprising, as there are still some interesting storylines to track such as Pete Alonso and his historic rookie season, including an appearance in the Home Run Derby, and Jeff McNeil who leads the league in batting average. It would be interesting to see the results of this poll compared to March and September. For what it’s worth, the Mets’ home games average 29,669 attendees, up from last year’s mark of 28,164.

How many games will the Mets win this season?

1. 69 or fewer: one vote
2. 70 to 75: seven votes
3. 76 to 80: two votes
4. 81 or more: zero votes

The Mets were pegged at 85.5 wins prior to the season by odds-makers, which seems like a long shot at this point as their record is currently 39-47. Their current pace is 73 wins, right where most of the votes were cast. To win 81 games, the club will need to go 42-34 over their remaining games which isn’t an insurmountable task. The results of this question were telling in that the fan base is generally not confident in the team’s ability to compete.

Will Zack Wheeler be dealt by the trade deadline?

1. Yes: seven votes
2. No: three votes

Given that fans were so confident that the team would not compete this season, it is not surprising to see that they are prematurely shipping Wheeler out of town. Wheeler, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2018, has been struggling of late and has been scouted by opposing teams. The right handed starter has been linked to trades in the past and would likely yield a promising prospect in any deal.

Who will win more games this season, Jason Vargas + Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard + Wheeler?

1. Vargas + deGrom: six votes
2. Syndergaard + Wheeler: four votes

The wily vet and Cy Young vs the young flamethrowers; Wheeler and Syndergaard currently lead with eleven wins to the former’s seven. The poll results must be more of a reflection of deGrom’s abilities than anything else as fans would be remiss to believe that Vargas will not regress back from his recent success.

What will Robinson Cano’s batting average be at the end of the season?

1. .238 or lower: one vote
2. .239 to .255: five votes
3. .256 to .270: three votes
4. .271 or higher: one vote

Cano is currently batting .238 and his career low is .271. Hearing his name will cause any fan to shiver and be instantly filled with a stomach knot. The angle coming into the season was, while Cano is 36 years old, that his bat would continue to play above the league average clip. It’s difficult to even pinpoint a small sample size of games this year in which Cano has performed well. The veteran second baseman looks well on his way to setting a new career low batting average.

Will Tim Tebow appear in a major league game in 2019?

1. Yes: one vote
2. No: nine votes

This was a sanity check more than anything, although it would not be surprising if 10% of fans out there believed that the former NFL star would make an appearance this year. Why not when it can make the club more money?

The poll also included a free form opportunity for the ten fans to describe their favorite part of the 2019 Mets in which nine wrote Alonso and one wrote McNeil. If there’s a silver lining of this season, it’s that fans can take comfort in knowing that Alonso, McNeil and deGrom are locked up for at least five more years apiece. But that is looking into the future, and we are meant to live in the present which involves sweeping the Yankees at home. Let’s Go Mets!