New York is one of the largest markets in all of America. Everyone is well aware of the history of the Yankees and everyone understands that they are the “favorite” New York team. The Mets are basically the red headed stepchild of their city.
If you look at the standings, you might see something surprising. That would be the Mets record, sitting at 7-4. I understand that we are only two weeks into the season but a 7-4 record looks a whole lot better than a 4-7 mark.
To understand the Mets team, we first have to see why and how they are playing so well. One of the main reasons for their hot start is what catcher John Buck has been doing. His numbers are through the roof to this point, with six home runs and 19 RBIs. Lucas Duda has also batted well this season with three home runs and six runs drove in. Finally, Daniel Murphy has been dominating with his bat as well. He has 11 RBIs and a .381 batting average.
When it comes to their pitching, one guy should really jump out at you and his name is Matt Harvey. He has won three games in as many starts and has only allowed six hits while doing so. His earned run average has been stellar with Harvey allowing 0.88 runs a game. He has also fanned 25 batters this season.
The fact Harvey is dominating is a very good sign for the Mets, as they will be without Johan Santana for a significant amount of time. Even if Harvey can continue this dominant pace, it seems like the Mets just won’t have enough to get them into a playoff spot. This team is not as bad as some people like to think, but they are also not as good as some Mets' fans think.
It is going to be extremely hard for this team to compete all year long with the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals. One of the main ways this Mets team can even think about a wild card spot is to win their division games. Winning games within your division is the biggest advantage you can gain in the standings. If you’re a Mets fan, continue to bask in this glorious month but don’t get your hopes up. This team just doesn’t have enough to overtake the NL East or even the second wild card spot.