Kallet: The Time Is Now For Mets To Win The Whole Damn Thing
By Brad Kallet
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There's no way around it -- it's championship or bust for the Mets this season.
Simple as that.
The Amazin's weren't expected to win the division last year. They weren't expected to advance to the National League Championship Series. And they certainly weren't expected to win -- or even get to, for that matter, the World Series.
But they did, and as heartbreaking as their five-game loss to the Royals in the Fall Classic was, they exceeded all expectations in a season that was an indisputable success.
They flourished and thrived quicker than they were supposed to, but with that comes a new standard. The Mets are the reigning NL champions, and anything less than returning to the Series will be a disappointment.
Anything less than their first title since 1986 will be a disappointment.
There, I said it.
On paper, New York is better than it was last year. The pitching staff is the best in the world, and it should be even better this season. Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz will break camp with the club -- Syndergaard was called up in May and Matz debuted in late June -- and Zack Wheeler, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, should return during the summer.
Bartolo Colon is back to provide depth, innings and veteran leadership (and humor), and those Harvey and deGrom guys are pretty good, too. At worst, this rotation will keep the team in games on a nightly basis. At best, it will be utterly dominant and almost untouchable.
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Jeurys Familia established himself as a shutdown closer last season, and the late innings will be protected by reliable relievers Addison Reed, Hansel Robles, free-agent signing Antonio Bastardo and lefty specialist Jerry Blevins, who missed all but seven games in 2015.
Then we get to the offense. This club is going to score its fair share of runs. It was a tale of two halves last season, if you remember. Before the All-Star break, New York's bats were anemic, among the worst in baseball. After general manager Sandy Alderson acquired Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe on July 26 -- and Yoenis Cespedes after that -- the lineup was transformed, and it immediately became one of the most dangerous in the senior circuit.
The days of Eric Campbell and John Mayberry, Jr. hitting fourth and fifth are long gone. This lineup should be even more formidable than it was at the end of last season.
We're not exactly sure how manager Terry Collins will configure his order -- he has a lot of options at his disposal -- but I imagine it looking something like this:
Curtis Granderson, David Wright, Michael Conforto, Cespedes, Lucas Duda, Travis d'Arnaud, Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera (if he's ready for Opening Day)
That's an awfully scary lineup, from top to bottom. There's a great mix of lefties and righties, of power and on-base percentage. What's missing, of course, is speed, but that's not a massive concern considering the players on this team will consistently reach base.
So why will this lineup be more productive than it was a year ago? First of all, you have to assume that Wright and d'Arnaud will play more than the 38 and 67 games they played in 2015, respectively.
Conforto, with some experience under his belt, will play a full season. He didn't join the club until late July and only has 174 major league at-bats to his name. But he looks like he can become an absolute star. The 23-year-old has a beautiful level swing, is discipline dat the dish, and he also played a surprisingly solid left field. Don't be surprised if he turns into the Mets' most feared hitter in the not-too-distant future. Sure, a sophomore slump is always a possibility, but I'd put my money on a monster follow-up campaign.
Don't let Daniel Murphy's postseason heroics last October fool you -- Walker is a clear upgrade at second base. It doesn't hurt that he's steady defensively and can run the bases. Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores are essentially a wash at shortstop, but I'd still take the accomplished veteran over everyone's favorite crier. (And I mean that affectionately. I'm a big Flores fan. How could you not be?)
Oh, right. There's also the matter of that guy who likes cars, rides horses and golfs before games. Cespedes won't produce like he did after the Mets acquired him on July 31. No one outside of Willie Mays or Barry Bonds could keep that up. But there's no reason to suggest that he won't be a superstar again, especially because he's going to call one city home for a full season, for once.
Don't neglect the talented and deep bench consisting of Kevin Plawecki, Flores, Dilson Herrera (potentially), Juan Lagares and Alejandro De Aza, either. Each of those players, even De Aza, could be starters elsewhere.
The stakes are higher than they've been in years. The pitching staff is a once-in-a-generation unit, and the offense should be complimentary with a steady dose of runs.
How long will these aces be in the same dugout? It's almost unrealistic to think two of the three studs -- Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard -- will be Mets for the long haul, let alone all three. It's just not economically feasible.
It may seem like there's a significant window for this franchise to win, but there's not as much time as you may think. When it comes down to it, you can't bank on the future. The Mets did that for far too long.
The Wright- and Jose Reyes-led Mets of 2006 were supposed to dominate for a decade, right? Yeah, how'd that work out?
The time is now, as it always should be for a legitimate contender.
The Nationals remain a challenge, but the Mets are better and should repeat as NL East champions. The biggest threat to the Amazin's, in my mind? None other than the Cubbies, who have a loaded lineup and can also pitch in waves.
It won't be easy; it never is. As Chelcie Ross -- best known for his portrayal of legendary junkballer Eddie Harris in "Major League" -- said at the end of "Rudy" before Notre Dame took the field, "No excuses. Do the work."
A golden opportunity is in front of the Mets. All they have to do is take it.
Brad Kallet is the managing editor of TENNIS.com and a frequent contributor to WFAN. Follow him on Twitter @brad_kallet
