New York Mets 2021 Season Preview
Since losing to the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series, the Mets have only reached the playoffs once; the Mets lost the 2016 National League Wild Card game at home against Madison Bumgarner and the San Fransisco Giants. However, new ownership has inspired hope for Mets fans for the 2021 season.
Luis Rojas, the Mets’ skipper, is entering his second season with the Mets. He was hired after Carlos Beltran resigned prior to the 2020 season. Beltran retired because of his role in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal. Under his leadership, the Mets went 24-36 in 2020.
Potential New York Mets Opening Day Lineup
- Brandon Nimmo (CF – L)
- Francisco Lindor (SS – S)
- Michael Conforto (RF – L)
- Pete Alonso (1B – R)
- Dominic Smith (LF – L)
- Jeff McNeil (2B – L)
- J.D. Davis (3B – R)
- James McCann (C – R)
- (Pitcher)
The bench: Tomas Nido (C – R), Luis Guillorme (INF – L), Jonathan Villar (INF/OF – S), Albert Almora Jr. (OF – R), Kevin Pillar (OF – R)
Starting Pitcher Rotation:
- Jacob deGrom (RHP)
- Marcus Stroman (RHP)
- Taijuan Walker (RHP)
- David Peterson (LHP)
- Joey Lucchesi (LHP)
The bullpen: Edwin Diaz (RHP), Trevor May (RHP), Miguel Castro (RHP), Dellin Betances (RHP), Jeurys Familia (RHP), Aaron Loup (LHP), Jacob Barnes (RHP), Mike Montgomery (LHP)
Alternative Fantasy Baseball – New York Mets 2021 Preview – UNDER 92.5 WINS
This New York Mets 2021 season preview looks into each part of the Mets’ 2021 team.
Pitching
The Met’s pitching staff is aced by Jacob deGrom. DeGrom’s career ERA is 2.61. The long-time Met won back-to-back National League Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019; he finished third in voting in 2020. Jacob deGrom is one of the best starting pitchers in the MLB and a valuable asset for the Mets this season.
Marcus Stroman joined the Met’s in July 2019 after he was traded to New York from the Toronto Blue Jays. Stroman did not play in 2020, but in 2019 he posted a 3.22 ERA. Also in 2019, he had a 1.31 WHIP. Stroman has pitched inconsistently each year, and he is a large part of the Mets’ potential in the 2021 season.
David Peterson was drafted by the Mets in the first round in 2017 and reached the Met’s for the first time in 2020. In 2020 he had a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 3.44 and a WHIP of 1.21. The Mets hope that David Peterson will be able to play just as well as in 2020.
Taijuan Walker and Joey Lucchesi are both new to the Mets this season. Fangraphs.com gives them projected 4.37 and 4.16 ERAs respectively.
The Mets rotation will be missing Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard is out until midway through the season after having Tommy John surgery, but Carrasco could be back as soon as 5-8 weeks after opening day. In 2019, Carrasco won a battle more serious than baseball: leukemia. He denies the idea that age was a factor in his new hamstring injury (34 years old).
The Mets have strengthened their bullpen over the last few seasons. Their new players are Aaron Loup, Jacob Barnes, and Mike Montgomery.
Lineup
The Met’s 2021 lineup is much stronger than 2020. Despite the fact that the Met’s only brought in 2 additions to the lineup this offseason, their core has changed. Fransisco Lindor was traded to the Met’s from the Cleveland Indians in January of 2021. Lindor and his playoff experience are a symbol of hope for Mets fans this season.
The other new addition is James McCann. McCann began his career for the Detroit Tigers but played for the Chicago White Sox in 2019 and 2020. McCann will fill the void as the Met’s catcher this season.
Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and Dominic Smith round out the Met’s outfield. They were each top 13 overall picks in their respective drafts. They are one of the strongest outfields in baseball. Fangraphs.com projects they will have a combined 83 homers.
The Met’s infield is not quite as strong as their outfield, but Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor answer any questions about the Mets lineup. Jeff McNiel and J.D. Davis will play second and third base. The 29 and 27-year-olds hope to perform at a high level this season as they hope to get larger contracts when they become free agents in 2025.
NL East
A New York Mets 2021 season preview would be incomplete without looking at their division: the NL East.
The National League East division is not too strong coming into 2021. Only two teams finished the season with a winning record. The Braves and Marlins had strong 2020 seasons. The Marlins surprised the MLB by reaching the playoffs for the first time since their 2003 World Series Championship. The Phillies and the Nationals both finished with more than 20 wins in the 2020 shortened season, but their weaknesses may be exposed more when they play more teams this season.
Conclusion
I think the New York Mets will not reach 93 wins in 2021. The bottom half of their pitching rotation and lineup may expose some weaknesses. The Mets will need to make some midseason trades in order to attempt to make a deep playoff run this year.
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