How Should The Mets Handle Their Crowded Outfield?

Last season, the Mets really struggled with getting any offensive production from their outfielders and had one of the worst outfields in MLB. This season, the Mets actually have the opposite dilemma and are trying to figure out how to incorporate their 4 outfielders into the starting lineup. Right now with Juan Lagares's injury, the Mets starting outfield has been Eric Young Jr, Curtis Granderson, and Chris Young. When Lagares comes back, the Mets will have to decide who plays every day and who to put in a platoon situation. I think that Lagares needs to be the lineup every day as the starting CF. His defense is spectacular and can really make a huge impact. He is also becoming a much improved hitter and is more selective at the plate. That leaves Chris Young, Eric Young Jr, and Curtis Granderson to fill out the other two outfield spots. I think that when the Mets face lefty pitching, they should start Young Jr and Chris Young and bench Granderson. Granderson really struggles against lefties, so it makes more sense for him to sit against a tough lefty. Even though Eric Young Jr is a much weaker hitter from the right side, I think there's a better chance he will get a hit against lefties than Granderson. He also brings speed to the lineup and can distract the pitcher by putting a lot of pressure on the base paths. Chris Young provides power in the lineup, which is something the Mets really lack. He has also shown to be a real solid defensive player. When the Mets face righty pitching, they should start Granderson, Lagares, and Chris Young. Granderson is much more comfortable against righty pitching and Chris Young Jr can also hit righties well. I don't see Eric Young Jr as an everyday player. I think he is best suited in a platoon situation. He has not shown to hit well enough to be an everyday outfielder. I think that Chris Young and Lagares can also bat leadoff as well as EY.

It will be very interesting to see how Terry Collins handles the outfield situation once they are at full strength. I think there will be constant changes and alternating in the outfield so each outfielder can get playing time. This will be an ongoing debate throughout this season.

Game Postponed.

Tonight's Mets and Phillies game scheduled for 7:05 PM has been postponed due to rain. The Mets will head to Colorado to face the red-hot Rockies in a three game series, followed by a trip to South Beach this weekend. I have not yet received any word on when the game will be made up, or how the Mets intend to handle the rotation. My best bet is the Phillies and Mets will play a day-night double header either in Philly the next time around, or in New York on Mother's day weekend.

Stay tuned...

Today's Headlines: Jon Neise, Phillies, Rain

 As we slog through another rainy day here on the East coast, I provide you Mets fans with the top stories to take into not only tonight's game, but into the month of May.

Jon Neise: After an alarming spring training where Jon was sent to New York twice for MRI's, he has silenced all critics in April. After last night's 6-1 victory over the Phillies, Neise is now 2-2 with a 2.2 ERA on the year. As I've repeated over and over again on this blog, the Mets rely so much on their starting rotation to win games. Maybe their best pitcher of all this season is Jon Neise, who began the year on the 15-day DL. Neise has had the bad fortune of pitching in horrendous weather this April, but he's not complaining and his numbers show why.

Phillies: Man, remember the intense rivalry from 2008-2011? It seemed the Phillies were always coming out on top of our beloved Mets, whether it be on the field or in the standings. Well, since 2011, the Mets are 14-6 in Philadelphia. Currently, they are the only national league team with such a record over the Phillies. Last night, the Mets picked up right where they left off last season. A 6-1 win on a sloppy rainy night proved the 2014 Mets can keep the streak going in Philadelphia. Another note I'd like to add is the Mets' absolute dominance of Phillie's ace Cole Hamels. Hamels is 7-14 with a 4.65 ERA against New York, including a drubbing in last night's contest. The rivalry is as quiet as can be now, thanks to the dominance of the Phillies by our Mets.

Rain: Despite a 90-minute rain delay, the Mets and Phillies were able to get their game in last night. Tonight, the forecast doesn't look any better. In fact, it looks worse. Expect tonight's game to at least begin in a rain delay, if not postponed altogether. As always, check Queensfaithful for updates.

Post Game: Mets 6, Phillies 1

On a cold, rainy night in Philadelphia, The Mets (15-11) defeated the Phillies (13-13) by the score of 6-1. The Mets have now won 5 of their last six games. The Mets also continued their dominance at Citizens Bank Park, where they are 14-6 the past three seasons. Below are the key players from last night's W:

Ruben Tejada needs every hit he can get, and last night all of his base hits were huge. Tejada drove in a two men to break the game open to put the Mets up 6-1. The Mets need Tejada to just be average offensively, and above average defensively. So far, Ruben's defense has been up to the task, but the offense has been sluggish. Last night was a good night for Ruben, and he was smiling again.

Jon Neise pitched excellent baseball in terrible conditions, as he always does. Jon threw seven 1-run innings. A solo home run to Marlin Byrd in the fourth inning was the only hiccup on an otherwise superb night for Neise. After a wild spring training, where Jon battled a few nagging injuries, he has come out full force in 2014.

Daniel Murphy is one of the streakier players on the Mets' roster, and right now he's in his hot streak. Murphy and Tejada won this game offensively for the Mets. Daniel went 3-5, upping his average over the .300 mark. Sometimes we forget how good Murphy is when he's hot. As the Mets wait for Wright and Granderson to wake up, they'll need Murphy to drive in runs.

Next up, the Mets and Bartolo Colon face the Phillies in the second game of a two game series Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Game 25: Mets Starting Lineup and Pitching Matchup

Mets Starting Lineup
1. Eric Young Jr-LF
2. Daniel Murphy-2B
3. David Wright-3b
4. Chris Young-CF
5. Curtis Granderson-RF
6. Josh Satin-1b
7. Travis d'Arnaud-Catcher
8. Ruben Tejada-SS
9. Jon Niese-LHP

The pitching matchup is Jon Niese ( 1-2, 2.45 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels ( 0-1, 3.00 ERA)

Should we buy into the Mets 14-11 start?

On March 1st, I looked ahead to the Mets April schedule and worried. I looked at the 25 man roster and worried. I looked at upper management and once again, worried.

Sitting here typing this on Tuesday, April 29th, I am not worrying, but should I? Should we? The Mets are 14-11 in a month where many predicted they would go 10-17. Lets also not forget, the season opened 0-3. Since then, the Mets have gone 14-8 and have won five of seven series. Overall, the Mets have won five of eight series.

"We feel good where we are," Terry Collins told the NY Daily News. Collins also added, "We are not happy that we only have the wins we have. We thought we could have won a couple more."  Terry is most likely referring to games like Saturday, where the Mets lead 5-0 in the middle innings before losing 7-6 in ten. I love the fact that Terry is angry they don't have more wins. While 14-11 is nice, it's time to get better.

The key to the Mets success has been winning series. While the Mets lineup sits next to last in the national league in batting average, their pitching ERA is sixth-best. We all knew heading into the season that the Mets' strength would be their starting pitching.

With the toughest part of their schedule over, the Mets will look toward a nine game road series where they can continue building momentum, hoping Wright and Granderson begin hitting for power, and hope the bullpen stays effective. The Mets biggest surprise has been their bullpen. Already on their third closer of the season, Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen and bullpen coach Ricky Bones have kept this area of the Mets pitching as well as possible.

Not to be fooled, though, the Mets were 10-9 after 19 games in 2013. Also, they led the wild card after the All-Star break in 2012. Both seasons, the Mets finished with a lowly 74 wins. Five months of the season remain, and predictions still say the Mets will taper off, but as a die hard Mets fan, I have to keep feeling optimistic that our pitching will keep us in contention all the way to September.

Update on Noah Syndergarrd and Rafael Montero

There was a lot of hype coming into this season for the Mets top two pitching prospects Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergarrd. So far, neither of them has disappointed.
Syndergarrd has a record of 3-2 with a 5.04 ERA. He has had 21 k's and 10 walks. He's given up only  3 homers in 25 innings. In his last start against the Tacoma Rainers, he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. I'm pleased with how Syndergarrd has been able to limit his homers, especially since he is pitching in a very hitters friendly park in Las Vegas. I'd like to see him keep his walks down. I think he'll start to develop better control as he matures this year.
Montero has a record of 3-0 with a 3.95 ERA. He's had 27 k's and only 8 walks. He's also given up only 3 homers in 27.1 innings. In his last start, he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings against the Tacoma Rainers. I love Montero's control for such a young pitcher. It's not too often that you see Triple A pitchers with more than a 3-1 strikeout to walk ratio. I think his control will prove to very effective for him as he continues to progress to the Major Leagues.
It will be interesting to see when Syndergarrd and Montero finally make their much anticipated ML debuts. When they come up, there will be a lot of questions about whether the Mets make them starters or have them start out in the bullpen. I think it'd be best for the Mets to have them start out in the pen in the 8th inning or as closer. They don't have a shutdown 8th inning guy or closer and need to stabilize their back end of the bullpen.