It's a new year and we're already disappointed as the season opener has been postponed due to rain. It is miserable out there, to be fair. This year, the club is looking to switch things up a bit after their Go Big attempt led to a Go Home result.
Scherzer, Verlander, deGrom. Gone. Considering they're all starting this campaign for their new homes injured, I suppose it could've been worse. Still, it's hard not to see this edition of the Mercury Mets as a downgrade to recent versions. It's kind of a ragtag collection that screams...well, whatever the opposite of money ball is.
It's like tossing shit at the wall. That's the vibe, at least. It's a collection of talented guys mixed with some average ones, but little management helping it flow and a reduction of top shelf talent.
It's not a rebuild, folks. We're in the middle of a breakdown phase still.
Stearns promises aggressive free-agent play, though the team did little in that market nor in the trade game so who fucking knows. It'd take a very optimistic sort to be actually optimistic about this season ahead, and that's not what we have here on rwplusb.
So, why don't we just get real instead.
The rotation is weakened and has removed some of the best players in the game from the ranks. Somehow, there's still some depth, though. They'll get some wins. The rest of the team does have some spark, too. Home Run Pete and Franky-Fresh Alvarez have Lindor and Nimmo and a handful of guys that seem hungry at times and can always be a threat when the winds are blowing right.
It just doesn't seem on paper like they're going to much wind in the coming months.
To make the playoffs, you'll need to see a lot of fighting spirit in the first two months instead of a sleep walk intro. It'll take the injury bug fucking completely off, too, and a lot of micromanaging to keep shit moving properly down the stretch. At most, expect a wildcard slot and a quick exit.
Expect some of their good youths to make an impact throughout the season. Heck, maybe a breakout or two, too. It would do well to least keep us happy when the math becomes impossible to ignore instead of that more generous idea above.
RWplusB Expectations: 4th in NL East but some fun along the way!
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