Monday, April 3, 2017 • 1:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
RHP Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Julio Teheran (0-0, 0.00)
SNY • WOR 710 AM
Welcome Back!
The Mets and Braves start the 2017 season this afternoon after a fairly long spring training courtesy of the World Baseball Classic. And no, it’s not déjà vu you’re experiencing. The Mets are running out a nearly identical roster to the 2016 club, which is fine because on paper because the 2016 club was built to win.
Braves Lineup
- Ender Inciarte, CF
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Matt Kemp, LF
- Nick Markakis, RF
- Brandon Phillips, 2B
- Adonis Garcia, 3B
- Tyler Flowers, C
- Julio Teheran, P
Mets Lineup
- Jose Reyes, 3B
- Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
- Yoenis Cespedes, LF
- Curtis Granderson, CF
- Neil Walker, 2B
- Jay Bruce, RF
- Lucas Duda, 1B
- Rene Rivera, C
- Noah Syndergaard, SP
Most Opening Days, I write about optimism and the joy of not knowing what is going to happen, and that’s what makes baseball great. Those points still hold true but for a second straight season we approach Opening Day more mission based. Winning is an expectation. There’s a swagger and slight arrogance that comes with that feeling which I believe will make baseball this season in Queens a lot of fun to watch.
Noah Syndergaard will be starting for the Mets. Last year he went 14-9 over 31 games, 30 starts, and 183.2 innings with a 2.60 ERA as one of the Mets best pitchers. He walked 43 in that stretch and struck out 218. Surprisingly, he faced the Braves only once last year and it was a game to forget as he allowed 5 ER over 3.2 innings and 8 hits while walking 3 and striking out 5. The Braves have the following numbers on Syndergaard:
- Matt Kemp 1-11, RBI, 4 K
- Brandon Phillips 3-10, 2 K
- Nick Markakis 3-6, BB
- Jace Peterson 1-4, RBI, BB
- Freddie Freeman 3-6, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2K
- Dansby Swanson 2-2, RBI
The Mets bats will draw the ace of the Atlanta rotation, Julio Teheran. Teheran put together a great 2013 campaign and followed it up with an All-Star year in 2014 before regressing in 2015. He came back to All-Star form last year posting a 7-10 record over 30 starts and 188.0 innings with a 3.21 ERA while walking 41, and striking out 167.
The Mets were part of the reason while he an All-Star last year. He went 2-0 over 4 starts against the Mets pitching 30.0 innings allowing only 3 runs (0.90 ERA) while walking 3 and striking out 18. Beating Julio today will start a nice narrative to the 2017 season. The Mets have the following numbers against Teheran:
- Curtis Granderson 6-26, 2B, 2 HR, 7 BB
- Lucas Duda 7-23, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB
- Travis d’Arnaud 2-20, BB, K
- Wilmer Flores 3-19, HR
- Jay Bruce 3-20, 2 HR
- Neil Walker 2-17
- Jose Reyes 2-13, 3B
- Asdrubal Cabrera 4-12, 2 2B
- Yoenis Cespedes 3-12, 5 K
Notes:
Rene Rivera gets the start behind the plate with Thor on the mound in an effort to control the running game. Another factor in to that decision could be d’Arnaud’s career .100 avg (2-for-20) against Julio Teheran.
The Mets have the best Opening Day record among all franchises having gone 35-20 (.636). After losing their first eight Opening Day contests, the Mets have won 35 of their last 47 Opening Day games. New York took nine straight openers from 1975-1983 to tie a Major League record and have won eight of their last 11 openers.
Happy 30th Birthday, Jay Bruce! Let’s Go Mets!
For those who don’t know me: Hello! This is my 10th season writing Game Previews for MMO and I’m excited to be back. When I’m not writing game previews here, I run my own Mets blog, 213 Miles From Shea. Currently we just finished a Meta-Analysis of Stat Projections for the 2017 Squad. Come check it out! Also you can follow me on Twitter @213MFS.
