Ah, Mets baseball is finally upon us again. Though we had the shortest span of time between the end of the postseason and the beginning of the regular season (excluding the Royals, of course), the offseason still felt like it spanned 100 years. But now the Mets are back, and are… still the same offensively dead team we saw in November? It’s actually much of what we expected from the team, but a struggling Matt Harvey accounting for two of the Mets’ three losses certainly doesn’t help either. But alas, as we all know, I’m here to be the positive one amongst the very, very large crowd of Debbie Downers. For the first time in 2016, I present to you: the MMO Players of the Week!
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: NOAH SYNDERGAARD
Oh, wait, sorry, I meant to type Noah SynderGOD. Noah Syndergaard is picking up right where he left off in game three: an absolutely electric fastball that toys in triple digits, a disgusting slider that topped off at 93, and of course, his signature hook from hell. Despite finding himself in three different jams against the Kansas City Royals that included a leadoff triple in a 0-0 game and a bases loaded, two-out situation, Syndergaard was able to buckle down and induce the strikeouts that he needed. Thanks to a pinpoint-accurate fastball that blew away hitters and a slider that runs away from lefties at the last moment and jams in on righties, he is quickly establishing himself among pitchers as somebody who is confident in his stuff and will pitch his game, rather than trying to adjust to the opponent’s. Plus, if I didn’t choose Thor for this week, the Asgardians would have given me a real hard time.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: MICHAEL CONFORTO
Hear me out on this one. I was seconds away from keeping my original pick of Neil Walker here. But when thinking about this past week, I thought to myself: did I watch Walker’s at bats and think “wow, this kid is good!” to myself? Did I anticipate that every time Walker came to the plate, he would most certainly get a hit? The answer to both of those is obviously no. While Michael Conforto has only recorded four hits and driven in three (as opposed to Walker, who has driven in five and had some of the more clutch hits), Conforto is the more consistent player, and he deserves to be batting a little higher up than he currently is (he should be batting fifth behind Lucas Duda, with Walker behind him). He’s hit more than his fair share of balls with solid contact, he puts together good at-bats, and he’s already walked three times, showing tremendous plate discipline for somebody with his scant experience. We all know this kid is going to be a beast, and we’re only seeing the bare minimum of what he’s capable of right now.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BARTOLO COLON
I will not respond to any comments that dispute this choice. The Mets have played five games so far. And only one Met has produced a play that is web gem worthy. Victory, thy name is Bartolo Colon. Big Bart is Willy Mays confirmed.
(For those who will inevitably dispute this choice, Asdrubal Cabrera has played an incredibly solid short, and is a drastic step up from Wilmer Flores, defensively speaking. So far, he’s consistent and has shown flashes of his range; not always making the play, but at least keeping the ball in the infield when needed.
There. Now let me bask in the glory of Bart.)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
As I stated above, Neil Walker was solely responsible for the win against the Royals, and drove in crucial runs during the 7-2 rout of the Phillies during the home opener. Though I think he would be much better batting behind Conforto, he has adjusted to New York nicely so far, and I’m excited to see how big of a piece he’ll be as the season progresses. He adds some consistency and is perfectly suited for the middle of the lineup.
Jim Henderson has yet to give up a run as a Met, and he has a whopping seven strikeouts through 3.0 innings pitched. He is very no-nonsense, as he gets the job done quickly by pumping in nothing but strikes. When Jeurys Familia finally returns from his illness and steps back into the full-time closing role, Henderson’s ideal role would be to serve as Familia’s setup man. Considering the Mets’ bullpen depth may be tested due to the recent lat troubles that Jacob deGrom has been experiencing, Hendersons’s success is crucial going forward.
