After consecutive disappointing 4th place finishes, the New York Mets look poised for some serious improvement in 2019. First year GM Brodie Van Wagenen capped off a very strong offseason by putting the finishing touches on a five-year extension with Jacob deGrom that will keep the Cy Young Award winner in Flushing for the foreseeable future.
Van Wagenen wasted no time putting his own stamp on the team, including swinging a big blockbuster trade for Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz. With only one more day until the season opener, here’s my take on the Mets Opening Day lineup and some predictions for the 2019 season.
Starting Lineup
1. Brandon Nimmo, LF – Put together a solid season in 2018 and will be looked upon to carry the load at the top of the Mets order where his excellent on-base skills will be put to the test once again. His .404 OBP last season was second only to Joey Votto.
2. Jeff McNeil, 3B – After years of toiling in the minors, McNeil finally got his big league opportunity and he didn’t disappoint one bit. The good news for the Mets is that he continued to produce in spring training, posting a 1.005 OPS while batting .352 and connecting for four home runs.
3. Robinson Cano, 2B – Led the team with a 1.086 OPS this spring while posting a slash line of .441./476/.610 with two homers. The 36-year old has displayed his usual quick bat speed and still owns one of the sweetest swings in the game. The Mets are counting on a big season from the eight-time All Star.
4. Michael Conforto, RF – After a sluggish start to the season due to shoulder surgery, Conforto lit the scoreboard up with a .895 OPS in the second half with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs. This could be the year it all comes together for the 26-year old slugger who tallied 5 home runs and 15 RBIs in 20 games this spring.
5. Wilson Ramos, C – He is expected to catch one of the best pitching staffs in baseball this season, but make no mistake the Mets will also be relying on his potent bat. Ramos, 31, slugged 15 homers last season while batting .306/.358/.487 and driving in 70. It’s been a while since the Mets had a catcher with this kind of offensive potential.
6. Pete Alonso, 1B – An incredible spring that saw him leading the team with 44 total bases while batting an impressive .368/.394/.647, virtually assured Alonso his place on the Opening Day roster. His power knows no boundaries and he should be a solid rookie of the year candidate for the Mets.
7. Amed Rosario, SS – I’m really excited about what Rosario can do with his bat in 2019, especially after his strong second half showing last season. Look for him to run more which should mean plenty of triples, runs and stolen bases. At just 23, this could be his breakthrough season, and his .356/.442/.556 this spring was nothing to sneeze at.
8. Juan Lagares, CF – The Mets will probably see a lot of Lagares to begin the season at least until Yoenis Cespedes returns from the disabled list sometime in June or July. He’s missed a ton of time due to various injuries and his bat never really developed as some had hoped. But he’s still the team’s best defensive outfielder.
9. Jacob deGrom, RHP – So what will the 2018 Cy Young Award winner do for an encore this season? Win himself another Cy Young of course. Armed with his new 5-year extension, deGrom can now do what he does best without any contract distractions getting in the way. Easily, one of the top three starting pitchers in the league.
Enjoy the game tomorrow!
