With the Mets first game under a week away, fans and analysts write this season as a disappointment already without it even starting. Realistically the 2012 New York Mets wont be playing in any games of relevance deep into the summer and to the early parts of the fall. Though that doesn’t mean the team wont be exciting at times with their injection of young talent.
With guys like Matt Harvey and Zach Wheeler not quite ready to make their mark in the big leagues, other young players like Ruben Tejada and Lucas Duda will have their opportunity to show they can be quality major leaguers. That also includes Ike Davis, who missed most of last season due to a ankle injury. He will be one who the Mets will rely on for some pop in the middle of their lineup this season.
“Ike’s swung the bat well this spring and we all think he will be a big part of our team,” Manager Terry Collins said, and he’s not the only one who thinks that highly about Davis, several major league scouts have said that Ike can be a “big time” first basemen in the National League.
The Mets are also banking on bounce-back years from a few key players this season; David Wright and Jason Bay are on the top of this list.
Last season, Wright missed a large chunk of time with a back injury, but started to swing the bat nicely when he returned late in the season.
Early this spring, Wright was sidelined again, this time due to a muscle tear in his rib-cage. Last week though, Wright said he felt much improved and saw his first game action of the spring and put an exclamation point on it with a grand slam on Thursday vs. Houston. “I feel great, and with the progress I’ve made this week, I’m confident I will be able to go for the opener.”
Jason Bay is a player I previously weighed in on with regards to having a bounce back year, mostly because I see him benefiting from the shortened fences at Citi Field. Even though he hasn’t swung the bat well this spring, I still believe the new dimensions will have a positive effect on him.
Last but not least, the biggest positive this spring has been Johan Santana who has pitched better than anyone could have expected this spring. After missing all of last season because of shoulder surgery, Santana has come roaring back much to the amazement of Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen. Johan’s fantastic spring culminated in the team formally announcing on Sunday, that he would be the Mets’ Opening Day starter.
” I feel great and I have worked hard to get to where I am now, and to not miss one day of throwing is huge.”
Even in a year where much is not expected, there are still many positives that will come out of this season. With so much young talent already here or coming up through the system, key players who could have some solid bounce-back seasons, and the return of Johan Santana, this year may not be as bleak as some people make it out to be. Lets play the games and see what happens.
