The last 2 weeks I wrote about how the pitchers and the players who patrol the infield must step up for the Mets to have success in 2010. This week concludes with how the outfielders must step up.
Angel Pagan: For the first 2 months of the 2010 season it looks like Angel Pagan will be the everyday Center Fielder for the Mets due to Carlos Beltran’s surgery. Pagan had a good year last year, he can field and he can hit. Unfortunately Pagan also had some trouble with fundamentals, especially on the base passes. Pagan must keep his head in the game, must be aware of how many outs there are and he needs to use better judgment when running the bases. Pagan is going to be important in the beginning of the season for the Mets. He cannot make stupid mistakes everyday that gives away outs. If Pagan can play good fundamental baseball while filling in for Beltran the Mets will be in good shape to start the 2010 season.
Jeff Francoeur: Frenchy seems to have divided the fan base of the Mets. Alot of fans love him and alot of fans don’t. I’m in the former, I liked the passion he brings to the game, I like that he has taken some of the media pressure off of David Wright and I like that he is committed to helping this team win. Francoeur showed last season that he was a gamer when he continued to play with a torn ligament in his thumb. The season was over, it didn’t matter if he played or not but he didn’t want to let the team and the fans down. Francoeur needs to work on patience at the plate. I don’t want him to lose his aggressiveness at the plate but he needs to select better pitches to offer at. He cannot swing a 3-0 pitch outside of the strike zone. If Frenchy plays with the same intensity he did last year and can become a bit more patient at the plate he is going to be a valuable member of the New York Mets in 2010.
Jason Bay: Bay was our traditional 1 big splash in the off-season. Bay so far has stepped up as a team guy. Bay along with Francoeur have taken a lot of pressure off of Wright as far as the media is concerned. Everybody who has played with has said nothing but good things about him and I look forward to seeing him play this year for the Mets. Bay will bring much needed power to the lineup as well as support for David Wright in the lineup.
Carlos Beltran: Beltran will be missing at least 2 months of the season which is very unfortunate for the Mets. When he comes back he comes back there will be a lot of eyes on his performance. Beltran to me is the player you want on a team. He’s an excellent fielder and he can hit both for power and average. There isn’t really anything to complain about when talking about Beltran. He steps up every year and every game and I expect to see the same when he does return.
There you have it. I hope you readers have enjoyed this series of articles, hopefully everyone will step up and we’ll have a great 2010 season.
