The Mets as a team did not offer much to Fantasy owners last season, but can we expect more of the same in our 2014 NY Mets Preview?
Matt Harvey was the lone bright spot in the pitching rotation, but his season was cut short thanks to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Needing to fill Harvey’s spot in the rotation the Mets went out and signed Bartolo Colon to be the ace of their staff.
Offensively, David Wright has been the leader year after year for this Mets ballclub. But Wright has dealt with injuries in two of the past three seasons, forcing him to play in just 102 and 112 games in those two years.
Playing in a big ballpark like Citi Field, the Mets have lacked power. Ike Davis was supposed to be their bopper, but his inability to make contact has cost him time in the starting lineup. The Mets hope they addressed this issue in the offseason by signing outfielders Curtis Granderson and Chris Young.
Projected 2014 NY Mets “Go-To” Lineup:
Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud hit just one homer in 99 at-bats last season, but much more is expected in 2014. Photo Credit: Ken Koller
- Chris Young – RF
- Daniel Murphy – 2B
- David Wright – 3B
- Curtis Granderson – LF
- Ike Davis – 1B
- Juan Lagares – CF
- Travis d’Arnaud – C
- Ruben Tejada – SS
Projected Pitchers:
- SP1: Bartolo Colon
- SP2: Jon Niese
- SP3: Dillon Gee
- SP4: Zack Wheeler
- SP5: Jenrry Mejia
- Closer: Bobby Parnell
- Setup: Gonzalez German
Fantasy Stud: David Wright, Curtis Granderson
Assuming Wright can stay healthy in 2014, he’ll be a top-5 third baseman. You can expect him to hit around .290, with 20 home runs, 85 RBI, 80 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.
Playing in a much bigger ball park than Yankee Stadium, you can expect to see Granderson’s production dip a little next season, but he’ll still be a top-25 outfielder. He’ll hit around .250 with 25 home runs, 75 RBI, 80 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.
Mets 3B David Wright finished as a top-12 Fantasy third basemen in 2013, despite missing about one-third of the year due to injury. Photo Credit: MrZeising
Breakout Candidates: Zack Wheeler
Wheeler, who is now 23, will be the No.3 pitcher on the Mets staff in 2014 and he should post very good numbers. The one thing he needs to improve over last season are his walks. Wheeler only allowed 90 hits in 100 innings, but he walked 46 batters. If Wheeler can keep the walks to a minimum, then he should be able to post a WHIP right around 1.000. He has the ability to win around 15 games this year, and if the team allows him to throw 200 innings, then he’ll also strike out about 170 batters.
Sleeper Candidate: Travis d’Arnaud
When the Mets dealt R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays and got d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard in return, New Yorkers were ecstatic, to say the least. The Mets haven’t had any consistency behind the plate since Mike Piazza. And d’Arnaud could be the future of the position and will be given every opportunity to prove that this season. He struggled through 99 at-bats in 2013, but Travis is known for his bat.
Bust Candidates: None
With the lack of talent on the roster, there are few players who could be a bust this season
Top Rookie: Wilmer Flores
Wilmer Flores finally made his Major League debut in 2013, but it only lasted 101 ABs over 27 games. This came after six seasons in the Mets’ farm system since the age of 16! He struggled a bit against big league pitching, hitting just .211, but is a career .290 hitter against minor-league pitching. With the disaster situation at first base in Ike Davis and Lucas Duda, it’s possible Flores could spend the second half of the season as the Mets’ everyday first baseman.
What Should We Know?
The Mets have lacked a slugger for a long time now. Is Curtis Granderson that guy? Probably not at Citi Field. They haven’t had a 100-RBI guy since David Wright back in 2010!
If they want to show the fan base they are serious about getting better in the near future, they are going to have to spend some money and not pick Jason Bay over Matt Holliday this time! Granderson, Wright and Daniel Murphy are the only sure things wearing Orange and Blue in Queens this Fantasy Baseball season.
We hope you enjoyed our 2014 NY Mets Fantasy preview. Be sure to check out WeTalkFantasySports.com all season long to keep up with the daily grind of Fantasy Baseball. Also follow us on Twitter @WeTlkFntsySprts and @Mike_WeTalkFS.
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