2009 New York Mets Predictions

Written February 28, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Mets Baseball It was another sad season to be a New York Mets fan, as they again blew the NL East lead in September. This time the Mets put the blame on the bullpen, as their closer-by-committee didn’t get the job done once Billy Wagner went down with an injury in August. The Mets as a team blew 29 save opportunities, and to think they finished just 3 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, who wound up winning the World Series. Mets general manager Omar Minaya did what he could to ensure 2009 would not be the same, as the Mets first landed arguably the best closer in the game in Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez from the Angels, and then went out and traded for the Mariners top closer J.J. Putz. The Mets also sured up the starting rotation by signing Freddy Garcia and Tim Redding and resigning Oliver Perez. Here is a closer look at the 2009 New York Mets team and how we see them finishing in the NL East. Bet Mets +600 to win World Series at Sportsbook.com

Offense:

The offense is pretty much going to look like it did in 2008, and as long as the players stay healthy and produce like they have in the past, this offense should score plenty of runs. 3B David Wright is the key to the entire offense, as he hit .302 with 33 home runs and a team best 124 RBI. The Mets got a pleasant surprise as 1B Carlos Delgado belted 38 home runs in his best season since joining the Mets. The New York offense also includes the big bat of CF Carlos Beltran, who didn’t have his best season, but still hit 27 home runs with 112 RBI. What really gets this offense going is the speed of SS Jose Reyes and 2B Louis Castillo at the top of the order, and while Reyes is usually locked-in all season long, Castillo hit just .245 last season, and could see his playing time drop dramatically with the addition of Alex Cora from the Red Sox. The Mets also have high expectations for the young LF Daniel Murphy and are hoping Ryan Church can bounce back from a not-so-good 2008. The final spot in the lineup will go to catcher Brian Schneider, who only hit .257 for the season, but showed flashes of how good he could be, hitting .363 during a stretch in September. The Mets have a solid bench player in Fernando Tatis, who should get plenty of playing time between left and right field. Bet Mets +250 to win NL Pennant at Sportsbook.com

Pitching:

With Johan Santana heading your pitching staff you are always in good shape. He is still one of the best in the game, and could come out and win 20 games with ease this season with the bullpen looking stronger than ever. Behind Santana the Mets have solid go-to guys in Mike Pelfrey and John Maine. Pelfrey was a bit to inconsistent, as he seemed to be a different pitcher each month, and the Mets were hurt when Maine went down with a shoulder injury in September. The final two spots will be a dog fight between Oliver Perez, Freddy Garcia, and Tim Redding, with the early edge going to Perez and Garcia. We have already mentioned how much the bullpen has improved over the offseason, and while Putz has been a great closer for Seattle, he is ready to hold down the main setup role to get the ball to Rodriguez. The Mets also went out and got relievers Connor Robertson and Sean Green to help share the workload. Bet Mets +120 to win NL East at Sportsbook.com

Prediction: 1st In NL East

We know the Phillies are the defending World Series Champions, but it takes a lot of dedication, hard work, and a little luck to repeat as Champions. While we think it will come down to the wire, the additions to the bullpen could really push the Mets to be the best team in the entire NL.

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