An Analysis of the Mets Bullpen

Baseball is that much closer to starting, Hallelujah!
Photo Credit to NY Post

     We know that this could easily be the best bullpen the team has had in years. In fact, if all goes as planned, this might be one of the best bullpens the team has ever had.

d'Arnaud used 2014's demotion as a "wake up call"

Travis d'Arnaud had a rough 1st half of 2014, hitting a mere .180/.271/.273 with 3 HR and 9 RBI in 39 games. His demotion was well-needed, as there were visible issues with his approach, such as his batting stance that seemed a tad bit far from home plate. Upon returning from Las Vegas, the 25 year old slugged .272/.319/.486 with 10 HR and 32 RBI in 69 games. In a recent column by Bill Madden of the Daily News, Travis looked back at the 2014 season, and cited the demotion as a "wake up call."

So, Where Does Bobby Parnell Fit In?

Photo Credit to NY Times

     Last week, we found out that Bobby Parnell will likely start the season on the disabled list as he enters the final steps towards recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's expected to return sometime in late April, so he isn't going to miss any significant time.

Campbell has been trying to add catcher to his defensive repertoire

Eric Campbell, the man who is also known by "Soup," has been working hard this spring to add the catching position to his repertoire. Of-course, the 27 year old already has loads of versatility, stretching from the corner outfield positions, and each infield position. Right now, he's is more than likely on the bubble to make the team come April, However, having the ability to play almost every position on the diamond would give him a serious edge once Terry Collins determines his top 25 in a month.

Fantasy Baseball Player Spotlight: Albert Pujols

Photo courtesy of Sports On Earth

     Last time out, I released a ranking of the top ten first baseman. In that list, I mentioned how Albert Pujols is actually one of my favorite players. This may seem a bit biased (but it's February and there is gonna be nothing of current news to talk about until Spring Training games start), but I also feel like Pujols is also an intriguing fantasy player. Why you may ask? Well, right this way.

Fantasy Baseball: Top Ten First Baseman

     First Base is a position where offense is expected. First base is such a deep offensive position to the point that seventeen first baseman posted an wRC+ of 100 or better. Compare that to Catcher, where about five did that. Better yet, Joe Mauer who has ranked at the top three Catchers for years (and would've at least been a top ten fantasy Catcher), doesn't even make my list of top ten first baseman. Without any further ado, here are my top ten first baseman.

NY Times

Bold Predictions for the 2015 Season (NL Edition)

The National League is generally regarded as the "easier" of the two leagues, but there are many teams that are primed to make a big splash this upcoming season. Several of these teams may have an impact on the Mets' playoff chances. With that in mind, I am going to list 5 bold predictions for each team in the National League.

Fantasy Baseball: Top Ten Catchers

   

Photo Courtesy of Grub Hub

      Over the past few years, Catcher was seen as a shallow position where the productive players were few and far between. Not much has changed, as once again, less than ten catchers posted an OPS of over .700. In fact, of all qualified Catchers, David Wright's number represents how many Catchers did that this year. did so. However, that isn't to say that productivity can still be found at the position. With that said, here are my top ten Catchers. 

Fantasy Baseball: 5 players I Won't Be Owning in 2015

Salvador Perez is great in real life, but his recent trends scare me
Courtesy of Fansided

     After doing analysis on the projected first round and whether or not contract years actually affect a players performance, it's time to tell you five players I wouldn't even touch with a ten foot pole in this years draft. 

NL teams who could fight the Mets for the wild-card spot

The Mets are entering 2015 with a good chance to make a late season push into the playoffs, but with the division likely going to the Washington Nationals, New York will have to aim for one of the two wildcard spots. Over the last couple seasons, the wildcard spots have been wide open, and this upcoming season should be no different. 

Let's take a look at the National League, and dissect potential wildcard candidates that may give the Mets a run for their money.

What Would Matt Harvey's Trade Value Be?

Courtesy of Fansided 

     In my last article, I posed the question of whether or not the Mets should move their ace Matt Harvey in the next few seasons. I figure I should make this clear, I believe there is very little chance the Mets actually try and move Harvey. I simply wanted to pose an idea for discussion. However, since we're at a slow part of the offseason, I figure I would present this article as more of a thought experiment. For hypothetical sake, what if the Mets decide that they want to move Matt Harvey in the next few seasons?

Matt Harvey: Ace of the Future or Trade Bait?

   

Photo credit to USA Today

      I post this article quite begrudgingly, but it is an issue that very well could face the Mets soon. If Matt Harvey returns back to form this season the Mets will have to come to a decision, is it time to lock him up, or is it time to consider what they can get in return for him?

Ranking the starting pitchers in the NL East

As we know, pitching is the name of the game, and the NL East has a ton of above-average hurlers. In this article, I will be ranking the top 25 starting pitchers in the division, so I will be excluding anyone who comes out of the bullpen.

Fantasy Baseball: Do Walk Years Affect Performance?

     For years, it has been hypothesized that a player entering the final year on his contract is set to have a great season. In theory, this makes a ton of sense, as the player will be motivated to work harder in order to have a good season, and then be able to command a big contract in free agency.
     I was incredibly curious to see if this theory is actually true, so I figured I would do some research. I also figured that in the process of doing so, I would share my results with all of you. Let's get right down to it.

Mets ink another lefty

Courtesy of wikipedia.org

The Mets have signed left hander Duane Below to a minor league contract without an invitation to spring training. He will instead head directly to Triple-A Las Vegas, and hope for a mid-season call-up. 

Will Matt Harvey Rediscover His Form?

Photo courtesy of Newsday

     This has been one of the frequently asked questions among Mets fans since the day of his Tommy John surgery, will Matt Harvey continue dominating hitters when he comes back?

What Is Wrong With Simplicity?

     There's a good saying I once heard. That saying is "less is more".  Funny when you hear it. The statement itself is so simple, yet it hits on so many levels. I believe this statement is a philosophy that the Mets organization and their fanbase should take on.

What if "the plan" doesn't come full circle?

Sandy Alderson recently told reporters that he expects the Mets to contend in 2015 with the current group of players that they have. 

"One of the reasons we've been fairly quiet is that we've got players with the potential to take us, to improve us by 10 games, which is what we need." the GM said. "We expect to take the next step forward...We won 79 games last year, which was an improvement over the year before, but we need to take a bigger jump next season. One of the reasons we have been quiet in the offseason is that we have quality players at each position. They're not all proven above-average major league players, but we're at the point where we have to give them the opportunity to perform."

 As we know, nothing is guaranteed, and prospect hype can sometimes be false. I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and wonder what would happen if nothing went as planned in 2015. Let it be known that I DO NOT believe that these results will necessarily happen. I am, however, looking at the worst case scenario for everyone around the diamond. 

My Take on the First Round

Credit to Sports Talk Florida

      Last time on my fantasy baseball series, I covered a projected first round of the draft. This time around though, I want to give my thoughts on the first round.