2020-07-07 13:00:00 EDT
The New York Mets have an uphill battle ahead to make the playoffs during this strange 2020 MLB season.
The Mets finished at 86-76 overall in 2019 for a third-place finish in the National League Central, seven games out of the top spot. The division should be competitive once again in 2020, so the Mets will have to stay focused to avoid falling behind in the standings during this shortened season. Check back all season long for free MLB picks and MLB predictions at Sports Chat Place.
Let’s take a closer look at New York’s current status and break down the team’s chances at hitting their projected win total this season.
Despite the up-and-down campaign in 2019, the Mets actually improved by nine games in the record column and only finished three games out of a Wild Card spot. For the most part, New York held their own in season series versus NL teams, but did have a few dud results versus teams like the Cubs (2-5), Dodgers (2-5), Brewers (1-5) and Phillies (7-12). Those records matter in the grand scheme; a few more victories and the Mets would have been a playoff team.
Moving on to 2020, there are some intimidating outings on the schedule in addition to the heavy dose of divisional games. The Mets get a half-dozen matchups against a good-looking Yankees team, and will also face the Rays (three games) and Red Sox (four games) as part of the regional outings. Outside of that, New York gets 10 games each versus potentially strong NL East teams like the Braves, Nationals and Phillies. The schedule could certainly get tricky.
Lineup-wise, the Mets do have a pretty balanced group of guys. Though there’s not a ton of power in the order, players like Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto or even JD Davis have the potential to slap double-digit homers this season. If Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil can keep that OBP high in the first couple spots of the order, the Mets should have a pretty good setup for generating runs so long as everything else goes to plan. There’s not a whole lot of room for error, however.
On the mound, Jacob deGrom returns as the undisputed ace following a 2.43 ERA and 255 strikeouts over 204.0 innings last season. Marcus Stroman slots in as a nice No. 2, and Steven Matz will likely come behind him. That starting trio should be able to keep games manageable, but after that it’s up to the bullpen to hold it together.
Pick: I’m going under, but not by much. Considering the Mets are playing in a competitive and talented division, and considering the Mets also have to venture into the AL East during this abbreviated season, I don’t see New York finishing much above .500 in 2020.
That’s not to say New York doesn’t have a realistic shot at a Wild Card, but it’s difficult to imagine the team finishing at the top of the NL East. We’ll probably get the same results as the last couple of years: plenty of low-scoring, close losses and what-ifs.
