Futility in Motion

Let's all think back to the 2012 pre-season.  Sandy Alderson had apparently fleeced Brian Sabean in a trade for Ramon Ramirez and Anders Torres.  The bullpen had been set, and was deemed an improvement, everyone was convinced the Mets were going to have an above average offense, and the biggest concern was the starting pitching.  Now here we are, with Santana's ERA under 3, R.A. Dickey with 7 wins, a negative run differential and every Mets media outlet calling for the heads of the entire bullpen.

It all seems kind of silly in retrospect, doesn't it?

It turns out, this is why we have a season, rather than a bunch of talking heads simply just tell us who the best team is going to be each year.  After 51 games, The Mets are 5 games over .500 and in close contention for the division.  For whatever reason, this team is winning more than in recent history and should stand to improve.  There are important position players coming off the DL soon, while Lucas Duda and Ike Davis have been under-performing.  The only regular position player who has been over-performing lately has been David Wright, and while he looks to be coming back down to Earth, this should not hurt the team dramatically.

As for the rotation, it's great to see Santana pitching as well has he has ever pitched for the Mets, and Dickey seems to get better each year.  Honestly, the 1-3 spots in the rotation look very solid.  Gee has been decent as well.  With a little bit of luck, Chris Young can shore up the back end of the rotation and all of a sudden Met pitching starts to look pretty good.

The team has been winning, and it's evident on the TV broadcasts that more people have been coming out to games.  The baseball has been fun to watch, and for the first time in a long time it looks like the team has some solidarity and drive to win games.  Hopefully this translates into funds available to put back into the on-field product, because while the team has been scrappy and competitive, it is nowhere near ready to take on playoff powerhouse teams like Texas and Los Angeles.

The bullpen is the most obvious candidate for an upgrade, but as can be shown by this offseason, even the most well meaning bullpen acquisitions can be a crapshoot.  I would hope for another left handed reliever, and perhaps a long man/spot starter for some added protection at the back end of the rotation.  I would also like to see a power bat added, though we may all be singing a different tune if and when Ike Davis shows up to play.

Trying to predict the outcome of a season without playing the games is pointless.  I'm glad that the Mets are winning and can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store, but I have a good feeling about this season.  I think the ship has been righted.