Mets Season Highlighted By Youngsters
This New York Mets season has been like many others. Dreadful, lost for cause and filled with hope in the beginning and eventual failure. Not even a host All-Star Game, filled with Mariano Rivera celebration and David Wright and Matt Harvey standing ovations could save the day for those walking off the 7 train and into the ballpark.But what is nice for Met fans and the 2013 savior to the season is the non-wait to see the future. Sandy Alderson has his plan in place. Young arms with an ace at the top (Harvey). The Mets just have to figure out the position players to surround those arms.
Right now, it is August, not September 1, when baseball clubs like the Mets call-up a who's who of prospects for a 40-man roster finish to the end. Met fans are getting Matt Harvey yes, and Zach Wheeler yes, but they have also gotten a taste of the talented youngster Jenry Mejia, a Dominican product with crazy stuff who looks legit on the pitching mound, as legit can be the first 15 minutes you are in the big leagues. But the key words are hope, promise and excitement. Mejia provides those three things immediately. If these three pan out, think of the possibility of Harvey-Wheeler-Mejia and a run at David Price, a lefty in Tampa Bay, who would complement the righty staff. Scary stuff for the rest of the National League.
Now there is Wilmer Flores, the 1991 born-baby, the baby born after Scott Norwood missed the kick in Super Bowl XXV. Yes, the kid is young. And he makes his debut tonight against the Rockies at Citi Field. But he has tools as an undrafted free agent. The Mets have maybe found something here. And the key is Met fans can see him NOW, not in a month or next year. They are that eager to form this roster to win in 2014 and beyond. Smart. Because this is how baseball is these days. Get a core group with young pitching and guys who have guts and build. See: early 1990's Yankees with Gene Michael running the show with The Boss George Steinbrenner in jail.
There are now two wild card slots in each league in baseball. Yes, in Queens, this year was a lot like many since 2000. Early success. Late failure. But two things can come out of it. One, the Mets have shown off young players in the farm system who look legit. Two, the team might just be 10 wins from the playoffs thanks to that second wild card, as long as the position guys get figured out by Met brass.
Time will tell. Fans will keep riding the 7 train until they have an answer.
By: Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," M-F 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeLSports.