Mets Series Preview

New York Mets Series Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (4/24-4/26)

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Zack Wheeler

Coming off back to back series losses, the New York Mets will fly to St. Louis for an Opening Day rematch against the Cardinals. The Cardinals are currently tied for first place with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. They come off a series sweep against the lackluster Cincinnati Reds. The Mets come off a series loss against the Atlanta Braves where their bullpen struggled in the series.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(4/24, 8:15 PM) Zack Wheeler (1-1, 2.77) vs. Luke Weaver (2-1, 4.22)

(4/25, 8:15 PM) Steven Matz (1-1, 4.42) vs. TBD

(4/26, 1:15 PM) Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 3.29) vs. TBD

The Mets have cooled off after their red hot start but still hold a half game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. Over the last week their bullpen has let the team down. It blew a five run lead against the Washington Nationals and a three run lead against the Braves. These two days off were much needed for the Mets because they had three pitchers in the top 20 in games pitched. Manager Mickey Callaway has not been afraid to pull starters early and bring in multiple pitchers in an inning.

The Dark Knight in the Bullpen

After his struggles to start the season, the Mets have moved Matt Harvey to the bullpen where he hopes to find his stuff again. Harvey was “pissed off” about the move but the Mets are a contending team this year and they have the depth to easily replace him in the rotation. The Mets will look for Harvey to regain the swagger and stuff that made him a Cy Young caliber pitcher before the injuries took its toll.

The Cardinals are a team built on power bats which is why they are tied for second in baseball with 30 home runs. Paul DeJong and Yadier Molina have combined for 13 home runs to lead the way for the team. Carlos Martinez has bounced back from his rough first start to lead the Cardinals with a 1.42 ERA. Bud Norris has also been a pleasant surprise at the back end of the bullpen, going 5-for-5 in save opportunities.

The injury bug has kept out two of the team’s biggest contributors out of the lineup. Adam Wainwright made three starts after being injured for his first scheduled start, but landed on the 10-day DL with right elbow inflammation. Tommy Pham is questionable for the series with a groin injury he suffered a few days ago. He was their best player last season so the Cards will want him back when he feels 100 percent.

Matchups to Look Out For

The Cardinals are still figuring out who will pitch the last two games of the series. If they pitch Carlos Martinez, Yoenis Cespedes will be happy to be in the lineup. He has hit .333 (5-15) with a home run against the Dominican born right hander. Marcell Ozuna has also put up strong numbers against Steven Matz in his career. He has hit .308 (4-13) and has always been very good against lefties in his career.

If the struggling Jay Bruce has to face Michael Wacha, the Mets may want to keep him out of the lineup. Bruce has hit a miserable .032 (1-31) with 13 strikeouts against Wacha, who has completely owned this matchup. Jedd Gyorko has not found any success against Zack Wheeler, who has held him to a .111 (1-9) average with five strikeouts.

Interesting Stats

Yadier Molina has always been a Met killer and help up his reputation with a home run off Syndergaard. He has hit .322 (91-283) over his lengthy career, facing good and bad Mets pitching. Over his career Zack Wheeler has pitched to a 3.06 ERA on the road, compared to a 4.88 ERA at home.

New York Mets Series Preview: Atlanta Braves (4/19-4/22)

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After their first series loss of 2018, the New York Mets will head to Suntrust Park to take on the Atlanta Braves. In 2017, the Mets won the season series 12-7 and will have to do the same with the Braves within an arm’s distance of first place. This year’s Braves team features a lot of young and new players to go along with Freddie Freeman and Julio Teheran.

Probable Pitching Matchups:

(4/19 7:35 PM) Matt Harvey (0-1, 4.80) vs. Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 1.29)

(4/20, 7:35 PM) Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 2.95) vs. Sean Newcomb (1-1, 4.02)

(4/21, 7:10 PM) Jacob deGrom (2-0, 3.24) vs. Julio Teheran (1-1, 5.40)

(4/22, 1:35 PM) Zack Wheeler (1-1, 2.77) vs. TBA

The Mets sit in first place after what has been a surprising start for most people. What can be a cause for concern is Manager Mickey Callaway has used more relievers in a 16 game span than any manager has before. His move to pull Jacob deGrom with 103 pitches in the eight sparked a comeback for the Nationals, which eventually won them the game. deGrom and Syndergaard are the only two pitchers that can consistently go deep into games and hopefully Callaway will trust his aces more.

The Braves have a very respectable 10-7 record to start the season. The Braves lineup has a real nice punch to it this season, lead by upstarts Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies. The acquisition of Preston Tucker has worked out so far this season as he leads the team with 13 RBIs. Mike Foltynewicz has started to come into his own and Anibal Sanchez has started the season strong with a 1.29 ERA in three games. This team is certainly on its way up after years of losing seasons.

Matt Harvey struggled his last two times out after a dominant first start of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies. With Jason Vargas on his way back, there is no guarantee that Harvey will keep his spot upon his return. The end of Spring Training does not mean pitchers stop earning their turn in the rotation. If a pitcher struggles, there will be someone who is ready to replace him.

Julio Teheran had a rough season in 2017 and still has not rebounded this year. He struggled in his first start against the Nationals, allowing six runs, but put together two quality starts after. The biggest concern is that Teheran has not walked less three batters in any of those starts. His strikeout numbers are good but the walks hurt how deep he can go for the Braves.

Matchups to Lookout For

In a small sample size, Asdrubal Cabrera has hit .556 (5-9) against Sean Newcomb and a lot had to do with the strong 2017 he had batting right handed. In another small sample size matchup, Nick Markakis has hit .333 (3-9) against Noah Syndergaard. All the hits have been singles means Syndergaard has done a good job of not allowing Markakis to drive the ball.

Todd Frazier has struggled against Anibal Sanchez, hitting a measly .063 (1-16) against the veteran right hander. Throughout Matt Harvey’s many phases of his career, his dominance of Freddie Freeman has remained consistent. Freeman is hitting .192 (5-26) against Harvey, but all of his hits have gone for extra bases.

Interesting Stats

Zack Wheeler has had a lot of success in his career when he has face the Braves. He is 4-2 with a 2.94 in 49 innings against Atlanta. In a larger sample size, Julio Teheran has dominated the Mets since he broke into the big leagues. In 122 innings he has a 2.58 ERA with one shutout against the Mets.

New York Mets Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers (4/13-4/15)

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New York Mets, New York Yankees, Steven Matz

The red-hot New York Mets return home looking to add on to their terrific 10-1 start. They welcome in the Milwaukee Brewers (7-6), who sit in third place in the National League Central. The Brewers have one of the better outfields in baseball that includes Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Ryan Braun and Domingo Santana. Milwaukee hopes to win the division for the first time in their franchise’s history.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(4/13, 7:10 PM) Zach Davies (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Steven Matz (0-1, 3.00 ERA)

(4/14, 7:10 PM) Chase Anderson (0-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Matt Harvey (0-0 3.60 ERA)

(4/15, 1:10 PM) Jhoulys Chacin (0-1, 6.59 ERA) vs. Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 3.94 ERA)

The Mets currently are one of the best teams in baseball and have won eight straight games. They already have six comeback victories, which leads baseball. Manager Mickey Callaway has looked like a genius through these first 11 games and every player is doing their part to contribute to the team’s early success.

The Brewers have a dangerous lineup which is headed by the big bat of Eric Thames. Just like last season, Thames has come out hot out of the gate with five home runs. With the loss of Jimmy Nelson for most of the season the team will be relying on Davies and Anderson to lead their rotation. The Brewers have already had a tough schedule that has started with 10 of their first 13 games against the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

Closerless Brewers

After All-Star closer Corey Knebel went down with a hamstring the bullpen needed a new stopper for the end of their games. Josh Hader, Jacob Barnes and Matt Albers have been relied on heavily in Knebel’s absence. Hader has only pitched 7.2 innings but has 17 strikeouts in his limited work.

Friday will start the second turn around the rotation for the Mets “dream rotation”. On the first time around it led to a perfect 5-0 record. Now these core group of pitchers will showcase their talents at home for the first time. They have been good but they certainly can be even more dominant.

Matchups to Lookout For

Over his career Adrian Gonzalez has hit 8-22 with a home run against Jhoulys Chacin. Christian Yelich has a career .298 batting average against right handed pitching an that is exactly what the Mets will feature in the final two games of the series.

Jay Bruce has only hit 1-14 against Chase Anderson in his career. Callaway might shake up the lineup again for Saturday’s matchup. In a small sample size, Ryan Braun is only 1-6 against Noah Syndergaard and with Braun on the decline, Thor should win the matchup once again.

Interesting Stats

Yoenis Cespedes has hit .388 with four home runs in his career against the Milwaukee Brewers. Hopefully this allows him to breakout of his slump. Eric Thames has only hit .206 against power pitchers, so do not look for him to have too much success when he faces Syndergaard on Sunday.

New York Mets Series Preview: Miami Marlins (4/9-4/11)

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard

The New York Mets make their first trip to South Beach to take on the Miami Marlins. The Mets look to make it four straight series wins to start their 2018 season. Owner Derek Jeter traded away their stars in the offseason. Many of their players trying to earn a big league job. The Marlins already find themselves in last place in the National League East and it does not look like than will change any time soon.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(4/9, 7:10 PM) Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Jose Urena (0-1, 4.91 ERA)

(4/10, 7:10 PM) Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.54 ERA) vs. Caleb Smith (0-1, 4.32 ERA)

(4/11, 7:10 PM) Zack Wheeler (Season Debut) vs. Jarlin Garcia (0-0, 1.80 ERA)

The Mets have surprised many by their strong start that has earned them first place in the NL East. Their ability to comeback, strong pitching and clutch hitting was something missing in the 2017 Mets. Manager Mickey Callaway has seemed to push all the right buttons in his first few games as Mets manager.

The Marlins bring in a roster full of under the radar players with Starlin Castro being the star of the team. Third baseman Brian Anderson has had a strong start to the season, hitting .281 with a .410 on base percentage. Pitching will be their biggest issue this season but Jarlin Garcia and his 1.80 ERA is giving hope to what looks to be a mediocre rotation.

New Owner, New Players

Last year the Marlins won 12 of the 19 meetings against the Mets but it will not surprise anyone if the Mets win a majority of this year’s matchups. Manager Don Mattingly certainly has his work cut out for him this year but his job looks to be secure with Derek Jeter as the owner. Young prospects Lewis Brinson, Dillon Peters and Braxton Lee have struggled to start the season but the organization is banking on them for their future success.

The Mets are searching for a starter to pitch the final game of the series. It was sahping up to be Seth Lugo as Jason Vargas is still recovering from his hand injury. But, the Mets will opt to bring up Zack Wheeler and keep Lugo in the bullpen.

Matchups to Watch For

Wilmer Flores hit .291 with 7 home runs against left handed pitching last season. Expect him to get a lot of playing time in this series with the Marlins pitching two lefties. Michael Conforto is a career .179 hitter against left handed pitching. Those statistics combined with not pushing him too much in his return from the shoulder injury will likely keep him out of the lineup.

In his career, Starlin Castro hits .301 when facing a pitcher for the third time. If Syndergaard and deGrom has to face Castro late in the ballgame, they might be pulled with Callaway’s bullpen philosophy. The Mets have done a great job of working the count this year and in his career batters hit .388 against Urena in 1-0 counts. He is known to lose the strike zone in the past and this can be a recipe for disaster against the Mets.

Interesting Stats

Yoenis Cespedes only hit .185 in Marlins Park in 2017 after hitting .296 the year before. On the other hand, Cameron Maybin has hit .338 in his career at Marlins Park. It is an encouraging sign for a player who is looking to rebound this season.

New York Mets Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (4/2-4/4)

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard

The New York Mets welcome the young upstart Philadelphia Phillies into Citi Field for their first National League East series of the season. The Phillies lost two out of three games against the Atlanta Braves in their opening series. The Mets won the season series last year 12-7, this will be the first time new managers, Mickey Callaway and Gabe Kapler faceoff.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(4/2, 7:10 PM) Ben Lively (0-0, -.–) vs. Matt Harvey (0-0, -.–)
(4/3, 7:10 PM) Aaron Nola (0-0, 1.69) vs. Seth Lugo (0-0, -.–)
(4/4, 1:10 PM) Nick Pivetta (0-0, 6.75) vs. Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 6.00)

The Mets started the season off strong by taking two out of three from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies bring in a very young team lead by their big bats of Carlos Santana and Rhys Hoskins. Young pitchers Aaron Nola and Vince Velasquez with the new addition of Jake Arrieta gives the Phils a rotation that has high potential.

Kapler has already been second guessed for his managerial style. He wants everybody to play and will yank his pitchers’ way before they hit 100 pitches. Even if a pitcher is cruising, he will pull them out early so they do not have to face the lineup a third time. Losing a game 15-2 and blowing a five run lead on opening day has blown open the floodgates for second guessing.

The Mets have beat up on the Phillies the last few seasons but pitchers will certainly have their work cut out with Rhys Hoskins, Carlos Santana, and Maikel Franco in the middle of their lineup. With Pat Neshek on the disabled list, their bullpen is lackluster at best but Hector Neris is their lone bright spot.

Matt Harvey will try to work through the conditions on Monday in his highly anticipated first start of 2018. Last year was one to forget but the Mets feel he has regained his confidence and most importantly his Cy Young caliber stuff. Over the years no Mets pitcher has drawn more attention from the media and admiration from the Mets fans. When Matt Harvey is on top of his game it is certainly fun to watch.

Matchups to Lookout For

Maikel Franco has terrorized the Mets over his career. His nine home runs against the Mets are the most he has against any other team. Noah Syndergaard has been dominant against the Phillies, he has a 1.78 ERA in 35.1 innings against them.

Aaron Nola has struggled in his career against the Mets. He has a 6.19 ERA and has allowed 18 hits in 16 innings against the Mets. The Phillies have put up good numbers against A.J. Ramos in the past. He has a 4.62 ERA and has walked 27 batters in 37 innings against the Phillies.

Interesting Stats

To support Kapler’s idea of taking pitchers out early, Adrian Gonzalez has hit .312 in his career when a pitcher is pitching through the order for the third time. Nick Pivetta has a 3.65 ERA during day games, compared to his inflated 7.73 ERA at night.

New York Mets Series Preview: St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets (3/29-4/1)

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Opening Day is finally upon us, after the treacherous winter weather, baseball is back. The New York Mets open up at Citi Field against the St. Louis Cardinals in a three game series to start the season. The St. Louis Cardinals come into town with the newly acquired Marcell Ozuna to go along with their core of Carlos Martinez and Yadier Molina.

Projected Starting Pitchers

(3/29, 1:10 PM) Carlos Martinez (0-0 -.–) vs. Noah Syndergaard (0-0 -.–)

(3/31, 1:10 PM) Michael Wacha (0-0, -.–) vs. Jacob deGrom (0-0 -.–)

(4/1, 1:10 PM) Luke Weaver (0-0, -.–) vs Steven Matz (0-0 -.–)

The New York Mets bring in a very talented team that has a very good mix of knowledgeable veterans and hungry young players. From Amed Rosario to Adrian Gonzalez, the focus for the Mets is simple, win the World Series. The team did not have a winning record in Spring Training but that does not translate to the regular season their confidence is high going into Opening Day.

The Cardinals also bring in a team similar to the Mets and the acquisition of Marcell Ozuna has put them in a position to compete with the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers in the strong National League Central. Their ace Carlos Martinez and young upstart outfielder, Tommy Pham, are just a couple of talented players this team possesses.

Both teams bring very talented pitchers to the table in these first three games of the year. It would be no surprise if all three of these games ended with a 3-2 score. Mets manager Mickey Callaway is pulling a page out of old Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa’s book. Callaway is opting to bat Syndergaard eighth and Rosario ninth to put two leadoff men in front Yoenis Cespedes.

Kevin Plawecki is also getting behind home plate over Travis d’Arnaud. This is not unfamiliar to have d’Arnaud on the bench. The same situation occurred last year with Rene Rivera getting the opening day nod. Syndergaard is not comfortable with throwing to d’Arnaud and Callaway feels Martinez is a good matchup for Plawecki.

Matchups to Look For

Jay Bruce has struggled against Martinez and Wacha going 5-47 (.106) in his career against the Cardinals two starters. Jacob deGrom has been terrific over his career during day games. He is 17-8 with a 1.99 ERA during the day.

Marcell Ozuna is no stranger to Citi Field and has shown he love to hit there. Ozuna has hit .310 with 17 RBIs in his career at Citi Field. Mets fans know way too well that Yadier Molina has torched over his career putting a .321 average up in 77 games against the Mets.

Interesting Stats

The Mets are 35-21 on Opening Day but oddly enough they are 1-3 in March Opening Days. The last time they won a March Opening Day was back in 1998, which was a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yadier Molina will make his 14th consecutive Opening Day start, which is the longest streak by any active player with one team. He will tie former New York Yankee catcher Bill Dickey and put himself one behind Ray Schalk for the most all-time.