[情報] Athlon Baseball 2009 Mets Preview

看板NY-Mets作者Belladonaa時間16年前 (2009/02/17 12:42)推噓1(1推 0噓 0→)

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Athlon Baseball 2009 New York Mets Preview A season of turmoil ended in familiar fashion, with the Phillies surging past the sagging Mets in September. But this time, there are more reasons for optimism. The team played hard and relaxed for new manager Jerry Manuel, and the front office corrected the team’s fatal flaw by acquiring J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez for the bullpen. The lineup is sturdy, and the Mets once again look strong on paper as they christen their new home, Citi Field. Rotation Only six teams in baseball had a better earned run average from their starters than the Mets, who posted a 3.98 mark. Johan Santana led the way, going 9–0 with a 2.09 ERA over his last 17 starts and justifying the hype over his arrival — which is never an easy thing for a player to do in New York. Making his finish even more impressive was that he did it while pitching with a torn meniscus in his left knee, which was repaired after the season. Santana finished second in the NL in strikeouts (206) and led the league in ERA (2.53). Following him in the rotation will be Mike Pelfrey, who matured in his first full season to win 13 games and exceed 200 innings. That sounds like a lot, but Pelfrey tossed more than 150 at three pro levels the year before, and the Mets are not too concerned. John Maine’s season ended with a bone spur in his shoulder in August, but the club is confident he will be fully ready for spring training. Oliver Perez returns to the rotation after winning 10 of his 34 starts last season. He threw 194 innings, but wildness was an concern as he issued 105 free passes last season. They signed former National Tim Redding, who was 10-11 in 33 starts, to a one-year deal in the offseason, and will give untested youngsters Bobby Parnell and Jonathon Niese a chance to pitch their way into the rotation. Bullpen Wherever GM Omar Minaya went after the season, he said, fans implored him to fix the bullpen. With three moves in one frenzied week in mid-December, Minaya did just that. He traded Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis and added Rodriguez, Putz, Sean Green and Connor Robertson. With holdovers Duaner Sanchez, Brian Stokes and Pedro Feliciano, the Mets turned the worst feature of their team into one of their best. Billy Wagner, the closer since 2006, will miss the season as he recovers from reconstructive elbow surgery. But with the reinforcements Minaya added, the Mets won’t miss him. Middle infield The Mets seemed quite generous in signing Luis Castillo, 32 years old at the time, to a four-year contract after the 2007 season. The deal looks much worse a year later, with Castillo showing significant signs of wear because of a strained left hip flexor. That’s a bad sign for an aging middle infielder, but with no one willing to take his contract, the Mets are stuck with Castillo and must hope he returns to form. His double-play partner, Jose Reyes, is one of baseball’s most electrifying players, with at least 12 triples and 56 steals in each of the past four seasons. His on-base percentage reached a career-high .358, and there’s every reason to think that he’ll continue to improve. Reyes has plenty of critics for his style, but his substance has contributed to a lot of victories every year. Corners David Wright is Derek Jeter without the championships — and with a lot more power. Wright is a homegrown Met, a bachelor adored by lovestruck fans and a grinder respected by baseball lifers. He won his second Gold Glove last season while setting career highs in runs (115), homers (33) and runs batted in (124), and his speed is above-average, too. In short, there’s nothing on the field Wright doesn’t do well, and he represents the Mets flawlessly off the field, too. First baseman Carlos Delgado is the Mets’ other foremost slugger, belting 38 homers and driving in 115. Delgado seemed to thrive under Manuel, and his second-half tear (a .303 average, compared to .248 in the first half) convinced the Mets to bring him back for 2009, when he turns 37 years old. Outfield The Mets invested wisely in Carlos Beltran, one of baseball’s most consistent stars, who captured his third consecutive Gold Glove in 2008. He hit 60 points higher from the right side (at .326, compared to .266 as a lefty hitter), but is dangerous against anyone and an anchor for the lineup. The corner spots are questions. Ryan Church overcame a spring training concussion, but another in May ruined his season. Batting .311 at the time of the injury, Church hit .241 and only three homers the rest of the way, and the Mets took criticism for rushing him back to the field. If the effects have subsided, Church showed enough to warrant a second look this season. In left, the Mets hope to coax production from the veteran Fernando Tatis, a right-handed hitter, and the lefty-swinging Daniel Murphy, who hit .313 in his first 49 games in the majors last season. Tatis — signed into pro ball by Minaya for Texas in 1993 — resurrected his career by adding pop and nearly hitting .300. Catching Brian Schneider missed eight games early last season with a staph infection, and he played in only 110 games, his fewest in five years. But Schneider did what the Mets asked of him, holding his own on offense and guiding the pitching staff to a 4.07 ERA, the sixth-best in the league. Schneider and his backup, Ramon Castro, combined for 16 homers and 62 runs batted in — enough punch for the Mets to leave the position alone going into 2009. They do not have another Gary Carter or Mike Piazza at the position, but the Mets get enough offense from other spots to succeed with a sound, professional duo like Schneider and Castro behind the plate. Bench The Mets agreed to take Jeremy Reed in the Putz deal, and while Reed’s star faded in Seattle, he’ll have a fresh start in New York. With Church, Tatis and Murphy in the outfield, Reed figures to wedge his way into the mix. Marlon Anderson is a veteran utility man who can play on the right side of the infield or anywhere in the outfield, but he hit just .185 as a pinch-hitter last season, with two RBIs. The lack of a skilled pinch-hitter like Philadelphia’s Greg Dobbs was another factor that separated the Mets from the Phillies, and they’ll need more from the bench this season. Alex Cora is a proven veteran who excels with the glove, but can be handy with the bat as well. Management The Mets bungled the firing of manager Willie Randolph, making him fly to Anaheim for a game, which he won, and then firing him after 3 a.m. in the East. But the move had to be made, as Randolph’s fate had become a distracting question that engulfed the clubhouse when the front office failed to give him unqualified support. In hiring Manuel, Randolph’s bench coach, Minaya exchanged an accomplished but somewhat insecure ex-player for one who played only briefly but projects a calming, easy manner. Minaya continues to provide his managers with premium talent, using the Mets’ fortune to hunt for elite free agent talent. He usually gets his man, and he did so again this winter with the signing of Rodriguez for three years. Owner Fred Wilpon lets Minaya make decisions, but Wilpon’s son, Jeff, is a major power broker involved in all aspects of the franchise. Final analysis The Mets have choked away playoff berths the last two seasons, and they know it. They don’t want to waste the prime years of superstars Reyes, Wright and Beltran, so bolstering the bullpen — in a big way — was the right move. With Santana atop the rotation and K-Rod closing in the ninth, the Mets have no more excuses. Beyond the Boxscore 20/20 vision With 27 homers and 25 steals, Carlos Beltran enjoyed his seventh season with at least 20 in each category. Only three players in baseball history have more such seasons, and two are from the same family: Barry Bonds and his father, Bobby, who did it 10 times apiece. Bobby Abreu has done it eight times. Long shot comes in There were four other position players from the 2006 draft to appear in the majors before the Mets’ Daniel Murphy made his debut last Aug. 2 — Evan Longoria of the Rays, Chris Davis of the Rangers and Emmanuel Burriss and Brian Bocock of the Giants. The difference in Murphy’s case was his spot in the draft. All of those players were drafted in the ninth round or higher, while Murphy lasted until round 13. Performance to remember The last Mets victory at Shea was one of the most impressive pitching efforts in team history. Needing a win to stay alive in the playoff race, Johan Santana spun a three-hit shutout against Florida on three days’ rest. The Mets were eliminated the next day, but Santana became the first Met since Dwight Gooden in ’87 to throw a shutout on short rest. No love for Shea While baseball honored the Yankees by giving the 2008 All-Star Game to Yankee Stadium in its final season, Shea was never a consideration. The old yard hosted an All-Star Game in 1964, its first season, and then never again. Wall Street woes hit Mets The Mets sold the naming rights to their new ballpark to Citigroup for 20 years and $400 million in 2006, but before the first game there, the deal has already caused embarrassment. Citigroup struggled to stay afloat before a multibillion dollar federal bailout, leading critics to question the propriety of spending so much for naming rights. Also, owner Fred Wilpon invested millions with his friend Bernard L. Madoff, who was arrested by FBI agents in December for allegedly defrauding his clients of billions of dollars. The Mets insisted the losses would not impact team operations. Farm System 2008 Top Draft Pick — After losing their first-round picks in the prior two years, the Mets grabbed Arizona State first baseman Ike Davis with the 18th overall selection last June. The son of former big league reliever Ron Davis, Ike took turns in the batting cage at Yankee Stadium Old-Timer’s Day as a kid. He started as a pitcher in college but found more success as an outfielder and first baseman, starring as a slugger in the Pac-10. After getting a bonus of more than $1.5 million, Davis was slow to adjust to wood bats. The Mets need a long-term answer at first, but while Davis has excellent tools and baseball bloodlines, he seems to be a long way from Flushing. 2007 Top Pick — Eddie Kunz, RHP, Oregon State Throws a hard, heavy sinker and had 27 saves at Class AA last season before cameos in Class AAA and New York. 2006 Top Pick — Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Villanova Former second-round pick was shipped to Minnesota in the Johan Santana deal. 2005 Top Pick — Mike Pelfrey, RHP, Wichita State Emerged as a workhorse last season, logging more than 200 innings and winning 13 games. 2004 Top Pick — Philip Humber, RHP, Rice Another piece of the Santana trade, the former No. 3 overall pick went 10–8 for Twins’ Triple-A team. 2003 Top Pick — Lastings Milledge, OF, Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) High School Veterans were tough on the flashy Milledge; traded to Nats last year. Other Prospects (age on Opening Day) OF Fernando Martinez (20) Missed time with hamstring injury, but Mets still believe in his tools, and he’ s only 20. RHP Brad Holt (22) A tall, hard thrower, Holt led the New York-Penn League in ERA (1.87) and strikeouts (96 in 72.1 innings). SS Wilmer Flores (17) At 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, the 17-year-old from Venezuela had a strong pro debut and could fill out into a power-hitting force. RHP Jenrry Mejia (19) Pitching at 18 last season, he had a 3.49 ERA in 11 starts for Class A Brooklyn. 3B Jefry Marte (17) Only 17 years old, he hit .325 last season with a .532 slugging percentage. Statistician 7 >> Blown saves by Francisco Rodriguez for the Angels in 2008. 29 >> Blown saves by the Mets in 2008. 5 >> Consecutive seasons of 200 strikeouts for Johan Santana. 6 >> Homers Carlos Delgado needs to match Hall of Famers Willie Stargell and Stan Musial on the career list, with 475. .167 >> Average of opposing cleanup hitters off J.J. Putz in 2008 (4-for-24). 52 >> Runs by which the Mets were outscored from the seventh inning on. 63–21 >> Mets’ record when Jose Reyes scored a run. 33 >> One-hitters by the Mets since 1962, second-most in majors. 0 >> No-hitters by the Mets since 1962. .638 >> Mets’ all-time winning percentage on Opening Day, best mark in the major leagues. 451 >> Combined ’08 RBI total from Delgado, David Wright and Carlos Beltran. Difference Maker No team in the majors scored as many times in the first inning as the Mets, who crossed home 139 times. That is a testament to the importance of Jose Reyes, the leadoff man and the engine of the offense. When Reyes is on, the Mets almost always win. But when he isn’t — such as last September, when he hit just .243 — they look helpless. Reyes can do it all, and at 25 years old, he has room to grow and the skills to do it. When he is focused consistently, teammates follow his lead and the Mets benefit. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 118.160.70.19