High hopes from Gary, Keith & Ron
THE THREE MEN have been calling Mets games for more than a decade now, stretching back to their time at old Shea Stadium before the dawn of Citi Field in 2009. There have been three managerial and two general manager changes in the organization during that span, three playoff appearances, including the thrilling and unexpected 2015 World Series run, and countless uplifting and deflating moments for the Flushing faithful.
As they enter their 12th season together with the SNY network, ’86 Mets teammates Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, and play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen believe the Sandy Alderson-assembled 2017 team is headed for great things with its vaunted pitching rotation, slugging Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes back in the fold, and with what Hernandez calls “the best bench the Mets have had in quite some time.” The SNY trio took time out from spring training to opine on the season ahead for manager Terry Collins and Co.
“I know that management, ownership, the staff feel that this team is ready to win. I agree with them,” says Hernandez, the former All-Star first baseman. “All their young players exude confidence. They’ve got a great sprinkling of veterans in there. The only anxiety, I think, that Terry has is injuries. This team seems to get hurt all the time. Last year, I’ve never seen anything like it. But that’s something you can’t foresee. There’s no crystal ball.”
To say that Collins and the Mets were hit with the injury bug in 2016 is like saying Met prospect Tim Tebow was a bit overmatched facing Cy Young winner Max Scherzer during a recent Grapefruit League game. The Mets have already had a few health hiccups this spring — Steven Matz’s pitching elbow flared up and he will begin the season on the disabled list; David Wright was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement and Lucas Duda’s creaky back acted up in late February — but the ’17 season will hinge largely on whether Collins’ rotation can avoid the DL, or worse, an operating table.
Three starters — Matz, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey — are returning from surgery last year, while Zack Wheeler hasn’t pitched in the majors since undergoing 2015 Tommy John surgery. Before GM Sandy Alderson said that Wheeler had cracked the starting rotation and will start for the fourth game, Darling, the former Mets right-hander, said it was time to put Wheeler, 26, in the rotation and eschew a minor-league stint or extended spring training.
“Let’s say it’s Wheeler and (Seth) Lugo for the fifth spot. Certainly Lugo has done both — relieving and starting in the major leagues. He’s a more fungible, yet talented young man who can fit a lot of different roles,” says Darling. “Zack Wheeler fits one role, and that is a starting pitcher that you need to keep healthy and who has a great arm. The reason I would start him in the major leagues is because I don’t want anyone else watching him for those 125 innings that the Mets are going to give him. I want to be able to see it with my own eyeballs. You send him to Triple-A and he’s at 90 pitches, you don’t know what kind of pitches those were, what kind of duress he’s under. Was he fidgeting with his arm from the third inning on?”
Darling also believes in what he calls an old baseball axiom: that just because a starting pitcher gets injured doesn’t mean that he should be penalized with a banishment from his customary starter’s role.
“Wheeler’s proven to me that he’s 100% healthy,” says Darling, who was impressed with Wheeler’s performance and confidence during Monday’s Grapefruit League outing. “I’d like to see him get rewarded for all the hard work he’s put in these two years. He’s done everything you could want from a kid to get ready, and has gone through an incredible amount of heartbreak. I don’t think he needs another one.”
Darling is also expecting a rejuvenated Matt Harvey this season, and Darling says the “Harvey Day” fan frenzy will be back en vogue again. Harvey, 28, is coming off surgery for Thoracic outlet syndrome, and while Darling says we should not expect to see the Harvey circa 2013 as far as blowing away hitters at will, Mets fans should anticipate “an outstanding year” from the Dark Knight.
“I think Matt’s going to have a big year,” says Darling. “In 2013 — it wasn’t Gooden-like, because I don’t want to ever compare anyone to Dwight in ’85, but every time Matt Howard Simmons Daily News came out, it was seven innings, a couple hits, one run and a bunch of strikeouts. He was consistent, steady and dominant. I think all of these pitchers in a different way have a little chip on their shoulder — (Noah) Syndergaard to get in that top three, four, five guys in baseball; deGrom to bounce back to a place where he’s dominant again; Matz, to prove he’s healthy; Wheeler to prove he’s a major league pitcher again. But for Harvey, it’s to prove that Matt Harvey means something in this game.” Darling adds that he thinks Harvey will build upon a solid first half of the season to dominate in what is hopefully a second-half playoff run.
Outfielder Jay Bruce had several practice stints at first this spring training, but if Duda is injured this season at any point, Hernandez says Wilmer Flores should be the replacement, not Bruce.
“I think Jay Bruce’s response after a ground ball was in his hip was code for, ‘I don’t want to play first base,’ ” jokes Hernandez.
Syndergaard, 24, is scheduled to take the Citi Field mound Monday against division rival Atlanta, and Darling says the flame-throwing righty is an ace who has every tool, mental and physical, at his disposal to get the club off on a winning start.
“Noah’s stuff is just historic. It’s unprecedented as far as the speeds on all of his pitches,” says Darling. “I just marvel at his maturity level. It’s just exponentially off the charts from (2015).”
After Cespedes signed a mammoth four-year, $110 million deal this offseason, he’s done nothing but wow spring training audiences with his big bat and highlight-reel catches on defense, while dialing down the exotic car show for his daily arrivals. Cohen says that the Cuban star “is clearly (the Mets’) best offensive weapon,” and the SNY announcer is quick to add that “there are a lot of question marks on this offense.”
“This is a team that hit 218 home runs last year, but only finished 11th in the league in runs scored,” says Cohen. “They need to be a little more consistent in the other aspect of their offensive game. Lucas Duda played in 47 games last year. Neil Walker had back surgery. David Wright, we have no idea if he’s going to be a contributor. And Michael Conforto (who made the 25man roster) may well spend some time in the minor leagues, but figures to be their best young hitter (and) is coming off a terrible year (in 2016). The thing that’s not in question is that (the Mets roster) can hit home runs. That may be the greatest currency in the game, but (the Mets) had a miserable year driving in runs last year.”
Hernandez, meanwhile, says he does not buy into the theory that as Cespedes’ offense goes, so go the Met bats. Hernandez thinks there is plenty of pop to go around, starting with Jose Reyes, who will play third in place of the injured Wright.
“I think it’s a pretty good lineup. (Jose) Reyes gives it speed at the top. I like the fact that we have three switch-hitters in the lineup (Reyes, Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera). We have good depth,” says Hernandez. “(Conforto) pretty much killed Triple-A (in 2016). He needs to play. I think he can be something special. He needs to be out there every day. But he’s got to prove it. The only way he’s going to be able to prove it is to play every day. I think he’s got enormous potential and upside. I like the lineup.”