Unexpected Pretenders for the 2017 Season

New York Mets

Injuries always take their toll on sports teams, and they usually lead to an unsuccessful season. In 2016, the Mets lost a plethora of key players, including David Wright, Matt Harvey, Travis d’Arnaud, Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera, Yoenis Cespedes, Jacob deGrom, Lucas Duda, Juan Lagares, Steven Matz and Wilmer Flores. As a result, the Mets took a step back from their 2015 success, but still managed to contend and make the playoffs. This year, the Mets are expected to get most of their star players back, including Zack Wheeler, who has not pitched since September of 2014. With all of the hype surrounding their pitching, the Mets seem destined for greatness in 2017. Unfortunately, there are some concerns that may lead you to believe the Mets will be 2017 pretenders.

Yes, their pitching staff will be back at full strength. The “dream rotation” is finally all here together. However, there is no way of knowing just how good they will be. In the case of Zack Wheeler, who has not pitched since 2014, who knows if he is anywhere near major league ready? The other starters have all dealt with injuries involving their throwing arms, whether it be the shoulder or elbow. With that said, there is a possibility that those injuries may come back in the 2017 season. Finally, the Mets offense is basically the same as last year’s. The offense has been the main issue for the Mets over the past few seasons, and that doesn’t appear to be changing in 2017. With all of these issues combined, the Mets may wind up going from contenders to pretenders.