New York Mets 2018 Season Preview

The New York Mets had high hopes coming into 2017, only to see those expectations dashed with a slew of injuries. Can they stay healthy, and contend, in the coming year?

Heading into the 2017 campaign, it was expected that the New York Mets would contend for the postseason, and could push the Washington Nationals for the NL East crown. A great deal of that hope was centered around their pitching staff, a dynamic, young, and talented collection of arms that could carry the team to the postseason. At least, that was the expectation when the 2017 campaign dawned.

Instead, the Mets were ravaged by injuries and ineffectiveness. Jacob deGrom was the only starter to make more than 30 starts last year, and Robert Gsellman was the only other Mets pitcher with more than 20 starts. In total, 12 pitchers, including the likes of Tyler Pill and Adam Wilk, made starts for the Mets, leading to a brutal 69-93 record.

This season, there is once again optimism around the Mets. The pitching staff looks to be healthy, and key signings have provided needed depth. If the team can stay healthy, there is no reason why the Mets cannot make a push for the playoffs. That, however, is a giant ‘if’, especially given their history.

Can the New York Mets stay healthy and find their way back to the postseason? They appear to have the depth the need to make that a reality.

New York Mets additions and subtractions

Key additions: Jay Bruce, Adrian Gonzalez, Jason Vargas, Anthony Swarzak, Todd Frazier

Newcomer to watch: Jason Vargas. On a team filled with injury riddled question marks, Jason Vargas may be the closest they have to a workhorse.

Of course, that does not mean that Vargas is a picture of health himself. Vargas had Tommy John surgery in 2015, and had previously had surgery due to a blood clot. However, last season, he pitched well, making his first All Star Game while posting a 18-11 record, along with a solid 4.16 ERA and a 1.330 WHiP.

As decent as those numbers were, Vargas is a good fit because of his ability to take the ball every fifth day. He has five seasons with 30 or more starts, and has reached the 200 inning mark twice. Now that he is another year removed from his Tommy John procedure, any restrictions should be gone. A relatively durable lefty, Vargas should be exactly what the Mets need in the back of their rotation.

Biggest losses: None

Interestingly enough, the Mets really did not lose anyone in free agency. All of their potential free agents were traded away at the deadline last year, or in the case of Fernando Salas, released due to their complete ineffectiveness. Jose Reyes, their key free agent that stayed with the Mets through 2017, returned. There is a good amount of depth on the roster.

For a team with as many veteran pieces as the Mets had, and the disappointing year they went through, it is a bit of a surprise that there was not more turnover. Instead, it speaks to their decisiveness in the face of a miserable year, getting rid of players they figure would not be a part of the future.

The New York Mets did not lose anything of any real significance. With their additions, that may prove to be vital.