Overall, the New York Mets had a disappointing 2018 season. Does their strong finish signal that 2019 could produce better results?
The New York Mets had a roller coaster of a season in 2018. The Amazins’ had a lot of ups and downs in what turned out to be a lost season in Flushing. Now, in this context, lost season is a relative term. 2018 was a lost season in that the New York Mets failed to reach their expectations, not for their organization as a whole, but this will be discussed later on.
Excitement quickly built around the Mets as they went into 2018 with a number of new faces in the clubhouse. They hired a new manager, bolstered their roster with talent, and looked ready to make a run at the NL East Divison Crown.
The bad soon kicked in…
Optimism did not surround the Mets for long. Following their blazing hot 11-1 start, the Mets watched their season slowly fall apart. The club rode their hot start through April as they finished the month with a record of 17-9, unknowing that things were about to take a turn for the worst. The club’s record fell to .500 by the end of May and to a lowly 32-48 by the end of June.
Ah, now that’s ugly…
The club was not hitting and injuries abounded. Yoenis Cespedes, Juan Lagares, Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Plawecki, Jay Bruce, Todd Fraizer, A.J. Ramos, Anthony Swarzak and Jason Vargas all missed significant time, while Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Harvey, and Hansel Robles played their way off the roster.
But everything can’t all be bad, right?
Right, these injuries opened up lots of playing time, leading to many of the Mets’ younger players receiving significant opportunities. Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil flourished in their everyday roles, as Amed Rosario and Zack Wheeler were able to take the next steps forward in their development.
And we can’t write about the New York Mets without mentioning Jacob deGrom… That Christian Yelich kid from Milwaukee is pretty good but in a just world, the Cy Young and MVP Awards would be coming to Queens… M.V.P!