New York Mets
The Mets made most of the winter headlines thanks in large measure to their acquisition of shortstop Francisco Lindor from Cleveland. That plus the team’s purchase by financially endowed owner Steve Cohen have cranked up Mets fandom.
It’s also raised the Mets’ profile among bettors. Vegas makes the Mets the sixth favorite to win the World Series. If they do, it would be the first in Flushing since the great 1986 Mets team of Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez. That’s a 34-season drought and counting.
Lindor, who agreed to a 10-year extension just before opening day, is expected to be the centerpiece of the team’s push to win its first NL East championship since that 2015 World Series appearance. The 2020 results were disappointing, with only 26 victories and a .433 winning percentage.
The Mets need big seasons from Lindor, first baseman Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil,, but that combination is plausible.
They also need the usual excellence from Jacob DeGrom plus strong pitching showings from Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco – obtained with Lindor – and Taijuan Walker. Finally they need to find a way to out-perform the Braves, who have won three straight division championships.
But if they can do that, or at minimum secure a wild card, there’s reason to respect the potential for this team to end that long championship drought.