The New York Mets look like one of the best teams in the National League.
Additionally, they just signed shortstop Francisco Lindor to a long-term deal to be the face of the franchise.
Everything is pointing in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be surprising events and feats associated with the team.
3 Bold Predictions For The New York Mets Season
1. Jacob deGrom Will Win 20 Games
We know that, in today’s game, wins don’t mean much, and it’s more of a symbolic stat.
After all, we can’t determine a pitcher’s worth by judging him for a stat that is almost entirely out of his control.
However, much has been said about Jacob deGrom’s lack of wins in recent years despite consistently being among the league leaders in run-prevention stats such as ERA and FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching).
Despite a microscopic career 2.60 ERA, the most games deGrom has won in a single season is 15, back in 2017.
He has had incredible bad luck, subpar offenses behind him, and horrible bullpen performance.
#Mets Jacob deGrom has made 77 starts over his last three seasons:
Victories:
25 – 1.11 ERAGames he did not win:
52 – 2.58 ERA (0-19)— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) April 6, 2021
He even suffered a similar situation in his season debut this week, on Monday: he left the game in the seventh inning up in the score, and his bullpen (and defense) blew the lead.
However, I believe the Mets’ bullpen is improved, with Aaron Loup and Trevor May, even though they didn’t start the campaign on the right foot.
Seth Lugo will eventually return, Dellin Betances and Jeurys Familia have good bounceback potential, and Edwin Diaz remains elite.
Additionally, the Mets’ offense is very, very good, and Jacob deGrom’s luck in the wins department is about to change for good.
2. The Polar Bear Will Approach 50 Home Runs
Back in 2019, a rookie named Pete Alonso hit .260/.358/.583 for the Mets, with 53 home runs and 120 runs batted in.
He was in the MVP conversation and won the Rookie of the Year award in the National League.
His 53 dingers broke a record for rookies, one that Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Judge had set a couple of years earlier.
The moment Pete Alonso and Citi Field knew it was a HR 👏
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/PBUYGXpTXq
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) September 29, 2019
However, Alonso, now nicknamed the Polar Bear, didn’t show his best version last year, hitting .231/.326/.490 and slumping for most of the season after catching fire late.
Several people are writing off his 2019 performance as a fluke, but not so fast.
Even during last year’s struggles, he hit 16 home runs in 57 games, which is a 45-homer pace in a 162-game season.
Alonso has never been known for his batting average: he has power, and he is a slugger.
I firmly believe he has the potential to approach his 2019 mark, and think he will hit at least 50.
3. The Mets Will Advance To The Championship Series
It has been quite a while since the Mets were main actors in a postseason run.
Since 2015, when they were led by surprising surges from Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy (among others), the Mets haven’t been able to advance to the World Series.
They do have an extremely talented team this year, and they brought excellent reinforcements in Francisco Lindor, James McCann, Trevor May, Carlos Carrasco, and company.
Those players, plus the existing core of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and Dominic Smith, plus pitchers Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, Edwin Diaz, and others, put the Mets in excellent position to make the playoffs and make a deep run.
There are some powerhouses in the National League, most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers but also the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves.
The Mets will take them to the edge and then some, but they will fall just short of the Fall Classic this year.
NEXT: Is Francisco Lindor Overrated? (Full Argument)