Mets’ Pitchers and Catchers Report

Move over football. It’s time for America’s pastime: baseball. Pitchers and catchers for the New York Mets have reported to camp at Port St. Lucie, along with most of the other roster invitees who hope to get an early start on the 2013 season. Last season started out promising, but the team did a 180 and tanked the rest of the year. While most baseball analysts are predicting a train wreck of a year for the 2013 Mets, the start of Spring Training always brings hope.

Realistically, the Mets are building for the future. They traded away their Cy Young Award winner in R.A. Dickey for prospects, and spent very little money in the offseason to improve the club. With that said, here are a few things to look forward to this spring:

• 2014 – just kidding.
• Young holdovers – Last season was an inconsistent year for the ball club, in large part due to the numerous amount of young players. Lucas Duda and Captain Kirk started off hot but
  

  Travis d’Arnaud, the newest member of the Mets farm system.

  ended poorly, while Ike Davis’s season was the complete opposite. This spring is a chance for these players to take the next step in their baseball careers, and it should be interesting to watch.

• New Guys – Matt Harvey impressed in his half a season of work last summer, and provided a glimmer of hope for the franchise. Zach Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud may not start the year in the majors, but as the Mets’ top prospects they are expected to make an impact sometime this season. The most important thing is that these players continue to develop, and spring training is where it all starts.
• Johan Santana – Coming off of a season in which he threw the franchise’s first no-hitter, Santana’s future remains uncertain. He is entering the final year of his contract, and is unlikely to be re-signed. A good year, however, could lead to a trade for prospects. The same thing happened to Beltran in 2011, so there is a precedent.

As you can tell, this season will be all about the young guys. Maybe the Mets can re-energize the fan base that so desperately needs it, and maybe they can take a step forward while that other team in the Bronx seems to be taking a step back. With baseball upon us, the next step is for all this snow to go away…

Related posts:

Yankees’ Pitchers and Catchers Report The Mets’ Young Pitching Talent Mets First-Half Report Card NY Baseball-A Stark Contrast in Baseball Philosophy