2021 MLB Team Preview: New York Mets

The New York Mets have long been a disappointment in the National League East (and overall) but there is hope that things will be different this year. They’ve built a solid roster and the expectation is that they contend for a playoff spot. A lot of money has flowed into Mets futures but will those decisions be regretted later? Let’s take a closer look.

What Happened Last Year

The Mets had a fairly disappointing season last year given the talent that they have on their roster. Ending with a record of 26-34 and fourth place in the National League East, they weren’t even able to compete for a playoff spot – even with the playoff picture expanded. They did boast an elite offensive game all around as they were tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best wRC+ in the league, they were fourth in slugging percentage and led the entire MLB in batting average. However, their defense was just atrocious last year. There were only five players on their roster with a positive OAA and three of them were players who come off the bench, one was a designated hitter and the other was a rookie.  

Offseason Changes

The Mets made a number of moves to fill in holes while also improve their overall roster. The biggest was the trade that saw them acquire the All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Lindor is coming off an underwhelming season so the Mets took their chance to swoop him away in exchange for Amed Rosario, Josh Wolf, Isaiah Greene and Andres Gimenez. Lindor offers a tremendous offensive upgrade over Rosario while also providing better defense. They didn’t stop there either, bringing in catcher James McCann to a four-year, $40.6 million contract to replace Wilson Ramos. Then finally, the team put an effort in to improve their overall pitching by signing reliever Trevor May to a two-year, $15.5 million deal.

2021 Outlook

This New York Mets team is looking to compete next year. They were able to jumpstart their roster with a flurry of offseason moves to fill in holes while also improving all around. The addition of Lindor and Carrasco among others will take this team to new heights next year after already having the talent to be one of the best in the league beforehand. They still have RHP Jacob deGrom, who has his usual fantastic self-last season and will need him to stay healthy throughout the year. The Mets have so much talent all round that they will need to find a way to put it all together by the time the postseason rolls around. They may still struggle to get past the Braves in the division but are surely going to put up a fight for first place and could even win it if things go their way.

Pick: 1^st In National League East