Are New York Mets heading for a wild card spot in the 2012 regular season? – MLB Feature
While the mantra of New York Mets falling down in the season was being hurled from everywhere, few saner voices differed even then. Believing in a nothing to lose like situation for them, they held their bets on the Mets. Three consecutive wins against Atlanta
Braves have all of a sudden turned the spotlight on them and thus those voices have started to be acknowledged now.
Still it is just the start of the regular season and thus a long way for the Mets. A few areas they looked improved in invite for an analysis of the Mets as a prospective contender for the wild card spot if not for the Division Championship.
Greatest of their weaknesses as was believed before the season was to be their rotation. Even the presence of Johan Santana was not perceived anything more than an occasional glimmer of hope with no decisive significance in the end. Amid the starters like
Santana being put aside, possibility of Jon Niese shining in the Big League and faring better than his career record was only to be laughed off.
What however happened in the last three games has washed away every single concern their rotation. Santana spending more than expected five innings on the mound, as R.A. Dickey employed the knuckler as beautifully as he has always been and above all Niese
restricting batters hitless for most part of the game. The Braves were outclassed by them in every department of play.
Some may point out that only the Braves have confronted them and just when opposition changes, their fate will be the same as projected. Off-course, the story will be fairly different then, but the fact of the matter is the consistency.
If Dickey throws the knuckler the same way, if Santana employs the slider and change-ups with equal effectiveness and Niese keeps the fastball touching the 90s constantly, even the best of the batters will struggle in finding hits.
Moving on, excluding the teams out-side NL East, none of their division teams has exhibited an impregnable offence. Phillies are toiling for hits, Marlins appear as exposed as ever and the Nationals, though possess powerful hitters like Jayson Werth and
Ian Desmond have not unleashed properly.
Considering the pressure at the Big League and a relatively younger offence with the Nationals, even if they play their best, it is not going to affect the Mets much, provided their momentum stays afloat.
Apart from the pitchers, Mets' offence has equally been surprising. Talented Lucas Duda was never one you will think of clearing the out-field with such ease, consistency in hits Daniel Murphy is providing appears a sign of amazing potential victories he
can ensure to the side.
Similarly, third baseman David Wright is stepping up every time he is getting a chance for at-bats. Above all their shortstop Ruben Tejada has established the kind of swings that can result into as many hits as the number of at-bats he will face.
More than anything else, the fact most of the players are standing up at the time of need and making due contributions, even if few of them continue the same way they are doing now, opponents will not have an easy time against them.
Against this backdrop, the Mets have every reason to cheer. Only thing they will want is to never part ways with the kind of momentum they have recently surged.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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