Mets Slowly Vanquishing Their Demons

The Mets are slowly but surely erasing the negatives of the past few seasons and vanquising their demons into the nether. They are putting the past behind them and setting it up nicely for a bright future.

David Wright’s Power: David Wright has already surpassed his home run totals from last year, proving it was just a fluke. He’s had big home runs, multi-home run games, and some absolute bombs. Maybe now that the league realizes his power his back they’ll pitch to him a little more tentatively and he’ll be able to cut back on some of the strikeouts.

: David Wright, split seconds from launching a 2-run home run in Camden Yards

Sloppy Play: Few losses were more gut-wrenching than the Castillo dropped pop-up, but so far this year the Mets have played very solid defense all around. Jason Bay is a very good outfielder, with good instincts. Angel Pagan has been playing a good centerfield and has stopped making blunders; who else to vanquish Mets demons than an Angel? Blanco throws out just about everybody that tries to steal on him, and the infield defense is much improved, especially with a lefty first baseman that isn’t learning the position for the first time in Ike Davis.

Jose Reyes: Jose Reyes is back. He’s stealing bases, he’s lacing triples into the gaps, he’s hitting the ball out. He’s terrorizing pitchers and reasserting that he’s one of the most exciting players in this game. He’s smiling and having fun, and if there is any singular factor that’s making this clubhouse better than it was last year, it’s Jose Reyes’ infectious baseball attitude. I’m still waiting for more home run handshakes though.

Citi Field: No longer is Citi Field where home runs go to die. If Citi Field was intimidating Mets hitters, it no longer is. The Mets have had plenty of home runs at home, and have had some fun walk-off homers. The park is starting to feel like home and it’s become a big asset to the Mets, who have more home wins than anyone in the majors. It’s better decorated this year as well.

The Bullpen: The bullpen has been a sore spot for a while, being one of the biggest parts of the two collapses. So far the bullpen looks pretty solid. Francisco Rodriguez makes things a little shaky sometimes, but he gets the job done. There is still a state of flux with Takahashi and Mejia but the bullpen has come through, even more so now that the starters have been able to keep them from being overworked. The arms and talent are there, so it’s no longer about trying to find someone, anyone, that can do the job. As the season rolls on and the rotation gets more settling with Takahashi, Maine and/or Perez coming back and contributing, or acquiring another quality starter, the roles in the bullpen will become a little more settled and we’ll know who we can trust. One things for sure though, we no longer think the game is doomed when the bullpen gets into it, and this knowledge probably helps the offense know they don’t have to score a billion more runs as well.

The Mets are a good solid team. There are plenty of holes they could patch up, plenty of places to improve, and plenty of losses that will happen. This team seems to have turned the corner and put the past behind them so that when things aren’t going as perfectly as they are now, I trust that the good times will return and that the Mets will be a fun team to watch all season. They are no more flawed than anyone else in the league, and they’ve got the talent, the resources, and the desire required to make this season a successful one.