New York Mets 2010 Preview

2009 Record: 70-92

Key additions: OF Jason Bay, C Henry Blanco, RP Kelvim Escobar

Key departures: 1B Carlos Delgado, RP J.J. Putz, C Brian Schneider

Offense: The Mets had a chronic problem last season with driving in runs. The lack of pop in the middle of the lineup cost the Mets tons of runs, when the top of the lineup hit the ball very well. Their .270 team batting average was well over the NL average.

Carlos Beltran and Joey Reyes (pictured) both suffered significant injuries last season, which was a big part of their struggles in 2009. Beltran (10 HR, 48 RBI) underwent knee surgery without consulting the Mets’ medical staff, and could miss the beginning of the season.

Reyes and Luis Castillo form a solid tandem at the top of the lineup.

Adding Jason Bay in free agency could provide a huge boost to that absent power. He should begin the season bating clean-up until Beltran returns. Bay (36 HR, 119 RBI) is better suited to bat fifth, but anything will be better than the problems New York had last season.

Defense: The infield is spectacular, save for first base. Wright, Reyes, and Castillo are all among the best at their positions in the league. At first base, Daniel Murphy is slow and not a natural fit at the position.

In the outfield, Beltran’s injury is cause for concern in center, and Bay is not exactly known for his range in left field. Jeff Franceour is an adequate right fielder, but is nothing special.

Pitching:

Johan Santana (pictured) spent the final month of the season on the DL with an elbow injury, and his 2009 season wasn’t much to remember by his standards. Santana (13-9, 3.13 ERA) will still anchor a shaky rotation that includes Mike Pelfrey (10-12, 5.03 ERA), John Maine (7-6, 4.43 ERA), and Oliver Perez (3-4, 6.82 ERA).

In the bullpen, Kelvim Escobar has not pitched on a regular basis in two years, but the Mets signed him in the off-season to help.

Francisco Rodriguez’s ERA jumped up an entire point in his first season with the Mets in 2009, but he still managed 35 saves. Despite the slumping season last year, he is still one of the elite closers in the game, for now.

Season Outlook: The Mets are the traveling M*A*S*H unit of the NL entering 2010. Injuries in the field and at pitcher could make this a long season in Queens.

The Mets’ two biggest pitching prospects, Jenrry Mejia and Jon Niese, both have injury concerns of their own. It’s becoming apparent the freewheeling spending habits of GM Omar Minaya will not pay dividends, and 2010 could be his last with the organization.

If the Mets are able to remain healthy somehow, they have enough talent to challenge the Phillies in the division. They would have to play out of their minds to do that, though.

Projected 2010 finish: 3rd place NL East

2010 Philadelphia Phillies Preview

(2009 stats in parentheses)

2009 Record: 93-69

Key additions: SP Roy Halladay, 3B Placido Polanco, INF Juan Castro

Key losses: SP Cliff Lee, SP Pedro Martinez, OF Matt Stairs, 3B Pedro Feliz

Offense: The middle of Philadelphia’s lineup is as good as any.

Polanco (pictured, 27) gives the Phillies an upgrade in the second batting spot. The 3-4 punch of Chase Utley (31 HR, 93 RBI) and Ryan Howard (45 HR, 141 RBI) will produce plenty of runs. Utley’s production dipped slightly in 2009 from the previous two seasons, but the addition of Polanco (.331 OBP, 72 RBI) might benefit him the most of anyone in the lineup.

Jayson Werth (36 HR, 99 RBI) finally broke through in 2009, displaying great power that really helped Howard see more pitches to hit. He tends to strike out more than he should, but after a huge ’09, expect Werth to only improve this season.

Defense: The outfield is very strong, especially in center and right field with Shane Victorino and Werth. Raul Ibanez still has a few years left in the tank as well.

In the infield, Polanco is an underrated fielder, and has a quick release as a veteran fielder. Jimmy Rollins is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the game today.

The biggest deficiency in Utley’s game is his defensive play. He has not the best fielder at second base, but having Rollins on the other side helps him tremendously when trying to turn double plays.

Pitching:

After months of speculation leading up to the 2009 trade deadline, Roy Halladay (pictured) indeed ended up in Philadelphia, just a few months later. Despite throwing a consistently high number of innings each season, Halladay (17-10, 2.79 ERA, 239 IP) is one of the five best pitchers in the league at getting strikeouts.

The rest of the rotation has some serious question marks, though. Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32 ERA) came off of a sensational 2008 with an awful season in 2009. The scouting report on Hamels is he needs to re-discover his curveball to regain his 2008 form.

J.A. Happ set the world on fire in his first year as a starter in the majors. He could very well supplant Hamels as the no. two starter in 2010.

The other starters are Joe Blanton (12-8, 4.05 ERA) and Jamie Moyer (12-10, 4.94 ERA).

In the bullpen, Brad Lidge (58 IP, 31 Saves) underwent off-season elbow surgery, and faces serious question marks about his durability.

The set-up man is Ryan Madison (5-5, 3.26 ERA). Madison has a 90-96 MPH fastball with good movement that gets a lot of outs.

Season Outlook: The Phillies are looking to win their third straight NL pennant in 2010. They picked up Cliff Lee at the trade deadline last year, which propelled them to a strong finish.

They then promptly traded him away in the off-season, landing former Blue Jays’ ace Halladay in a three-way deal with the Mariners.

They lost several key players off of last year’s team, but the additions the Phillies’ management made should keep them at the top of the NL.

Their offense is the best in the league, but a lack of pitching depth will be the Phillies’ biggest problem in 2010.

Projected 2010 finish: 1^st place NL East