World Series Bound

By Stefi Kaplan
Posted Monday, August 13, 2007

After a brutal series loss to the Braves last week, it seems like a good time to boost fan morale, not only because I am an eternal optimist but also because I happen to be very confident that the Mets will make it to the World Series this year. No, not just win the division (and none of this wild card business, I’m talking NL East champions).

How do I know? Well, I don’t. But somehow I just feel like things are going to fall into place for this team over the last six weeks and they will fall into a solid groove by the time October baseball rolls around. Notice I am making no predictions about the World Series, because I simply think that too much is left to chance.

So without further ado, here are the top ten reasons I think the Mets will make the World Series:

1) The Mets have yet to really hit their stride this year, and the team is just too good to fail to do so over the course of 162+ games. It is no sure thing that a team will perform to its potential, of course, and the longer a season progresses, the less likely it is the team will suddenly heat up. But look how many games the team has won without living up to its potential. Not a single player, with the exception of backup second baseman Ruben Gotay, is playing above his head. In fact, you could argue that almost every hitter on the Mets is under-performing to a certain extent, due to injuries or prolonged slumps. I think the team senses this and we have seen flashes of the team coming together over the past few weeks. I predict this continues and improves as we enter into September and October and we will see what this team is truly capable of.

2) Carlos Beltran will carry the team. Like the rest of the Mets, Carlos Beltran is too good of a hitter (when healthy) not to succeed offensively. Of course, the emphasis there should be on the parenthetical, but maybe it is a blessing in disguise that Carlos endured a fluke abdominal injury when he did. The loss of Beltran at this stage is disappointing of course, but it is not fatal. And there is a good chance that with this extra time to rest and heal the other aches and pains he has, Beltran will come back strong as ever and ready to carry the team into the postseason and beyond.

3) Pedro will provide a much needed lift. No, I am not predicting eight-inning shutouts for the guy, but as I previously stated, I don’t think that’s what we need from Pedro right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’d welcome that, but what this team needs for the final push is their biggest cheerleader to return the team to its 2006 form. Pedro’s drive and energy is contagious and you cant help but think that his presence in New York will benefit just about everyone on the Mets.

4) The September callups will provide a spark. The 2007 Mets (minors included) are the most injury-ridden team I can remember, especially in the outfield. So the September roster expansion is more necessary this year than in most previous years. It’s always nice to get your starters some rest in September, but this year, it’s necessary. If we want El Duque and Moises Alou to be effective in October, they are going to need some solid rest in September. Ideally, Endy Chavez and Carlos Gomez will be ready to rejoin the team and we will see a revolving door outfield for most of September, getting all of the banged-up veterans some much needed rest.

5) Luis Castillo has swagger. Say what you want about the guy not hitting for power. Spit out some stats about what balls he doesn’t get to at second base. But you know what? The guy has swagger. Watching him in last Wednesday’s game against the Braves showed just how much he wants to win. With Castillo in the two-hole behind Reyes and with the Castillo/Reyes double play tandem, it is evident already that these two guys have chemistry. They both have energy and desire and I think the two players together will play a key role in our postseason push.

6) The rest of the NL is simply not that good. There, I said it. I used to rip people last year when they claimed that the Mets’ record was tainted by how bad the National League is. But the reality is that every single potential playoff team has glaring weaknesses. I’m not talking about a weak #8 hitter, I’m talking about teams that have great pitching but no hitting, or hitting and no pitching. I don’t see a team that truly frightens me in a short or long series. The matchups are what they are: a few teams have better pitching than we do (e.g., Padres) but I’d take my chances against their offense, especially considering how we’ve handled ace pitchers this year.

7) We do not need to beat the Braves to win this division. Yes, the Braves have been a thorn in the Mets’ side over the past decade. And the Mets have been unable to put them away. But the Braves can’t sustain that level of play against other teams. They are not as good as they appear when they play the Mets. Somehow, the Braves farm system produces players that just epitomize “rising to the occasion” against the Mets. It must be something in the Wheaties down there...or maybe they sell Mets dartboards in cribs...I don’t know. But the law of averages says that the Braves will come back to life against the Mets eventually. Because a lot of these games have been determined by few lucky bounces for the Braves and a few unlucky bounces for the Mets. Compare the teams’ stats when they’ve played each other this year – they are pretty even. Yet they have won all but 4 of those 12 contests. There is definitely some luck in there. Eventually, their luck will change and we will beat the Braves.

8) Our August/September schedule is easier than our first half schedule. As we enter the final stretch, our schedule gets significantly easier. This relaxed schedule should not only help us win the division, but also give Pedro some breathing room to get back to final form and allow Willie to tinker with the lineup and get the key players some rest. The schedule should also give the Mets some extra confidence if they can dominate the mediocre teams and pull away with the division heading into the postseason.

9) The players are hungry. You can't always tell by watching them this year, but just look back to the way they’ve played the Cardinals this year. This team wants revenge forthat fateful NLCS. Not that the Mets are haunted by that backwards K (or at least not to the same extent as the fans!) but you can tell the Mets want a second chance. I fully expect that when the Mets get to the NLCS, they will be determined not to let the series even get to a Game 7 so that there is never really a chance for a repeat nightmare. There is no complacency, the Mets want it badly – and now they just need to go out there and get it.

10) Ya gotta believe. I have no crystal ball and I can’t back up my claims that the Mets will make it to the World Series this year. I can’t even guarantee they will make the playoffs. But if I didn’t think that the first place Mets had a good chance of being there in October, well what kind of a fan would I be? The 2006 Mets were an aberration and we as fans need to realize that. The monumental collapse of the Braves last year put the Mets in a unique position of wrapping up the division for the most part in August. That ain’t happening this year, but regardless, as Mets fans ya gotta believe.