How the Mets Can Be A Playoff Team in 2020

The New York Mets are heading into the 2020 season with hopes of making a run in the playoffs. Being a Mets fan myself, I felt confident going into the past 4 seasons. After making it to the Fall Classic in 2015, I really felt good about the Mets going into 2016. They did make the Wild Card game, but failed to advance any further. Seeing a healthy Cespedes and growing pitching staff, I, once again, felt confident entering 2017. 2017 turned into a disaster due chiefly to injuries. 2018 I AGAIN felt this team was special. Cespedes would hopefully be back, Amed Rosario would take the next step forward, and we signed a new manager. 2018 was bad, but not as bad as 2017. The 2018-2019 offseason was big for us (or so we thought at the time): a new GM and the addition of Cano, Diaz, and Jed Lowrie. 2019 was yet another bust for the Mets. Cano was atrocious and showed signs of regression, Edwin Diaz was absolutely horrific, and Mickey Callaway certified himself as an incompetent manager.

2019 was not a complete bust, however. Amed Rosario took steps forward, Pete Alonso emerged as the new David Wright, deGrom won his second straight Cy Young, and Conforto hit 30 bombs. I do not want to beat a dead horse, but I think 2020 is the year the Mets put it together. We have a new manager who is well-liked among the clubhouse, a bolstered bullpen, a top 3 rotation, and all of the plusses from 2019 to carry us into the new season.

IF the Mets do these 3 things right, they can be a legitimate playoff team. First, stay healthy (which is really out of control). This team needs to avoid stupid injuries (like, I don’t know, getting attacked by a boar) and stay on the diamond. Second, have bounce-back years from Familia and Diaz in the bullpen. Lastly, they need to continue to improve on the successes from last year, and honestly, if McNeil, Alonso, Conforto, et al have a repeat year, I (along with every other Mets fan) will be perfectly content. 

This is much easier said than done, however. The Phillies greatly improved with the addition of Didi Gregorius. The Braves, despite losing Donaldson, still have a great outfield with the addition of Marcell Ozuna. And of course, the Nationals won the 2019 World Series.