Mets Season Preview: Who’s the most integral Met?

Mar 22, 2015; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets right fielder Michael Cuddyer (23) connects for a double against the New York Yankees at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Mollie Galchus, Staff Writer:

Matt Harvey is going to return to baseball, and though he may or may not be as good as he was last year, over the course of his first season back from Tommy John surgery, it’s not a stretch to say that he will be fooling batters and drawing crowds to Citi Field. Juan Lagares, who may or may not have another Gold Glove season this year, still will be making spectacular catches and show that, in fact, about three quarters of the world is covered by water, the rest by Lagares. Jacob deGrom, coming off his Rookie of the Year season, may or may not be as dominant as he was in 2014, but judging by his spring training starts, I don’t think I’ll be regretting getting my deGrom jersey last year. Overall, the Mets’ pitching staff (and center field defense) is definitely going to be good – not necessarily excellent – but definitely good.

The Met most integral to the success of the team this season has to be someone who is on the team primarily for their offense. Last year, the team batted .239, twelfth in the National League. For the team to have any chance of the playoffs this year, they need to see an improvement in their offense, specifically from David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and Michael Cuddyer. Wright’s injury last year explains his awful 2014 season, and Granderson will most likely see an improvement this year with the combination of his old hitting coach Kevin Long, and the new dimensions of right field.

This brings me to Michael Cuddyer, who I think is the Met most integral to the upcoming season, since he’s one of the biggest question marks on the team. If Cuddyer is able to continue the great offense he’s been showing in spring training, then the Mets are in good shape. A good Cuddyer also means that a healthy Wright will most likely hit even better, knowing that he has protection behind him. This improved middle-of-the-order offense, in addition to a good pitching staff, and some great defense in centerfield, should make the 2015 season a successful one.

And, as a side note, we all thought the “Michael Cuddyer is a magician” line was the new “Kirk played football,” right? Well, turns out Cuddyer also used to play football. I think we should start a running count of number of times his magic and football background are mentioned over the course of the season.

Next: Ryan Punzalan's pick for most integral Met