New York Mets Fantasy Baseball: 2019 Injured List Edition

To spice up your fantasy baseball league in 2019, I’ve created New York Mets Fantasy Baseball: Injured List Edition. It’s the only league where an MRI counts more than an RBI.

A new season of Major League Baseball also means a new year of fantasy baseball. While traditional fans of this fictional game will rely on home runs to make them happy, there’s a way New York Mets followers can get creative with the game.

I introduce to you, New York Mets Fantasy Baseball: Injured List Edition.

We all know that injuries are common among Mets players. Name a disease you believed was eradicated from the earth and a player on the Mets will probably suffer from it this year.

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The rules are quite simple. You can only choose Mets players within the organization and all you’re looking for are injuries.

I understand why some may not want to play. We hate to see our favorite players go down with ailments. So, if you want to play the alternative version, you’re welcome to go after health and not injuries. Think of it like golf where you win with the fewest points.

Regardless of the way you play, here’s how the game works:

The game is best for 2-5 players. Each selects a designated number of Mets for their squad. I recommend not going over 20 draftees so do the appropriate math for how big your rosters are. You may also want to require a minimum number of pitchers and position players. I’ll let you decide, commish.

Once the rosters are set, traditional fantasy baseball rules apply. The only difference is you get points each time a Mets player suffers an inevitable injury.

The scoring system is simple:

• 2 Points– 7 Day Injured List Stint
• 5 Points – 60 Day Injured List Stint
• 3 Points – Season-Ending Injury
• 1 Additional Point for an Injured List Stint beyond the minimum
• 1 Additional Point if the player is transferred from the 7-day Injured List to the 60-day Injured List

And in case you’re wondering, it does make me feel uncomfortable to write “Injured List.” I’ve been writing disabled list for 40 years and I’m not even 40 yet.

There’s also an advanced version currently in Beta mode. This would award points for diseases usually associated with children, day-to-day stints caused by undercooked chicken, and any time missed due to partying too late.

The current scoring system may not seem perfect, but let’s remember, we want to keep things competitive. If you had Travis d’Arnaud and Juan Lagares in 2018, you would have racked up months’ worth of points for their early season-ending injuries. Nobody would have had a shot at competing. We need to make those lengthy injuries matter, but not put a nail in everyone’s coffin.

I would have liked to add additional points for time missed as a day-to-day injured player or include each day a player is unavailable in some way. However, after consulting with scientists, it’s best to keep the scoring as simple as possible. This is the inaugural season. When Major League Baseball began, guys were fielding line drives with their bare hands and smoking cigars through their bushy mustaches at the same time.

One important rule is that at the time of your draft, anyone currently on the IL is not eligible to begin earning points until after he has been removed. Therefore, Yoenis Cespedes isn’t an automatic lock for the first overall selection.

For preseason power rankings, I would have to say d’Arnaud and Lagares are easy first overall considerations. Robinson Cano may be a sleeper. His ability to stay healthy throughout his career is in danger now that he’s in Flushing. We know how suddenly things can change for a player’s ironman status once he puts on a Mets’ uniform.

If you plan to play the “stay healthy” version, you would have to place anyone who has been reassigned to the minor leagues on waivers and select someone from the 25-man roster instead. Let’s not get sneaky, sis.

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You can play New York Mets Fantasy Baseball: Injured List Edition in many different formats. Whichever way you choose to draft the team, remember to have fun and don’t get hurt.