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Three Mets who could surprise us with an All-Star appearance in 2020

By Tim Boyle |
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 09: Jeff McNeil #6 and Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets speak prior to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 09: Jeff McNeil #6 and Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets speak prior to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 04: Robinson Cano #24 of the New York Mets celebrates after scoring against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning at Nationals Park on September 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 04: Robinson Cano #24 of the New York Mets celebrates after scoring against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning at Nationals Park on September 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Which New York Mets will shock and delight us this year with a trip to the All-Star Game?

Last year, three New York Mets made the trip to the All-Star Game. Jacob deGrom was the one who had been there before while Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil each made their first appearance.

None of the three were really surprises. deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball and the other two had already made a name for themselves with memorable 2018 campaigns in the minor leagues with McNeil continuing to hit well for two months in the majors.

In 2020, all three have a chance to go to the All-Star Game again. They won’t be surprises, though. We’ve seen them there before and expect them to have All-Star caliber campaigns again. The same is true for a number of players on this roster.

Meanwhile, there are a few Mets we’re expecting a little less from in 2020 who could shock us all and make that midsummer trip to play in baseball’s most popular exhibition game.

Robinson Cano

Imagine an All-Star season from Robinson Cano. I know it’s tough. Not even the minds of Pixar could come up with something so unique.

Let’s not forget Cano has already been to eight All-Star Games. A big reason for it is the lack of talent at the second base position. Typically, half the league in any season will have a light-hitting option at the position. If Cano is able to do even half of what he has been able to accomplish in the past, he’s already a contender for an All-Star spot.

I wouldn’t place a wager on it with Cano now a year older and clearly on the decline. Nevertheless, the competition at second base is shallower than it is at most positions.

A hot start plus name recognition could help Cano get to the All-Star Game. It’s unlikely, which would make it a huge yet possible surprise.

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 20: Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on September 20, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 20: Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on September 20, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Rick Porcello

The Mets have multiple pitchers who could make the National League All-Star roster. One of the biggest surprises would be to see Rick Porcello represent his childhood team in the game.

Porcello has never been an All-Star in his 11 big league seasons. Even with a Cy Young Award to his name, the veteran righty has never had the privilege of playing in the Midsummer Classic.

The path for Porcello to land on the All-Star roster would require a year like the one he had in 2016 when he won 22 games for the Boston Red Sox and earned the Cy Young. He’ll need to have plenty of victories, a low ERA, and own an ERA that bests at least three other pitchers on the Mets.

With deGrom looking like a lock to represent the Amazins in the All-Star Game, it looks like Porcello will just need to outpitch Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, and Steven Matz. The former two have been to the All-Star Game before with Matz yet to appear. While I would be shocked to see Matz there, I feel Porcello is equally as surprising but slightly more possible given his lengthier track-record of staying healthy and productive.

The Mets didn’t sign Porcello to have an All-Star campaign. He’s here to fill out the rotation and complete the pitching staff with five quality starters. I think he’ll be able to do that just fine. To get more would be a tremendous bonus.

An All-Star year from him could drastically change the fortunes of this organization. Single-handedly, he makes this offseason a huge win for Brodie Van Wagenen.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 04: Wilson Ramos #40 of the New York Mets celebrates with Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets after hitting a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the six inning at Citi Field on June 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 04: Wilson Ramos #40 of the New York Mets celebrates with Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets after hitting a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the six inning at Citi Field on June 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

Wilson Ramos

Two-time All-Star Wilson Ramos didn’t quite play like one for the Mets in 2019 during the first half. However, a hitting streak in the second-half helped raise his numbers for the year to a level where we have to wonder if he’ll add a third All-Star selection to his resume in 2020.

Plenty of Mets fans are down on Ramos for his poor defensive reputation. It doesn’t help him to have both deGrom and Syndergaard to prefer other catchers. This doesn’t matter much with All-Star selections as offensive numbers tend to weigh a lot more heavily than anything else.

What’s more, just about every pitcher and catcher in this game are unfamiliar with one another. So, if Ramos’ numbers are looking good, there’s no reason why he can’t make it to the All-Star Game in orange and blue this upcoming year.

A similar sentiment can be said about catchers as I said about second basemen earlier. Half the league tends to have guys who are defense-first. Ramos is one of the best hitting catchers in the National League, making him a better candidate than most may realize to add another All-Star appearance to his resume this year.

Last year, Ramos hit .288/.351/.416. In the first half, he was at .272/.349/.408. Similar numbers could be enough to award him a trip. He will have some competition, but a first-half with a little more power and run-production could surprise Mets fans when they get to cheer for the Buffalo in mid-July when he takes the field at Dodger Stadium.

Next. Which new Mets player is most likely to be a bust?

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Who do you think is a surprising candidate to make the All-Star team in 2020? I’ll give an honorable mention to J.D. Davis who may only need regular playing time to make a case for himself. I’m not so sure we’d be surprised based on the numbers he was able to muster up in 2019.

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