NY Mets: Three early surprises from the 2020 season so far

Through the first week and change of the 2020 MLB season, the New York Mets have already given us some pleasant and not-so-great surprises.

At the time I’m writing this, the New York Mets have played nine games. They’ve gone 3-6 and have already given us some heartbreaking losses.

The year 2020 has more than enough surprises in the sports and non-sports world. Many haven’t been very good at all. The one positive is that baseball is back—at least for now.

Through the first nine games of the season, the Mets have done a good job surprising us both positively and negatively. I’d like to try to narrow it down to three of the biggest in this shortened sample size.

Robinson Cano is the hottest bat in the lineup

Did anyone expect after 9 games that Robinson Cano would be one of the most trusted bats in the New Mets lineup? He’s not leading the team in home runs, RBI, or runs scored but he’s putting the bat on the ball and finding ways to get on base.

In those first 32 trips to the plate he made in 2020, the veteran second baseman is slashing .393/.438/.571. Those three numbers lead all of the regulars in what might be the biggest surprise of all in 2020.

Even the most optimistic fans couldn’t have predicted how well Cano would start the year.

One of his best attributes thus far in 2020 has been the ability to avoid strikeouts. He has fanned just three times which is the second-fewest among the regulars.

I understand nine games is hardly a full season. Still, I don’t know if Mets fans have ever seen him go through a stretch this strong. He’s one of the most trusted bats in the lineup right now making all of our old “he’s a bum” takes look a little dated.