NY Mets Opening Day: 3 stories fans will be talking about tomorrow

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It’s Opening Day for the New York Mets! After a long offseason where not much really happened for more than three months, it’s nice to have baseball again.

Opening Day is an unofficial spring holiday that signals the return of sunshine, warmth, and baseballs flying out of the ballpark. The Mets open their 2022 journey against the Washington Nationals. When we all meet at our virtual water coolers after game one, what will everyone be talking about?

How did Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill perform?

Tylor Megill is going to be a major story from Opening Day whether he goes an inning or tosses a perfect game—I doubt he does either. Named the Opening Day starter out of necessity due to injuries, he’s a young pitcher with a fantastic story.

A year ago, most Mets fans had no idea who he was. He wasn’t a top prospect in the system. Somehow, by pitching well and getting lucky with some openings on the big league roster, he was able to make the leap to the majors.

Two weeks ago, if you saw Megill on your Mets Opening Day bingo card, you’d hope it was a mistake. Now, Mets fans are embracing the sophomore starter. What else can we do?

The Mets should hope to get four solid innings from him to start the year. I know it’s low. I know your grandfather probably feels a sense of disgust at the thought of a starting pitcher only lasting four frames. With everyone else well-rested in the bullpen plus an extra arm, there’s no need to push him harder than they need to.

My prediction for Megill: four innings and two runs against him. He won’t get the win but he leaves the game with the lead.

Apr 1, 2022; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) lines out in the / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Is the Mets offense potent enough or did we get lucky facing Patrick Corbin?

The Mets are going to take advantage of the pitcher they’re facing to begin the year. Patrick Corbin has been bad for two straight seasons. In 2020, he led the league in hits allowed and went just 2-7 with a 4.66 ERA. Last year, he was 9-16 with a 5.82 ERA. Once again, he led the league in some statistics no pitcher ever hopes to. His 16 losses, 111 earned runs, and 37 home runs allowed made for an underwhelming third year in Washington.

The Mets will take advantage of this. Fresh bats and a lineup containing some good right-handed hitters should have a chance to feast on him. Even any of the lefties who make it into the Opening Day lineup should be able to handle him well enough.

Last year’s offensive struggles for the Mets could continue into this year as they are coming back with a lot of the same names. Newcomers brought in during the offseason also have some red flags of their own. The biggest worry might be sustainability. The Mets only got older with their moves. Fortunately, this is only the first game of the year. There’s no excuse to be tired yet.

My prediction for the Mets offense: they tag Corbin often and early and he exits in the middle of the fourth. Things will slow down against the bullpen but they still manage to come away with a win. Let’s say it’s 7-3.

Mar 22, 2022; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) delivers / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Should the Mets have added another high-leverage reliever?

Chances are we will see a part of the Mets bullpen on Opening Day. A complete game is rare to begin the year. Although one could logically say it’s the best time, it’s actually the worst. There is absolutely no need to make your starting pitcher break out into a sweat.

Given my prediction of Megill leaving a little earlier than a baseball traditionalist might like, one can conclude that more than one member of the bullpen shows up. At least one of those guys will have a rocky outing. My gut tells me it’s Joely Rodriguez or Adam Ottavino.

In the first game of the season last year, it was newcomer Trevor May who gave up a pair of earned runs plus another unearned one in the eighth inning. Then, as you would never guess, superstar lefty Aaron Loup gave up two more unearned runs while blowing the save in his Mets debut.

Something tells me the bullpen is imperfect again this year but not to the same extent as it was last year. Buck Showalter will have to make a quick decision and know when the right time to pull him will be.

My prediction for the Mets bullpen: an unimpressive debut from Ottavino. The rest of the bullpen is lights out.

dark. Next. Bold predictions for the 2022 Mets season

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