3 reasons the Mets will not win the 2023 World Series
New York Mets fans have World Series or bust on their minds for 2023. The offseason the team has had puts them in a position to become an early favorite to capture a championship. It’s a goal for Steve Cohen and Company. They’ve done a lot to set themselves up well to reach this expectation.
Unfortunately, a World Series can’t be bought. No amount of planning can guarantee the Mets a championship.
Last week, we took a look at the reasons why the Mets will win the World Series. Well, to look at the other side of things, we’re going to now look at the reasons why they will come up short.
1) NY Mets won’t win the World Series because they haven’t changed enough
Not enough has changed with the Mets roster from last year’s letdown. They reloaded the starting rotation. What’s to stop an ace from pitching a dud or the offense from going cold?
The possible addition of Carlos Correa gives them a major boost in the offense, however, it’s one bat of nine. Eduardo Escobar was hitting well enough late in the year and was not the problem with the offense.
Seeing Max Scherzer pitch so poorly in the postseason is a reminder that even the greatest of pitchers are vulnerable. At any point, no matter how great the matchup is on paper, the Mets can fall.
Winning a championship isn’t easy. There’s a reason why the Mets have been sans-parade since 1986.
There is some good and some bad from keeping the same formula in place. After all, this team did win 101 games last year and look capable of doing something similar in 2023. Will it stop the Mets from World Series victory? Getting hot and staying that way in the playoffs is what they need to overcome it.
2) NY Mets won’t win the World Series because of their faith in an older rotation
The Mets starting rotation doesn’t have youth on its side. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are electrifying. They’re also a few more oil changes into their lives than most top-pairings in the league. We shouldn’t be too concerned about how many candles they blow out once a year on their Fudgy the Whale cakes. Until an actual injury happens, age is nothing but a number.
Age goes beyond these two. Carlos Carrasco and Jose Quintana are up there. Kodai Senga, although a rookie in MLB, is a seasoned veteran. His transition from Japan’s six-man rotation to MLB’s five-man is something to watch more than the year he was born.
When it comes to older players, seeing them run out of gas is the concern. Endurance from these starters could come into question. The important thing will be having at least four healthy arms by the time the playoffs begin. Can the timing work out?
The depth of Tylor Megill and David Peterson is most important to get through the regular season. One could prove themselves worthy of an elevated role if needed.
Many of the starting pitcher options the Mets have right now experienced injuries in recent seasons. Rarely will a starting staff get through a whole year healthy. We should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
3) NY Mets won’t win the World Series because of trade deadline difficulties
Billy Eppler’s biggest folly last year was the way he attacked the trade deadline. He had some major misses. Do we expect him to do better this time around?
Eppler can definitely get luckier this summer at the trade deadline. However, there is a difference. The Mets have an even bigger target on their backs. Their high-spending ways in the offseason will have some clubs questioning whether they even want to make a deal with them. At the very least, they’re going to hold their players hostage.
This was the lone fear of seeing Steve Cohen take over as the owner of the Mets and live up to our expectations. He competes in a way other owners don’t have an interest in doing. He’s all in.
An internal struggle they could face is actually trading away any of their notable prospects. Under Cohen and more so since Eppler arrived, they’ve been careful about which notable pieces from the farm are dealt. Even acquiring someone like Shohei Ohtani for two months is going to come at a high cost. By then, hopefully Cohen’s arch nemesis Arte Moreno no longer owns the Los Angeles Angels.
The Mets will have the ability to add to the roster as the season progresses. So will other clubs. It won’t be easy, though. Winning a championship isn’t easy. It’s even tougher when other owners hold a grudge because yours does things right.