3 reasons to be excited about the 2022 Mets season

Jul 4, 2021; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Mets fans celebrate during the seventh inning of the
Jul 4, 2021; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Mets fans celebrate during the seventh inning of the / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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The ongoing CBA negotiations between the MLB and MLBPA have put a huge damper on the baseball world especially fans of the New York Mets. So much was accomplished this offseason from the front office down to the main roster.

It’s hard not to remain excited considering all the moves we have made. It feels like the offseasons of 2005-06 all over again. I choose, and I hope all of you Mets fans do the same, to stay optimistic. Optimistic that we will have a baseball season. Optimistic that we will see Buck Showalter lead this team to greatness. Optimistic that the new additions to this roster will bring us a championship for the first time since 1986. There is so much to look forward to with the team from Queens. There is so much for us Mets fans to be excited about!

Let’s focus on 3 major reasons why Mets fans should be excited about the 2022 season.

Mets to unveil Tom Seaver Statue

They don’t call him ‘The Franchise’ for nothing. That’s how much Tom Seaver meant to this team and the New York Mets fanbase. On Opening Day 2022, Seaver will finally be immortalized with a statue out front of Citi Field. 

A deserving honor for the best player to ever put on the blue and orange hat. For so long, Seaver was the standard for what this franchise meant to the fanbase. He meant so much that when he was traded in 1977, it felt like a funeral at Shea Stadium. 

Until Mike Piazza came, Seaver was the only Met to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with his Mets cap on. He also had the most votes for the longest time until Ken Griffey Jr. broke that record. That is how good Seaver was. 

Now this year we will all get to watch the final chapter in the history of a Mets legend. Unfortunately, Seaver passed away in August of 2020. It would have been great to see him unveil the statue in person as we know how proud he would have been. At least we can go to Citi Field on Opening Day knowing that he is smiling upon us.

Gatorade All-Star Workout Day
Gatorade All-Star Workout Day / Patrick McDermott/GettyImages

Mets aces in on Cy Young chase

We just got done talking about Tom Seaver, a legendary pitcher with 3 Cy Youngs to show for it. In 2022 we get to watch a Cy Young chase not only from one but two Mets pitchers. Both Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer have the opportunity to dazzle us through the dog days of summer. If both stay healthy, we could be witnessing an epic chase for the pitcher's most valuable prize. 

Jacob deGrom, who won back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2018-19 will be looking for his third. He was well on his way last season when injuries caught up to him and ended his season at the All-Star break. It’s unfortunate too because deGrom was putting up numbers we haven't seen since the ‘Year of the Pitcher” in 1968. 

Max Scherzer already has three Cy Youngs and will be on his quest for a fourth. If he accomplishes this task then it will be his first in a Mets uniform. Mad Max has done nothing but dominate the NL East for the last 7 years so it is with a big sigh of relief that he is on our side this season.

Watching two of the best pitchers in all of baseball has been exciting but getting to watch them on the same team… now that's just amazing! 

Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets / Elsa/GettyImages

Mets to retire Keith Hernandez No. 17

FINALLY! What every Mets fan said when they heard the news that Keith Hernandez no. 17 will be retired. It’s about time, right? Keith Hernandez’s name is synonymous with Mets success not only in the broadcast booth but as a player as well. 

He helped turn this fledgling franchise into a juggernaut in the ’80s. The Mets were still in the midst of a rebuild in 1983 when the opportunity to trade for Hernandez came up. In a surprising move by the defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, they sent Hernandez packing to Queens where he found a team down in the dumps. That wouldn’t last for much longer as his leadership and great play became infectious. Keith helped turn this team around and in 1986 helped them to win the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Once you win a World Series here you are pretty much royalty and that's what Hernandez became. I never got to see him play in real-time but I always heard stories and watched replays of some of his greatest plays. The guy is a legend and very deserving of this honor.

It will be great to sit along with Mets fans at Citi Field on July 9th to see Keith Hernandez take his rightful place with Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, Gil Hodges and Casey Stengel.

dark. Next. A generation of Mets fans yearning for a championship

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