2 reasons the Mets will finish above .500, 2 reasons they will finish below

The Mets won’t finish above .500 because the injury bug will bite them

The Mets have been relatively healthy to begin the year. They’ve had to place a couple of guys on the IL. J.D. Martinez experienced a setback during his unusual minor league assignment. Surely, someone else is already playing through some pain.

It’s usually by around this point in the season when players’ bodies begin to ache a little worse. The timing of those injuries tend to be devastating. The last thing this Mets team needs is to lose one of those top-talent guys.

Again with the pitching staff. One could argue the Mets can more afford to lose an offensive player merely because many of those guys have struggled. They’re now having to rotate through a couple of the “lesser” players on a more regular basis just to get everyone playing time. With pitching, it’s different. They’ve already dipped into the depth. We can appreciate the players they have available in the backseat while hoping none of them ever have to grab the wheel.

Most concerning are the number of players the Mets brought in this offseason with a track record of getting hurt. Luis Severino has struggled to stay on the field for years. Harrison Bader, who has played remarkably well for the team, is another one of those constantly hurt guys to wonder about. Starling Marte has played like he’s healthy but his age and two straight years of missing time should have us wondering if it’s only a matter of time.

Something the Mets don’t have a lot of is positional depth. There are a couple of positions where they’d be fine. However, none of the prospects are knocking loudly on the door and many of the veterans they added in the offseason on minor league deals are great solutions. An injury to a player like Francisco Alvarez can completely deplete the offensive production from a position. We don’t need more Joey Wendle in the starting lineup.