The New York Mets

David Wright in the WBC

The Mets made some notable additions this off season including slugger Curtis Granderson who was injured for most of the 2013 season. Although heavily rumored they did not sign short stop Stephan Drew, but there still may a chance he signs with the Amazin' Mets.

The Mets also did not trade first baseman Ike Davis this off season, I personally think they will keep him and give him one more chance. As the trade deadline gets closer the chances that Davis gets traded will probably increase. Other new additions include Chris Young who will probably man right or center field. Here is how the lineup for the Mets should look in 2014.

1. S. Eric Young               CF 79 OPS+
2. L. Daniel Murphy          2B 108 OPS+
3. R. David Wright            3B 156 OPS+
4. L. Curtis Granderson     LF 115 OPS+ 2012
5. R. Travis d'Arnaud         C 58 OPS+
6. L. Lucas Duda              1B 118 OPS+
7. R. Chris Young             RF  85 OPS+
8. R. Ruben Tejada            SS 49 OPS+

Mr. Met is surprisingly my favorite mascot

The pitching rotation for the Mets took a major blow when ace Matt Harvey had to get Tommy John surgery. Although Harvey is out they added Bartolo Colon and now Zach Wheeler will have a chance to shine. Another note is the departure of Johan Santana who is yet to sign with a Major League team. The 5th spot will probably be no one significant until the call up of young gun Noah Syndergard. Here is how the pitching rotation for the Mets may look in 2014.

1. L. Jon Niese                 96 ERA+
2. R. Zack Wheeler           104 ERA+
3. R. Bartolo Colon           141 OPS+
4. R. Dillon Gee                98 OPS+
5. R. Noah Syndergaard     No data available

In the bullpen for the Mets is closer Bobby Parnell, but other than him, the bullpen is looking a little bleak. Veteran lefty Scott Rice has a position in the bullpen, but the Mets are likely to fill in the spots with some young players or sub par relievers that remain on the market.

Memorable Moments From the 2012 All Star Game

Chipper Jones started the game with an unprepared speech to the National League All Stars. He stated that no matter how well, how bad, how old, or how young just enjoy the game because you deserve to be there. The future Hall of Fame candidate also said this is his last All Star Game and he is not going to lose.

In the first inning the National League pounded Justin Verlander and put 5 runs on the board. The big blow came off of a bases clearing triple by Pablo Sandoval. The irony is many people said David Wright deserved the start instead of Sandoval. 3 triples total were hit by the National League, one by Sandoval, Furcal, and Braun.

Melky Cabrera hit the only home run of the game and earned him the MVP of the game. It was just another thing to add on to an already great season.

Chipper Jones had one at bat in the game and was able to make the most out of his at bat. He got a single through the 3.5 hole. His final All Star Game was worth it. His speech probably made a big impact on the players and they won this game for him.

The final score was 8-0 in favor of the National League. The National League team in the World Series will now have home field advantage. This is also the third consecutive year the National League has won the All Star Game.

David Wright

David Wright is the current face of The Mets' franchise. He has played third base for The Mets since 2004. His career peeked in 2007 and 2008 when he hit 30 and 33 home runs respectively. In 2007 he had a .416 on base percentage and in 2008 he had a .390 on base percentage. David Wright was a huge offensive threat, but he can't make the whole team.

In 2009 The Mets moved into their new ballpark Citi Field. It is a lot bigger than Shea Stadium, but personally I have to say it is a lot nicer too. I have visited Shea Stadium and Citi Field and Citi Field is a lot nicer for the fans and for the players.

In 2009 Wright played his first full season at Citi Field and only hit 5 home runs in 70 games at Citi Field. His strike out percentage rocketed up and his walk percentage dropped. This shows that he was trying to hit the ball further. The average distance of the wall in Shea Stadium was 367 feet in Citi Field it was 374 feet. 7 feet may not make much of a difference, but the odd dimensions of Citi Field can have a physical and physiological effect on a batter.

The walls in Citi Field have been moved closer for the 2012 season. The average distance of the wall will now be 369 feet. The most significant change is the left center gap which is going from 371 feet to 358 feet. This is important because a large portion of Wright's home runs are hit to left field and left-center field.

The whole thing may just be a physiological trick, but the walls are technically closer. The dimensions of Citi Field are similar to those of Shea Stadium and that means when David Wright is healthy he will be playing gold glove caliber third base and hitting 20-30 home runs again.