New York Mets fans have suffered a lot in the past 10 years. Carlos Beltran caught looking in game Six of the 2006 NLCS. The collapses in 2007 and 2008. Bernie Madoff. Ugly play. But this past Saturday was validation. The New York Mets are going back to the postseason for the first time since 2006. Unless the Los Angeles Dodgers totally collapse down the stretch, the Mets will be taking them on in the NLDS beginning next week.
Any one of the 10 teams that make the playoffs could win the whole thing. If you tell me the World Series is Mets vs the Houston Astros it wouldn’t shock me one bit. Who would’ve thought the Royals would face the Giants last season in the Fall Classic?
For any of these teams to win it all, some things are going to have to break their way. Stars need to show up and prove that they are. Unlikely contributors are going to have to show themselves. Terry Collins is going to have to prove that he can push all the right buttons and get the job done.
Mets fans have waiting for this kind of team since 1986. They thought they had it in 1988, 1999,2000 and 2006. It didn’t work out that way. Can this group of guys bring a championship back to Queens and try and own New York City? Can they get past guys like Matt Carpenter, Clayton Kershaw and Andrew McCutchen?
If they do, here are five keys for the Mets in the upcoming playoffs.
Next: The Bullpen