Fantasy Forces:
2B-Roberto Alomar (35)- Playing in the Senior Circuit for the first time since '90, the transition was tougher than expected as Alomar
slumped to his worst season since he debuted in '88. Producing numbers nearly identical across the board to his rookie season with the
Padres, Alomar is now 454 hits shy of 3,000 and will get back to his HOF level in '03. While he prefers to hit second and will begin
the season there, the volatility at the top may push him up a notch.
CL-Armando Benitez (30)- With his third straight 30-save season, Benitez is clearly one of the game's dominant closers. Like Billy
Wagner and Troy Percival, Benitez packs a massive fastball and uses pinpoint precision to freeze the best of hitters. He strikes out
as many as anyone and since the Mets are surely going to be better this year, he will crawl near 40 saves again.
SP-Tom Glavine (37)- On his way to 300 wins (242), Glavine will make his first start as a non-Brave on Opening Day. One of
the steadiest lefties in history, he racked up five 20-win seasons with Atlanta and should come close again this year. Despite his
age, the future HOFer's repertoire will allow him to avoid a drastic dropoff and he should be among the Cy Young candidates again.
LF-Cliff Floyd (30)- Enduring years of health issues, Floyd posted consecutive 500-AB seasons for the first time in his 10-year
career, leaving hope he may be able to avoid injuries as he ages, similar to what happened to 3,000-hit member Paul Molitor.
Sandwiched between two future HOFers, Floyd will approach his standard all-around production.
SP-Al Leiter (37)- Five months older than Glavine, Leiter slides down in the rotation to make room but will gladly accept the shift
following a less-than-impressive second half. Working through an assortment of speeds and movement, the crafty lefty has been one of
the top pitchers in the game but seems to have fallen into a .500 rut, finishing 3 of the last four seasons within a game of even.
That should change this year as he crawls well into double digits.
Risky Business:
SP-Pedro Astacio (33)- From the onset it appeared Astacio would show he was still the same pitcher he was before he landed in
Coors Field. Averaging nearly seven innings a start before the break, his shoulder wore down in the second half as he fell below his
Colorado standard. He will once again be in the rotation but health is a continuous concern.
RF-Jeromy Burnitz (33)- Was there any doubt Burnitz would be even worse hitting in pitcher friendly Shea than he was at County
Stadium in Milwaukee? He wasn't just bad, he made Buddy Biancalana look like an All-Star. Swinging at everything within 2 feet
of the strikezone, the lefty appeared lost the entire season and even went two months without getting a hit against a lefty, whom he hit
just .174 against in 121 ABs. Howe will have much less patience with him and could put him in a limited platoon role if he can't
revert to his former ways.
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Supporting Cast:
CF-Roger Cedeno (28)- The Mets acquired the speedster in hopes he would duplicate his bust-out '99 season at Shea, when he hit over .300
the only time in his career while swiping 66 bases. He will again be in the leadoff spot but a lack of patience makes him a prime low
order hitter. Until he learns to cater to his strengths at the plate, Cedeno will merely be an effective basestealer.
SS-Rey Sanchez (35)- Joining Floyd on the train from Boston, Sanchez steps into what can only be viewed as a temporary role
as the Mets await the arrival of top shortstop prospect Jose Reyes. In the meantime he is surely going to give them as much as Ordonez
did in the field while his slappy happy bat is a major upgrade.
SP-Steve Trachsel (32)- With Astacio free-falling following a stellar first half, Trachsel stepped in to provide ace material
after returning from a 3-week stint on the DL. Effective but not overpowering, Trachsel firmly entrenched himself in the top half of
the rotation and should be a steady producer.
1B-Mo Vaughn (35)- The Mets brought Vaughn back to the east coast and were sadly disappointed in the product they got.
Sluggish and overweight, Vaughn slumped through the first half before showing some flashes of his former self as the season wore on.
Nonetheless the Mets threatened to void his contract if he came to camp out of shape again. Supposedly taking their threat very
serious, The Hit Dog is back in shape and focused on reverting to his Beantown production. He should be close.
Better Days Ahead:
SP-Mike Bacsik (25)- Bacsik came over in the Alomar trade and was effective in a 9-start NL debut. With developed command,
he is a change of pace pitcher who can win the battles on the corners. Working the strikezone, he doesn't get many hitters out by
himself and will give up his share of hits, but he is adept at avoiding the big inning. He is the favorite for the fifth spot right
now but could fall into a spot start/long relief role.
3B-Ty Wigginton (25)- Alfonzo's departure leaves the hot corner in the hands of Wigginton, a potentially big power hitter with
decent knowledge of the strikezone. Versatile enough to play across the infield, he also has capable speed. Though he will hit
lower in the lineup, he is a sleeper for the NL ROY.
Past Their Prime:
C-Mike Piazza (34)- As strange as it may seem to see one of history's top hitting backstops here, it can't be argued the former
62nd-round pick has seen the years of catching take their toll. With one of the most devestating opposite field power swings ever,
Piazza hit below .300 for the first time in his career and trailed off after the break. While he will again be called on to catch
130-140 games with quality production, the end usually comes quick for aging catchers. A move to first is surely in order in the near
future. |
