Citi Field, Nov. 1, 2015: The New York Mets look on as the Kansas City Royals celebrate on the mound after another late-inning comeback victory.
Fast forward three long years, and the Mets have had one of the best starts to the 2018 campaign.
After a nine-game winning streak, the Mets are looking to take a strong April into the dog days of summer.
The Mets have had a very dominant starting rotation for a few years now. The only problem is keeping the full rotation healthy.
The rotation is still relatively young and can really be a nightmare for even the best hitters in the National League.
Noah Syndergaard is a cornerstone of the rotation, and his blazing fastball could help the Mets make the playoffs once again. He looks like he has fully recovered from his strained right latissimus dorsi, and it looks like his fastball has only gotten faster since.
In his start on Sunday versus the Brewers, he recorded 11 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, including fanning eight straight batters. He received a no-decision as the Mets won on Wilmer Flores’ walk-off home run in the ninth inning, but still had an impressive outing.
If the Mets can get a couple of dominant bullpen guys during the trade deadline, they will be set for another special season in 2018. Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce were two very good acquisitions this offseason and bring a lot of power to the lineup.
Frazier made the switch from the pinstripes to the orange and blue in the offseason. He is a very solid third baseman and a huge threat at the plate.
Jay Bruce made his return to Queens this season and can provide a lot of power. He will be a great asset in inter-league play coming out of the designated hitter spot.
Those additions, along with most of the core players from the World Series team, could help them return to the World Series in 2018.
If the Mets can stay healthy in 2018, they can be a dangerous team in October.
This could be the year that the Mets celebrate on the mound.
Cody Friesen is a junior in human development and family science.The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian.Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.
