How Much Do the Mets Really Need Kevin Plawecki to Hit?

So with the injury-prone Travis d'Arnaud back on the DL, the spotlight is back on how much can the Mets expect from Kevin Plawecki as their No. 1 catcher. And I honestly don't think it matters that much. The Mets starting lineup, even without d'Arnaud, is highly potent. Especially with the spectacular show Neil Walker's been putting on since season started. Besides David Wright striking out too much and our leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson being such a streaky hitter, I'm not really worried about the Mets offense. Of course, Plawecki hitting around .250 and getting some clutch RBI's over the season could only help the Mets, when it comes to the overall state of the ballclub I'm much more concerned at what he does behind the plate in regards to throwing out runners and how he handles Mets pitchers. And so far, Plawecki has been doing a pretty sound job with both, throwing out a third of runners attempting to steal on him and Mets starters having a full run less of an ERA with Plawecki behind the plate versus d'Arnaud. If Plawecki continues with those type of numbers defensively and the Mets offense stays formidable, then Plawecki's offense should be the least of our problems moving forward.

Yoenis Cespedes Should Be Batting Cleanup, Not 3rd In Mets Lineup

As a baseball purist, its always been my opinion that your best average hitter should be batting 3rd and best power hitter 4th. It's really not complicated and it certainly worked for the Mets in '86 when Keith Hernandez consistently batted 3rd in the lineup with Gary Carter right behind him. That being said, why Terry Collins wants Yoenis Cespedes as his 3rd place hitter with David Wright Wright batting second is beyond me. Cespedes is a streaky hitter and the Mets best power hitter. Wright, for all his recent injuries, I feel if he stays healthy, can still hit in the .280 to .300 range, get you about 35 doubles and drive in 80 to 90 runs. Wright also strikes out a lot and is not a what used-to-be-typical 2nd-place hitter: a guy puts the ball in play a lot, can lay down a good bunt every now and again and can slash-one-behind-the-runner when you need him too. Considering too that Collins has gone on record stating how much he despises the new era of sabermetricians (which I loved because I hate it too). leaves me wondering why Collins has Wright batting 2nd and Cespedes 3rd instead of say a Michael Conforto or Asdrubal Cabrera batting second behind Curtis Granderson with Wright and then Cespedes behind them. Of course, it's easy to pick on Cespedes now that he's opened the season in a huge slump. but Collins backing up his ealier opines and going with a traditional lineup, to me, would be the best option for the Mets in the long run.

Why Hasn't Steven Matz Started A Game Yet?

Matz is supposed to be the Mets 4th starter and yet, through 5 games this season, he hasn't appeared in game. Matz was passed over for Bartolo Colon yesterday in what would normally be his spot in the rotation and I haven't seen or heard any word on when exactly Matz will finally appear in a regular season game. I know that Matz didn't pitch too great during spring training...but that's spring training. And when he did pitch last, he pitched pretty well, delivering 5 no-hit innings against the Cubs in the Mets’ final spring training game on April 1st. Matz hasn't appeared in a game since, tho there was some talk of him pitching in relief of Noah Syndregaard against the Royals in Kansas City the other day. I know that Matz has hi share of aches and pains last season, that included a stint on the disable list. But for a guy who's been designated the 4th starter and a huge key to the Mets' chances of winning this year, I just think it's strange that we haven't seen Matz pitch a game yet thin season.

Thanks To Noah Syndergaard, Mets Split Season Opening Series With Royals

NYDailyNews.com:

Noah Syndergaard just laughed as the crowd at Kauffman Stadium tried to shame him. One woman waved a sign that read: “World Champions don’t need ‘tricks,’ ” which everyone in the Mets bullpen found hilarious.

As the young right-hander warmed up, he was introduced on the video board. The sellout crowd booed.

When he took the mound in the bottom of the first, “American Woman,” blared out of the stadium speakers.

“He was cracking up,” said a friend of Syndergaard’s who was in the bullpen Tuesday. “Absolutely cracking up. He loved it.”

With his long locks flowing, Syndergaard certainly was not rattled. Public Enemy No. 1 in Kansas City because of a message pitch he threw in the World Series, just mowed down the Royals in response. He threw six scoreless innings, striking out nine, as the Mets shut out the defending champions, 2-0.

Honestly, I expect Syndergaard to be great all season. His poise on the mound and pitching repertoire are amazing and he's part of the Big Three that the Mets will need in order to repeat as division champs. I'm more excited about Jim Henderson's scoreless 7th yesterday, The Royals showed us last year what a strong bullpen can do for a team and having always been a fan of having closers (or former closers) on your team, I think Henderson along with Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia can be huge all year for the Mets.

Mike Piazza Irked That 9/11 Jersey Is Up For Auction...And Rightly So

ESPN.com:

Former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza is not happy that the jersey he wore during the first game back after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is scheduled be auctioned off later this month.

Goldin Auctions plans to auction the jersey April 30 in New York City, ESPN's Darren Rovell reported last week.

"I'm very disappointed with the situation regarding my game jersey from Sept. 21, 2001," Piazza told the New York Post. "I've expressed my feelings to [chief operating officer] Jeff [Wilpon] and the Mets. And while it never should have left Citi Field, they have assured me that contact with the seller has been made and they are making a concerted effort to get the jersey back. I'm hopeful that an agreement can be reached and we can give back to the fans and all New Yorkers a piece of that evening that was more than just a game."

Goldin has said the jersey was consigned to the auction by the world's biggest Mets memorabilia collector, who lent it to the team for its museum but recently got it back to put it in the auction.

"We made a mistake in selling the jersey, and Jeff called Mike to express our regret in so doing," a Mets spokesperson said in a statement to the Post. "We have dedicated a section in the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum to celebrate Mike's achievements and his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and are exploring memorabilia to display in that area. We can't verify the item being auctioned, but can confirm that our memorabilia group sold a jersey that meets this description, which was not authenticated with respect to game use."

Smh. Did Mets management really need to be told that this was a bad idea to begin with? Citi Field has a Hall of Fame section for a reason. The jersey belongs there.

ESPN First Take Today - Mets vs Royals: Who will win the World Series this year?