Shale Briskin
MM Assistant Editor
The 2013 Mets may not have any favorites to win any major National League awards. But that doesn't mean we can't see what the awards would look like amongst all the Mets. Here is what the list of recipients would most likely consist of.
Team MVP: David Wright
Ike Davis may put the best home run and RBI numbers on the team, but once again, David Wright will be Mets' MVP for a reason.
Throughout his career, Wright has set the example for National League third basemen. He has been an All-Star from 2006-2010 and 2012. Since his career began in 2004, Wright has ranked third among all active third basemen in home runs, third in RBI, second in runs, first in hits, and fourth in OPS.
Wright is now the Mets' official captain and clearly the heart and soul of the entire franchise. If the Mets will be winning in the near future, Wright will be leading the way with his leadership, clutch hitting and consistency.
Team Cy Young: Matt Harvey
At just 24 years old, Matt Harvey will be counted on to be a dependable anchor and potential ace this season for the Mets. A huge season from Harvey would give the Mets and their fans a lot of hope that the future could be bright with Harvey and future co-ace Zack Wheeler leading the way on the pitching side.
Jon Niese is the Mets' most durable and proven pitcher right now, but Harvey's potential should put him over the top during the season. 15-16 wins and an ERA below 3.50 are more than reasonable expectations for Harvey this year in his first full major league season.
If any Mets pitcher will be drawing a significant number of tickets this year, it will be Harvey, at least until Wheeler is still in the minor leagues.
Biggest Surprise: Collin Cowgill
As the Opening Day leadoff hitter and center fielder, Cowgill made the most of his Mets debut with a grand slam. The last Met to hit a grand slam on Opening Day was former catcher Todd Hundley in 1995.
Cowgill has the ability to get on base and could really turn out to be a steal for the Mets if he overachieves. He has center field all to himself for now, so it will be interesting to see how well he does for at least the first month of the season.
Biggest Disappointment: Johan Santana
Now that Santana is officially out for the entire 2013 season, he is clearly the big $25 million disappointment because he will most likely never throw another pitch as a Met ever again. It's very unfortunate that Santana's time with the Mets will be mostly remembered for his stints on the disabled list, but when healthy, Santana was one of the best in the game and got the Mets their long awaited first no-hitter.
Offensive Breakout Candidate: Ruben Tejada
Ruben Tejada had a solid 2012 season with a .289 average, 26 doubles and a .333 OBP. Tejada though should be expected to perform a lot better this year. If he can hit over .300, get on base more often, draw more walks and maybe even steal a few bases, the Mets will certainly take that from him.
Pitching Breakout Candidate: Bobby Parnell
Bobby Parnell has been more or less the Mets' "closer in waiting" for the past few seasons. Now, with Frank Francisco's elbow injury, Parnell could become the full time closer for the entire season this year if he pitches well in the role.
Parnell already has the velocity of a typical closer. If he can improve his secondary pitches and maintain good control, he could become one of the National League's better closers this year.
Comeback Player of the Year: Dillon Gee
Dillon Gee was having a solid season in 2012 until a blood clot was found in an artery near his right shoulder. Gee was hospitalized and eventually shut down for the rest of the season.
A healthy Gee would be a big boost for the Mets' rotation. While he is not a hard-throwing strikeout pitcher, he will get outs and has displayed great control. If he stays healthy, Gee would definitely be the Mets' comeback player of the year.
For more, please visit this link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1584039-predicting-all-new-york-mets-team-awards-for-2013
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