New York Mets: Defensive Runs Saves Projects As Problem

The biggest problem for the New York Mets heading into the 2017 season is their poorly rated defense.

The New York Mets have high hopes for the 2017 season. After making the World Series in 2015, the Mets took a step back in 2016. They were eliminated in the Wild Card game by the San Francisco Giants, cutting their season short.

The Mets are hoping to get back into the postseason for a third consecutive season and have a great shot at doing it. They have a deep lineup and arguably the best starting rotation on paper. But, the games are not played on paper.

Arguably the biggest problem for the Mets last season was their injuries. Their star-studded starting pitchers of Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler have never been in the lineup all at the same time. On the field, David Wright is a huge injury concern, while Neil Walker, Travis d’Arnaud, and Lucas Duda all missed significant time.

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Injuries will once again be a huge factor in the Mets success in 2017. If they are able to remain healthy, they will field one of the strongest teams in the major leagues. Injuries are something that all teams have to deal with. One thing the Mets will have to contend with in 2017 that not all teams will is poor defense.

Over at ESPN, Bradford Doolittle wrote a piece projected the biggest problems for all the major league teams in 2017. For the Mets, Doolittle pinpointed defensive runs saved as their biggest obstacle.

Here is what Doolittle had to say about the Mets defense for the 2017 season.

"If healthy, the Mets’ pitching staff will be at or near the top of the big league leaderboard in K’s. Based on forecasts using Baseball Info Solutions’ DRS data, their position players are going to have to rake collectively to make up for shoddy glove work.The fix: This isn’t a new problem as New York finished 26th in defensive efficiency last year. According to the 2017 Bill James Handbook, New York was minus-21 in DRS at third base alone. The solution is near and yet so far: two-time Gold Glover David Wright is somewhere near good health."

There is no doubting that the backbone for this Mets team in 2017 will be the starting pitching. If they deal with as many struggles and injuries as last season, the Mets’ season could derail quickly. If they remain healthy, the Mets will hope they continue blowing opposing hitters away and not have to rely on their defense.

Juan Lagares is an excellent defender in center field. Kevin Plawecki is regarded as a strong defensive catcher. Yoenis Cespedes is an excellent left fielder. Outside of those players, it is fair to say the Mets are average, at best, at their respective positions.

While some fans do no appreciate defense as much as they should, there is no denying it is a big part of the game. Having strong defenders can help save a pitcher on an off day and take pressure off of him to not have to be perfect; it is okay to sometimes give up a hard hit ball when you know you have players capable of making plays behind you.

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If Wright can stay relatively healthy, the Mets defense at third base, which Doolittle points out as being the weakest spot, would improve. Getting Wright to remain healthy is a huge question mark, but would help the Mets immensely.

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