Kuzul

Many Mets fans might not know anything about Matt Harvey.

Harvey is a big right-hander, listed at 6 foot 4 inches and weighing in at 225 pounds, from the University of North Carolina. Harvey has been a highly touted prospect since high school.

At Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut, Harvey was named an All-American and the Connecticut state player of the year. He was also a three time preseason All-America pick, as well as a three time all-state pick and a four time all-conference pick.

Baseball America ranked him as the top high school prospect his senior year.

The Dodgers selected Harvey in the 3rd round with the 118th pick in 2007.

Harvey decided to attend the University of North Carolina instead of signing.

Harvey has also pitched at the international level. He was a member of Team USA for the 2006 IBFA AAA Junior World Championships in Cuba. Matt managed to go 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 19 games (16 starts) his freshman year at UNC. He also struck out 80 batters in 67.2 innings and held hitters to a .214 batting average. His brilliance earned Harvey freshman first team All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball and Rivals.com.

Harvey struggled a bit during his sophomore year. He went 7-2 with 1 save and a 5.40 ERA in 21 appearances (13 starts). He struck out 81 batters in 75 innings. Hitters hit .293 off of Harvey. Harvey played summer ball for the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod League…

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When looking at the Mets this year, fans can see there is one thing they truly lack: charisma. Jerry Manuel is known for his laid back attitude and approach to the game. So far this has been terribly unsuccessful. He has a 152-157 record since taking over as Mets manager midway through the 2008 season. Mediocrity is not acceptable in New York.

The Mets need a charismatic manager who brings fire and passion to the game. The team needs to be energized. The perfect manager for the job is Bobby Valentine. If you watch Baseball Tonight, you can see Valentine’s love of the game.

It is fairly obvious that Valentine would love to manage in the majors again. A lasting image from his stint as manager of the Mets occurred when he was ejected from a game and came back an inning later in sunglasses and a fake mustache.

This shows dedication to the team. Valentine wanted to be out there to help the team regardless of the consequences. When asked about the incident, Valentine said he did it to lighten up the team. Anyone who has seen the documentary The Zen of Bobby V cannot question Valentine’s passion.

He understands the game of baseball. Fans of the Chiba Lotte Marines, the Japanese he managed, practically worshiped Valentine. Valentine brings a positive aura to the teams he coaches. While Valentine is a character, he is also able to bring managerial skills with him. No other manager would have been…

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The New York Mets have DFA’ed Gary Mathews Jr. This is a move that many Mets fans will be excited about. In a related move, the Mets called up Omir Santos.

That decision does not make sense.

There is no need for a third catcher on the roster. Rod Barajas has been playing great this year. I do not see much playing time in Santos’s future. My thoughts are that the Mets may be trying to showcase him for a trade.

The Mets should have brought up Jesus Feliciano, who is currently tearing up Triple-A with a .388 batting average through 170 at bats.

This move is clearly a step in the right direction.

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Catcher

1. Yadier Molina (Cardinals) 494,517

2. Carlos Ruiz (Phillies) 416,585

3. Ivan Rodriguez (Nationals) 403,874

Mets Candidate: Rod Barajas

It is absurd that Barajas is not even in the top 5 in the voting for catchers. Barajas is batting .268 (9th among NL catchers) with a .544 slugging percentage (2nd), 11 home runs (1st), 30 RBIs (1st), and 22 runs scored (4th). Clearly Rod has done more than enough to be near the top of the voting. The leader, Yadier Molina, has a .259 (12th) batting average, a .343 slugging percentage (15th),  two home runs (t-11th), and 28 RBIs (2nd). Barajas is outperforming Molina in every single one of these categories. As of now, Barajas is on pace for a career year, and he is more than deserving of an All-Star Game appearance.

1st Base

1. Albert Pujols (Cardinals) 1,006,149

2. Ryan Howard (Phillies) 532,729

3. Prince Fielder (Brewers) 315,936

Mets Candidate: Ike Davis

While Ike is putting together a nice season so far, there is no way that he could compete with for an All-Star spot at 1st base. Albert Pujols, even with his struggles, has been dominant this year. He is batting .318 with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs, and a .566 slugging percentage. Ike Davis may not reach the All-Star Game for many years because of all the talent that the National League has at first base.

2nd Base

1. Chase Utley (Phillies) 1,103,430

2. Rickie Weeks (Brewers) 261,591

3. Martin Prado (Braves) 260,349

Mets Candidate: …

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The New York Mets have reported that Daniel Murphy has a high grade MCL tear. Murphy is expected to miss the next four to six months. Murphy however will not need surgery.

This eliminates any chance that Murphy will be traded at the deadline for pitching help this year.

Having gone through a severe knee injury myself, I know that Murphy has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He will need to work hard in physical therapy to return to where he was.

Hopefully Murphy will be able to surprise us and recover quickly. He may be able to make it back in late September.

Murphy may be a candidate to be sent to the Arizona Fall League if he recovers in time.

I wish Daniel the best of luck and hope he has a speedy recovery.

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Through the first month of the season, Jose Reyes’ struggles were very clear. Reyes hit only .238 with a .295 on base percentage. Reyes simply did not look like the player he had been in the past.

People wondered what had caused Reyes’ struggles. Was it his thyroid problem? His new spot batting third in the batting order? Or was it that Jose was washed up?

It was not any of these things, although his struggles were tied to his thyroid problem. As a result of this issue, Jose missed most of spring training. This put him a month behind all of the other players in the league.

The Mets played 30 spring training games this year. It would have expected that Jose would have played in between 20 and 25 games during spring training.

Jose played his 25th game of the season on May 7th. If you look at the first 25 games of Jose’s season, you will see that Jose had a .236 batting average and a .281 on base percentage. He also had 12 runs scored, five stolen bases and nine RBIs.

In the 23 games Jose has played since that point in the season, he is hitting .283 with a .324 on base percentage. He also has 18 runs scored, nine stolen bases, and 12 RBIs during this span. The numbers that Jose has put up recently come much closer to his career numbers.

For his career, Jose is a .285 hitter with a .335 on base percentage. Jose also averages 15.9 runs scored, 8.5 stolen bases, and 9.5 RBIs for 23 game time periods over the course of his career.

Reyes has also been much more comfortable since returning to the leadoff spot. Jose has hit .294 with a .331 on base percentage and 13 RBIs from the leadoff spot in 26 games. In 20 games from the third spot in the order, Reyes hit .207 with a .253 on base percentage and six RBIs.

Jose had also gone from posting a -0.9 WAR on May 23 to having a -0.2 WAR right now. This is a massive change around for such a short time period. 

Over the past two weeks, Jose has put many of the negative claims about him to rest. He has hit .358 with a .393 on base percentage and 12 RBIs during his last 12 games. While he cannot be expected to continue to hit at this rate, these numbers are very encouraging.

It seems that Jose Reyes’ struggles were tied to his missed time during spring training. Jose appeared to use April and early May as his spring training. Once Jose was able to get back into the groove of things he once again returned to being the player that he has been in the past.

The Mets need Jose to maintain his success if they are going to be a playoff team this year.

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Recently, there have been rumors that the Mets might be interested in Roy Oswalt and if he should become available, Cliff Lee.

However, the Mets do not need either of these pitchers. While a second (or as many would argue—a third) ace would be nice to have, it is simply an unnecessary luxury.

The Mets already have two number one starters. Mike Pelfrey’s outing last night against the Phillies has only solidified the fact that he is an ace . The Mets also have another ace in Johan Santana.

Hisanori Takahashi has been brilliant with the Mets. He is looking like he could be the Mets’ number three starter.

The cost in terms of prospects for Oswalt and Lee would not be worth it. The Mets would almost without a doubt have to give up either Wilmer Flores or Fernando Martinez in addition to at least one or two more prospects. This does not make sense for the Mets.

Cliff Lee would be a rental for this year only. Lee has said that he wants to become a free agent after the season, so the Mets would not be able to negotiate with him like they did with Johan Santana.

Roy Oswalt is owed $15 million this year, $16 million next year, and has a club option for $16 million in 2012. Is there even a realistic chance that the Mets will take on this contract when they aren’t willing to cut Oliver Perez and his $12 million deal? If the Mets move Perez, I can see an Oswalt deal possibly happening, but until then, there is no chance it will.

The Mets are a team that is built to compete for the next few years. David Wright and Jose Reyes are just beginning to enter their primes. Ike Davis should take large strides over the next few years. The Mets should get a full season out of Carlos Beltran next year.

This team is just about to enter a stretch during the next few years where they should be very competitive. They should not be trading away their top prospects unless it is for young pitching.

The Mets should be looking for a number two or a number three starter. Ideally if the Mets are looking for a one-year rental, they should consider trading for Kevin Millwood. Yes, he has an 0-4 record, but his other numbers are very good. Through 68 innings, Millwood has posted a 3.71 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP, a 7.4 K/9 ratio and a 3.50 K/BB ratio.

While his numbers aren’t as good as Lee’s or Oswalt’s, Millwood would come to the Mets at a significantly cheaper price. The Orioles are out of the AL East race and will be sellers at the trade deadline. Millwood will most likely cost the Mets only one or two young prospects, and neither Flores and Martinez would have to be included.

The upshot? Dealing for Millwood would give the Mets a better shot to compete this year without mortgaging their future.

The Mets could then attempt to sign Lee this off season if they want him. He will then be under their control for multiple years as opposed to only a few months.

While Lee and Oswalt would obviously improve the Mets’ pitching staff, they do not need a third ace. This is a luxury that would be too expensive to acquire.

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Back in February, when the Mets signed Hisanori Takahashi to a minor league contract, barely anyone noticed.

Now, almost two months into the season, Mets fans are enamored by his talents.

However, most fans do not know much about Takahashi.

Takahashi spent time pitching in college in Japan and Japan’s Industrial League. Then, at age 25, Takahashi began pitching in the Nippon Professional League in 2000 for the Yomiuri Giants. He spent his whole professional career in Japan with the team.

Takahashi started between 2000 and 2005. His best season came in 2002, when he went 10-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 21 starts. He posted a 2.8 BB/9 rate along with an 8.0 K/9 rate. Takahashi also had a WHIP of 1.11.

Then in 2006 the Giants converted Takahashi to closer. He struggled, posting a 4.94 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. He also gave up 10.2 H/9. Takahashi moved between the bullpen and the starting rotation for the Giants between 2007 and 2009.

Then after the 2009 season, Takahashi became an international free agent. He drew interest from the Giants, Dodgers, Red Sox, Pirates, and Padres, as well as the Mets.

After signing a minor league contract with the Mets, Takahashi was impressive in spring training. He won a spot in the Mets bullpen.

In 15 appearances out of the bullpen, Takahashi pitched very well. In 26 innings, he posted a 3.12 ERA and had 33 strikeouts to only 14 walks. This is a strikeout rate of 11.42 K/9.

After his impressive performance in the bullpen, Takahashi was moved to the starting rotation after Oliver Perez’s demotion and Jonathon Niese’s injury.

Takahashi has been dominant, dare I say ace-like, since the move to the rotation. In two starts, Takahashi has posted a 0.00 ERA and a 0.917 WHIP in 12 innings. Takahashi’s numbers also include an 11.0 K/BB ratio and an 8.3 K/9 ratio.

How is a pitcher who did not have a K/9 ratio greater than 8.1 K/9 in Japan suddenly having so much success in the major leagues?

The answer could lie within the size of the Nippon Professional League. There are only 12 teams in Japan, and the batters study all of the pitchers. If a pitcher only throws three or four pitches, batters will easily figure them out.

It has been reported that Takahashi has six pitches. He throws a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a cut fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a sinker. It also appears that Takahashi can throw two different curveballs and two different sinkers. This would give him an amazing eight pitches. With so many possible pitches, it is no wonder why batters are so confused.

Another factor in Takahashi’s success has been his ability to keep runners off the basepaths. His walk rate is only 3.55 BB/9, which is actually the highest rate of his life. He did not have a walk rate greater than 2.8 BB/9 in Japan. 

Takahashi has also been able to keep the ball in the ballpark. Only 2.3 percent of fly balls hit against him have been home runs. He also has a .24 HR/9 ratio. This is very low.

The advanced metrics favor Takahashi’s success as well. He has an FIP of just 2.31 and an xFIP of only 3.51. Takahashi’s tERA, or true ERA, is 2.63.

One can also argue that Takahashi has even been unlucky this year. While he is holding hitters to a .230 average, hitters have a .329 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) against him. This makes his success even more impressive.

Takahashi has also posted an outstanding 83.3 LOB percent, which is well above the NL average of approximately 72 percent. While some may attribute this to luck, it has actually been shown that there is a correlation between LOB percent and pitching ability.

While Hisanori Takahashi’s success came as a surprise to all Met fans, there is still a lot to look forward to. Takahashi’s success should continue throughout the year, and he should be a stalwart of the New York Mets’ starting rotation.

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It goes without saying that Carlos Beltran is a crucial part of the Mets lineup. Since his microfracture surgery in January, the question has been when he will return to the Mets. However, no one has been able to answer this.

The Mets moved Beltran to the 60 day disabled list today. This is more of a procedural move than a sign of anything else. The Mets needed to clear a space on their 40- man roster for the recently acquired Justin Turner. Beltran was put on the DL on March 26, so the move will not impact his return date.

After looking through medical journals, one finds out that someone who had microfracture surgery is supposed to keep weight off the knee and hobble around on crutches for six to eight weeks. The prognosis for the surgery is that someone who was operated on will be able to return to sports in about four months.

It has been said that with elite athletes, the timetable for return is normally shorter than the original prognosis.

Beltran has just recently reached the four-month mark and he has not yet returned to baseball. Carlos has just recently started to jog. He is working towards being able to run. It is unknown when Beltran will be able to play in a simulated game.

Once Beltran plays in a simulated game he will likely have a two to three week rehab assignment in the minors. No one knows how Beltran will play after he returns. His defense may suffer because of a limited range of motion. His swing could also be affected as a result of the surgery.

Is there anyone to blame for Beltran being behind schedule? Beltran should have been rehabbing for hours everyday. The Mets medical staff should have been watching him. Beltran should be a bit farther in his rehab at this point in the year.

Some of the blame should be placed on the Mets medical staff. They have mishandled numerous injuries in the past (see Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Jon Niese, Luis Castillo).

It has been rumored that as a worse case scenario Beltran would miss the entire season. This would obviously be a massive loss. His 25 + HR and 110 + RBI bat cannot and has not fully been replaced. Beltran’s defense also cannot be replaced.

The Mets are missing a perennial All-Star and are only four games out of first place. Beltran’s return could push the Mets over the top and back into first place in the NL East.

Mets fans must start questioning why Beltran has not returned to baseball activity at this point in the year and when he will be back. He could be the missing link between the Mets and playoff baseball.

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Less than a year and a half ago, Mets fans were wondering if Daniel Murphy would be the permanent solution at first base after Carlos Delgado left. He had shown promise hitting .266 with 12 home runs and 63 RBI in his first full season.

First base is notoriously a source of power in any teams lineup. It did not appear that Murphy would be able to provide that power. Then, during spring training he was placed on the disabled list with a sprained right MCL.

Once again, the Mets had a hole at first base. The Mets opened their season with Mike Jacobs experiment. This failed mightily as Jacobs hit only .208 with one home run. He was platooning at first with Fernando Tatis.

Meanwhile, young Ike Davis was tearing apart Triple-A. He posted a .364 batting average and .500 on-base percentage. Ike was proving that he belonged in the major leagues.

Then, on April 19, the Mets made one of their best decisions of the year. The Mets called up Ike Davis.

Davis had found success in the majors at the young age of 23. He is hitting .290 and has four home runs in 107 at-bats. What is even more impressive is that Davis has hit three of his home runs in the cavernous Citi Field. This is the same amount as perennial 30 home run hitter Jason Bay.

Can we expect this type of power out of Davis for years to come? One would think so as Davis managed to hit 20 home runs in the minors last season in only 429 at bats. Davis also hit 16 home runs in just 213 at bats in his last season in college at Arizona State.

Clearly the Mets also expect Davis to be a source of power as he has been moved to the cleanup spot in the lineup. The Mets expect to give Davis many RBI opportunities with Jose Reyes and Jason Bay batting ahead of him. The Mets are also giving Davis protection by slotting David Wright into the five hole in the batting order.

The Mets have given Ike a tremendous vote of confidence by making this move. They are showing him that they believe he will be one of their main run producers now and in the future. I think this will only help improve Ike’s game.

I know that it is a small sample size, but Davis is hitting .368 in 19 at bats from the cleanup spot. He has also scored five runs from the four hole. While he cannot be expected to maintain these numbers over the course of a full season, it would not be surprising to see him hit over .300 considering who is surrounding him in the lineup.

Davis appears to have joined the core of the Mets. He can be mentioned among Wright, Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Johan Santana as a player to build around. This is an incredible feat for someone who is so young.

With Davis’ early success and Carlos Beltran impending return, the Mets still have a shot at the playoffs this year. They would not have had this opportunity with Murphy starting at first base. There would have been a big offensive hole at first base with Murphy in the lineup.

Davis has the potential to be the next great Mets first baseman. He could be a combination of the power of Carlos Delgado with the defense of Keith Hernandez.

Ike Davis is part of the future of the New York Mets, and the future is now.

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