Series Preview: New York Mets

It’s Opening Day. The Marlins and the New York Mets will open the season tonight. Is there much more to say? After a tumultuous. turbulent offseason, the new-look Fish will finally take the field, and we’ll finally get to see what all the fuss was about before the season started.

New York Mets (0-0) @ Florida Marlins, April 1-3, Games 1-3

NL East Standings

Stadium: Sun Life Stadium
Five-year Run PF*: 1.01
Five-year HR PF*: 0.97
Stadium Dimensions:
Left Field: 330 ft.
Left-Center: 361
Center Field: 404
Right-Center: 361
Right Field: 345

*Five-year regressed park factors provided by Patriot here

Projected Pitching Matchups

April 1: Josh Johnson vs. Mike Pelfrey
April 2: Ricky Nolasco vs. Jonathan Niese
April 3: Javier Vazquez vs. R.A. Dickey

ZiPS In-Season Projections

Projected Lineup

Quick Hits

In this Series Preview, I’m debuting a new interview segment called “Quick Hits” in which I ask a FanSided blogger of the opposing team three questions about their team, series, and season so far. Today, our debut Quick Hits talks to Ben Berkon of Rising Apple, the FanSided New York Mets blog.

1. What is the best-case scenario for the Mets’ second base position this season?

Brad Emaus is hands-down the best second base option for the Mets this season. Along with having more experience playing the position than Dan Murphy, Emaus’ unique patience at the plate (1.03 K/BB career ratio) and pop (15 HR in 2010) indicates that he could be a very servicable Major League player.

2. How do you feel about the Mets’ rotation without Johan Santana at the onset?

The Mets rotation lacks an ace (or arguably a number-two), but there is still this sense of stability. Pelfrey, Niese, Dickey, Young, and Capuano are all capable pitchers who have enjoyed success in their careers. It would be nice to have, say Josh Johnson, to lead the pack–but it could be worse.

3. Who are you watching closely in this upcoming Marlins/Mets series?

As mentioned above, I’m excited to see what Brad Emaus can bring to the table. It will also be interesting to see how Josh Thole and Ike Davis perform in their sophomore years, and if Carlos Beltran is actually injury-free.

You can check out the preview Ben wrote and the answers I had for his questions.

Notes

– Two guys I would be watching this series: Donnie Murphy and Javier Vazquez. This is Murphy’s chance to prove himself as a starter at third base, and I’d be particularly interested to see his defense. On the other side, the third game will have Javier Vazquez, and it will be very interesting to see whether he can be effective in his opening start against a decent offense. His early performance may help us understand what to expect in 2011.

– Guys, it’s Opening Day. Is there really that much more to say? I’m so excited for baseball season to start.

Bold Prediction: Marlins win two of three games.