Miami Marlins Behind Enemy Lines: New York Mets

The Miami Marlins and the New York Mets will play a total of 10 games head-to-head in 2020.

All 10 common contests between the two will happen in August. From the 7th through the 9th and from the 25th through the 27th, the Miami Marlins will visit Citi Field. The Mets will visit Marlins Park for a four-game set starting on the 17th. Will we see the Amazin’ Mets or the lolMets? Time will tell.

The Mets are coming off an 86-76 campaign where they finished third in the National League East. They missed the wildcard by three games but ended the year 29 games ahead of the Miami Marlins. It’s been 58 seasons the Mets have been around now, just over double the Marlins, and New York has made the playoffs nine times.

The Mets have been to the World Series five times and won twice. They were victorious in five games over the Baltimore Orioles in 1969 and in seven versus the Boston Red Sox in 1986. The Mets have made three postseason appearances since the last Marlins World Series title, in 2006, 2015 and 2016.

Rotation

Going by the MLB.COM depth chart, it isn’t hard to figure out the Mets starting five, as they only have five pitchers listed as “starters.”

1 Jacob deGrom
2 Marcus Stroman
3 Rick Porcello
4 Steven Matz
5 Michael Wacha

DeGrom, of course, is the two-time defending National League Cy Young award winner. Over his past two seasons, he’s gone 21-17 with a 2.05 ERA and a 0.941 WHIP, with 524 strikeouts in 421 frames. In only six seasons, deGrom is already sixth on the New York Mets career Wins Above Replacement leaderboard, with 35.5.

You’ll of course notice the obvious omission of Noah Syndergaard as the Mets number two starter. The big right-hander has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and is recovering from corresponding Tommy John Surgery this past March. He’s expected back in the mix in 2021.

Long-time Toronto Blue Jays righty Stroman joined the Mets in a deadline deal for the stretch run last season, and was 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts. He struck out 60 in 59 2/3 innings and put up a 1.475 WHIP. Over his six-season career, Stroman is 51-47 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.292 WHIP.

Porcello is entering his 12th major league season, having posted a 149-118 record and a 4.36 ERA between the Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. He won the 2016 American League Cy Young award when he was 22-4 with a 1.009 WHIP for Boston.

Matz is 31-36 in five seasons starting for New York, and has a 4.05 ERA and a 1.299 WHIP in 549 innings of work overall. Wacha was 59-39 through seven seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals rotation, and has a career 1.325 WHIP.

Lineup

According to rotowire.com, the Mets lineup shakes out thusly:

1 CF Brandon Nimmo
2 3B Jeff McNeil
3 1B Pete Alonso
4 2B Robinson Cano
5 LF J.D. Davis
6 RF Michael Conforto
7 C Wilson Ramos
8 DH Yoenis Cespedes
9 SS Amed Rosario

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You’ll remember Alonso from his 2019 campaign, when he hit 53 home runs with 120 RBI and won the National League Rookie of the Year award. McNeil slashed .318/384/.531 with 23 long-balls and 75 RBI.

Cespedes, who has been slowed by injuries seemingly his entire Mets career, finally seems healthy. When playing, he has put together a seven-year slashline of .282/.346/.543 and hit a total of 163 homers in 826 games.

Cano, who at 37-years-old is the long-tooth of the lineup, is an eight-time American League All Star. Last season, his 15th in the majors, was his first National League season. For the Mets, he hit .256/.307/.428 but finished with an OPS+ below “league average” for the first time since 2008, posting a mark of 96.

Of course, the Miami Marlins should attempt to win as many games as possible and sweep the Mets entirely if they can. That being said, I’d consider it a win of sorts to come away with a season-split. If I had to put money on it, I’d say the Marlins go 4-6 against the Mets.

Disagree? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.