Jose Reyes

2009 was a disaster for the New York Mets. It seemed that if something could go wrong, it did. 2010 wasn’t much better for the Mets, but at least David Wright (.283-87-29-103-19) and Jose Reyes (.282-83-11-54-30) rebounded.

2011 is going to be an interesting year for the New York Mets. They definitely have talent in the lineup and potential on the mound, but who knows what's going to happen with this team. They seem to build us up every year only to let us down. But, unlike a lot of people that I'm seeing on this site, I'm going to keep having faith in this team. The grades in this article are not based on the players' 2010 seasons, but on the players themselves looking forward to 2011. Here's a look at the 2011 roster.

So far, I've taken quite a beating on my predictions for the American League.  Choosing the Rays to finish last in the AL East stirred up a little bit of debate.  But, hey, it's all part of the game.  Everyone makes their bold predictions, and that's mine for the upcoming season.

Will I be correct?

Probably not, but it never hurts to make a bold prediction. 

As pitchers and catchers report to their respective Spring Training sites, optimism reigns supreme, from Florida to Arizona.

Every team believes, with just a few breaks, it can make a run at the playoffs. The harsh realities of June and July, and the dog days of August are inconsequential this time of year.

Of course, with hopeless optimism comes the inevitable whisper of doubt. Each National League organization, from the pitching rich Phillies, to the perennially hopeless Pirates, has its share of question marks. 

Although they have always been overshadowed by the Bronx Bombers, the Mets have possessed their fair share of baseball's greatest, especially in recent time. The Mets offense struggled during most of the 1960s until it all of a sudden became clutch in 1969 when they won their first World Series. The offense was better, but still inconsistent during the 1970s. When the Mets won, they were hitting, but during the latter years in which they were a losing team, the hitting was not the same. In the 1980s, the Mets were consistently hitting well, probably their best offensive decade.

There is a media circus brewing in baseball. It has just begun and will continue to build and grow into an unstoppable force in the months of the season to come. I am not talking about the Mets finances. Not immediately anyway.

Spring Training is right around the corner and that means that your fantasy baseball draft can't be too far away either.

The New York Mets are not seen as legitimate contenders in the National League, but that doesn't mean that its players won't be able to help you dominate your opposition this season.

Let's take a look at which Mets batters could play a role in 2011.

David Wright

Mets owner Fred Wilpon owes lots of people lots of money. According to published reports, his total sports-related investment debt exceeds $1.5 billion dollars. Add to that a $300 million-$1 billion exposure in lawsuits filed against him by the victims of Bernie Madoff, and he finds himself in a significant hole.

The New York Mets of 2011 could be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

They probably won’t have their ace, Johan Santana until the All-Star Break, so the question becomes whether Mike Pelfrey, Chris Young, Jon Niese and RA Dickey can keep the team afloat until then.

If they can’t keep the Mets in contention, there could be a firesale in New York with a ton of pieces that would help clubs in the playoff hunt. Among them is shortstop Jose Reyes, who is owed $11 million in the last year of a four-year, $23 million deal.

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one by one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

During a four-year period from 2005 to 2008, Jose Reyes was one of the elite players in fantasy baseball, averaging 113 runs, 14 HRs, 66 RBI, a whopping 65 steals and a .287 batting average per season.