Mets Could Be Latest Team to Prove Youth Is No October Obstacle

NEW YORK — Michael Cuddyer played in the postseason five times with the Minnesota Twins.

The only series they won was the first one.

Cuddyer was 23 years old, most of his teammates weren't much older (Torii Hunter and David Ortiz were both 26), and the Twins were playing in October for the first time in 11 years.

"And we had to play Game 5 in Oakland," Cuddyer said last month. "It wasn't easy."

It won't be easy for Cuddyer's current team, either, not with the New York Mets opening the National League Division Series with back-to-back games in Los Angeles against Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. But in a major league season already defined by youth and in a postseason that opened Tuesday night with the young Houston Astros beating the aging New York Yankees, there's absolutely no reason to think the kids who are now Cuddyer's teammates with the Mets will be overwhelmed by their first taste of October.

Perhaps 26-year-old Matt Harvey made a youthful mistake when he showed up late for Tuesday's workout. More likely, Harvey will be making mistakes like that as long as he's in the big leagues.

Even more likely, it won't keep him from being at his dominating best when he starts Game 3 against the Dodgers next Monday at Citi Field.

The Mets' plan was to use their four "young gun" starters in this series, with 27-year-old Jacob deGrom and 23-year-old Noah Syndergaard starting Games 1 and 2, respectively, and 24-year-old Steven Matz following Harvey in Game 4. Matz is battling back trouble and may not be able to pitch, but that won't change the fact the Mets can only win if the kids can handle October.

"Our starters are great," said Travis d'Arnaud, the Mets' 26-year-old catcher. "We believe in our starters. We believe in our guys, and we think we match up with anyone."

They could be a great matchup with the Dodgers given how hard the Mets youngsters throw and the perceived vulnerability of the Dodgers lineup against high-velocity pitchers. Each one of the Mets' four kids had an outstanding start against the Dodgers this season, and they combined for a 1.71 ERA in matchups against L.A.

Those games were in July, but for the most part, the kids pitched well in big games down the stretch, too. Manager Terry Collins wasn't surprised.

"When you are those kind of guys, you've always pitched in big games all your life," Collins said. "A state championship game in high school or a minor league championship game. It's a different level, sure, but they're used to being out there, and those are the guys who want the baseball."

Besides, there are tons of examples in baseball history of inexperienced kids succeeding in October. Everyone remembers how good Madison Bumgarner was last October at age 25, but Bumgarner also pitched eight shutout innings in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series when he had just turned 21.

Francisco Rodriguez was 20 when he was a postseason force out of the bullpen for the 2002 Anaheim Angels. John Smoltz was only 24 when he battled Jack Morris in a memorable Game 7 in 1991, and rotation mates Tom Glavine (25) and Steve Avery (21) were kids, too.

"I think when you have a few veteran players, they take all the heat off the kids," said Terry Pendleton, signed to be the key veteran on that Atlanta Braves team. "I tried to stand in the way of [media] guys who were trying to talk to our young guys."

The Mets have veterans like that, from Cuddyer to team captain David Wright to Curtis Granderson. All three of them know what it's like to be a kid playing in October. All three have good memories of it.

Wright was 23 years old when his 2006 Mets team beat the Dodgers in the division series and finished a win away from the World Series when it lost Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals. Granderson was a 25-year-old center fielder that same year with the Detroit Tigers, who did make it to the World Series before also losing to the Cardinals.

"It's a good mix here," Wright said. "If you had 25 rookies, I'm not sure how you would do. But having young players, that balance brings energy."

The postseason brings energy of its own, and every year, you hear about how important experience can be to help you deal with it. And then you watch the National League Wild Card Game on Wednesday night and watch 22-year-old Kyle Schwarber drive in the first three runs for the Chicago Cubs.

The Mets will take their kids to Los Angeles, and they'll take their chances.

Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

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