Mets fans are passionate, loyal, and at times pessimistic. They also hold very high expectations. One can understand the pessimism, as we have been witness to quite the roller coaster in the past few years.
I consider myself one of the more optimistic fans of the Amazins'. As evidence, I provide you with exhibit one (read Opening Day Optimism ).
At times, there are many of my brethren that get discouraged quickly when things don't turn out our way. Go to the comment section of any Mets article after a loss and you will observe this. My theory is that this is a defense mechanism protecting the Mets fan from the proverbial shoe-dropping.
My advice?
Think a little more with your head and a little less with your heart. Create realistic expectations.
The reality of this season is the Mets are still dealing with injuries and have some legitimate questions about their starting rotation. Realistically, a wild-card birth should be the team goal.
Based on the last five seasons in the National League, a 90-win season is good enough for the wild-card spot. The Mets have the talent to be able to play at least .500 baseball until the return of Carlos Beltran.
Let's say Beltran returns to the lineup on June 1. At .500, the Mets would be 26-26. They would then need to finish the season at 64-46. This would require them to play 4.5 games over .500 each month.
This is very attainable.
Jose Reyes returns today. That in itself is a huge step forward. John Niese and Mike Pelfrey have shown signs of life in their first start. Johan Santana appears to be healthy. The bullpen appears to be reliable.
There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle coming together.
It is inevitable that there will be bumps along the way. That's what makes being a Mets fan so mesmerizing. Somehow, we have been able to endure it, and keep coming back.
No matter how difficult, it will be prudent to wait to pass any judgement on the Mets until June. Some may consider this too early to judge at all.
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