Monday afternoon, Sandy Alderson stood in the clubhouse tunnel at Citi Field and recited with some detail the adventures of the Nationals’ long-winded 16-inning victory the night before. The joke, the general manager delivered, was that, no, the Mets weren’t paying much attention to their foils in the National League East.
Humorous asides aside, it’s clear even this early into the season that there is a swell of competitiveness lurking. The Mets and Nationals are full-thronged rivals now and it’s never too early to start the fun, no matter how Alderson may try to dispel the notion.
“I’ve always viewed the Nationals as a quality team, absolutely,” he said. “It’s a little early to worry about where they are versus where we are but at the same time I always viewed them as a solid team with maybe something to prove this year.”
And this is the beauty of it. Last year was a make-good year for the Mets. A season where they finally drew some revenge against their tormentors. The Nationals had bullied them for so long that it was the accumulation of a tremorous build-up.
But now, this year, this is where it becomes fun. This is the matchup of two nearly even teams and year long race to the top. No need to wait until May 17–when they first meet–to start sizing them up.
“It’s pretty clear already that this is a two-team race with Washington,” an unnamed general manager told Sports Illustrated. “The Nationals are going to be in it. The Mets and Nationals are going be neck and neck for the division all year.”
Some of the storylines are obvious and some transcend the rivalry itself.
Each has a Scott Boras-backed ace struggling so far this season. The one who got paid $210 million in Washington (Max Scherzer) is giving up home runs at a career-high rate. The one in his second year back from Tommy John surgery (Matt Harvey) has seen his velocity dip and become more hittable than ever. Neither has their usual command.
The Daniel Murphy-Neil Walker swap at second base has worked out wonderfully for the Mets so far but it’s also added a layer of intrigue. Murphy leads the major leagues in batting average at .394 as of Wednesday while Walker is tied for second in all of baseball with eight home runs.
The home run leader so far, is of course, Bryce Harper. He has become the face and voice of baseball and the closest offensive analog the sport has seen to Barry Bonds since he retired. His left-handed swing is the most dangerous demolition ball, indiscriminately blowing up pitchers with no regard for them for the last year-plus.
So just think of the first time he faces Noah Syndergaard this season. There is nothing to match the violent dominance Syndergaard has unleashed upon hitters in 2016. A fastball that lives at 99 mph and a 92 mph slider are his weapons of destruction. Seeing him try to strikeout Harper is the most tantalizing at-bat in the sport this year. Will we get a redux of Syndergaard striking out Harper with a 99 mph heater in the eighth inning of a crucial late-summer game as he did last August? Or will Harper crush one into the stands? This is what Major League Baseball should be frothing over and building suspense towards.
More than anything, this rivalry provides the intrigue every season needs. Not only are the Mets hunting to reach the postseason again, there is another flavor to the chase. The Mets and Nationals will tower over their division and try to cast a shadow over another too.
Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nice article Mike! Makes the series against them in May that much more exciting to see. Like it even needed more hype.