Article:2008 All Star Break Report: New York Mets

Coming into the All-Star Break, the the Mets are as hot as any team in the bigs -- on a 9-game win streak, tied in the loss column with the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, and seem to be clicking on all cylinders. But you can read about that anywhere -- nigh, everywhere! Here are some more interesting notes.

Guess the Pitcher
Since the team terminated Willie Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson, each of the team's starters has made five starts (plus Tony Armas Jr. with a spot start. Here are the five, ranked by ERA over the course of those five games.  The team leader in each is italicized.

Pitcher E is Pedro Martinez, as given away by his hearty (in a bad way) ERA and WHIP. But the other four? You may be surprised. The answers are at the bottom.

Delgadit Back?
Carlos Delgado may end up being serviceable after all. After starting the year with a .682 OPS in April, he had two mediocre months in May (.778) and June (.784). He started July on fire, with a blistering 1.104 OPS, and is on pace for 29 homers and 89 RBI. Even more promising? His first-half split this year -- .248/.329/.449 -- is actually better than his first half from last year, when he put up a .242/.305/.435. And despite a lackluster August 2007, his second half numbers in '07 were a marked improvement over the first half, with a .282/.375/.469 line. Could he end up with a .260 BA, 30 homers, and 100 RBI this year? Amazingly, it's possible.

Where TB Spreads
Total Bases is typically a slugger's stat -- especially because it does not count stolen bases (nor, really, should it). Of the top ten in the NL, all but three have 20 or more homers -- Nate McLouth has 19 homers (and an NL-best 33 doubles) and Derrek Lee has 15 homers. The other guy? Jose Reyes cracks the top ten -- at #7 -- just 10 homers. With 23 doubles and 10 triples, he comes in above of Ryan Howard, Corey Hart, Chipper Jones, and Matt Holliday (and David Wright).

Huh?
Back to Delgado for a second -- he's one of five players in the NL with 10+ intentional walks this year. The others are Ken Griffey Jr. (double huh?), Prince Fielder, Lance Berkman, and with 22, Albert Pujols.

I guess that is what happens when you have guys like Fernando Tatis consistently hitting behind you. (Then again, Tatis is on pace for 10 homers and 48 RBI. If Richie Sexson can't find a job, he'll end with 11 and 30.)

The Markets Believe!
On HubDub, the Mets are now favorites to win the NL East, 41% to 39% over the Phils, with the Nationals (?) in third at 7%. At Tradesports, the Mets last traded at 45%, with Bid/Ask averaging at 44.5% to the Phillies' 49.5% average.

So, Who Are the Pitchers?
Click the links to learn who our mystery pitchers are.


 * Pitcher A
 * Pitcher B
 * Pitcher C
 * Pitcher D