Who will have a better 2010 season, the Mets or Phillies?

Phillies

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by Melody Bish

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Though Major League Baseball's World Series ended a mere few weeks ago, debates regarding the 2010 season have started and the start of spring training is not that far away. Free agent signings, trades and changes of management can, and will, occur, over the next several months, making predictions about any team's success in 2010 is presumptuous but, given some factors in baseball are rather cemented in place, one can look to the past, the history of a team and make an educated assessment as to a team's chances of success during the 162 games which will comprise the 2010 Major League Baseball season.

The Philadelphia Phillies entered 2010 defending National League Champions, while the New York Mets enter the season with many question marks and few certainties. On paper the Phillies have a far stronger core going into 2010 but, as baseball fans know, anything can happen over a 162 game season to change the status of the Phillies, Mets, or any other team.

The core of the Phillies NL Championship team returns in the faces of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, and Carlos Ruiz. Ownership and the team's management also return. The major question mark looming over Citizen's Bank Park is placed on the pitcher's mound; who will comprise the starting rotation, how effective will they be and will the bullpen be capable of holding leads? Cole Hamels seems to be the designated fair haired boy within the Phil's organization but has been inconsistent over his short major league tenure. Will he return to 2008 form, or will he flip flop from start to start as he did in the '09 season? Left hander, Cliff Lee - a late '09 season acquisition from the Indians - showed the potential to be the leader of the staff, but his time in the National League was brief; what will 2010 bring? Can Jamie Moyer, who spent the end of the season on the DL, return and make his magic from the mound? Who else will be in the starting rotation? Might a starting rotation by committee show as much success as bullpens by committee often do? Many pitching answers could be answered when the Phillies show their hand as to what they plan to do relative to signing Pedro Martinez and whether they, instead, opt to formally name Joe Blanton as a starter.

Despite the questions, the Phillies are a team which has learned how to win and how to win in the face of adversity. Short of a series of huge surprises, it says here that the Phil's win, minimally, 88 games in 2010.

The Mets were considered front runners for the NL East Division title in both '08 and '09 based upon preseason reviews of their squad and its apparent strength. Going into 2010, the Mets are a team in disarray. Manager Willie Randolph was fired in 2008 and Jerry Manuel now sits in the manager's office but when he looks at filling out a daily lineup card, he surely sees question marks given the injury bug that seems to follow the Mets.

Arguably the best all around third baseman in the National League, David Wright, spent significant time on the DL in 2009 though reports reflect he will return to the team at full speed when spring training starts. The Mets hopes are on the backs of players in their mid-30's and on career downswings; first baseman Carlos Delgado, left fielder Gary Sheffield and center fielder Carlos Beltran - should each of these three players perform at the level they have shown they can, the Mets could be a bigger force than they now appear on paper. If the Phillies cast a question mark at their pitching staff, the Mets must hold their breath when it comes to establishing a solid pitching staff, as going into 2010 the team's ace was on the DL at season end, Johann Sanatana; the remaining pitchers have very little Major League experience and none could truly be termed a leader. Expect the Mets to spend money in the off season and dump at least one established starting pitcher in their shopping cart.

The Mets know how to blow a lead, having done so to the Phils in '08, and have yet to establish themselves as winners. Looking at the Mets as their 2010 roster now appears, the team would be fortunate to have an 80 win season.

Many variables lay between now and the 2010 baseball season but, reviewing the facts now at hand, the clear decision is that the Phillies will have a better 2010 season than the Mets.

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