Which superheroes will lead the Mets to the post season?
In the midst of the holiday season lull (until the Padres trade for another corner outfielder), Mets news can be hard to come by. Many of us are itching for spring training to start, and are quite sick of rehashing debates about trading for [INSERT SHORTSTOP HERE]. Given that, let’s do something a little bit more fun.
I have a lot of optimism about the 2015 Mets season, and I think there’s a legitimate chance this team makes the postseason. I’ve also grown to love the superhero nicknames that have latched onto several of our favorite Mets over the past few seasons. Push these two things together, and a grand vision of an Avengers-led roster bringing winning baseball back to Flushing is formed (throw in one DC Comics character as well). No one is going to force you into using certain nicknames, but the wonderfully awful photoshops could be even better if we're all on the same page.
So let's assemble our Avengers, starting with the names that have already been claimed.
Matt Harvey– The Dark Knight
Our one DC hero is also the key to the 2015 season. How Harvey performs coming back from Tommy John surgery could make or break the Mets' playoff hopes. While it would have been easier to stick to one comic universe, the Dark Knight moniker is simply too perfect for Harvey. Between his fierce demeanor and his unyielding competitive drive, Matt Harvey is the hero Queens deserves.
David Wright– Captain America
Wright earned this nickname during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, where he led the tournament in RBIs. Perhaps the ultimate nice guy in the game, Wright has continued to shine in his role as the Captain both on and off the field. Expounding further on his greatness is entirely unnecessary, this name is here to stay.
Noah Syndergaard– Thor
Syndergaard is the least established of the Mets to have earned a superhero alter ego, with Thor coming more from his last name than any major league greatness. Still, it’s easy to see how Syndergaard can fill this role in the very near future; his curve makes for the perfect Mjolnir, and his electric fastball should be retiring major league batters before the end of the season. Until he falters or is traded, the Mets have the position of "Thunder God" filled.
It's Halloween! You know what that means? Max out on squats! pic.twitter.com/OUORUntwaZ
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) October 31, 2013
Lucas Duda– The Hulk
Duda probably has the least recognized of the established nicknames. Shouting "DUDA SMASH" in gamethreads as he mashed his way to 30 home runs last season, many commenters have already noticed the parallels between Duda and the lumbering, impossibly strong transformation of Bruce Banner. The only way Duda could more perfectly fill this spot is to keep eating those bad Shake Shack burgers–I’m sure they’d get his skin closer to the Hulk’s green hue.
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Hawkeye
This still leaves a couple of spots to fill on our Avenger-Mets roster, most notably Hawkeye and Iron Man. For Hawkeye, there are two obvious candidates in my eyes: Jacob deGrom and Juan Lagares. deGrom just won the Rookie of the Year, with a K/9 over 9 and a BB/9 under 3, which one can very easily fit into the role of a sharpshooting assassin. Lagares has recorded 21 outfield assists over the last two years with a Top-15 ARM score. (He also won the Gold Glove this year.) Again, the profile of deadly accuracy works.
Iron Man
Iron Man is a good deal harder. Baseball already has an "Iron Man," the great Cal Ripken. Claiming that name for a young, unestablished player or a veteran who has shown anything less than impeccable health seems presumptuous on our part. That's only my opinion of course, but given these factors and, more importantly, the fact that posts can only have one poll each, I've elected to omit this discussion for now.
If you think there is a worthy Iron Man on the roster or if you disagree with any of the other roles, say so in the comments below, and we'll hold a poll at a later date. Otherwise, vote on who you think is the best Hawkeye, and Happy Holidays!