3 Reasons the Mets Will Make the Playoffs

The New York Mets have not given their fans a playoff appearance since 2016, but 2020 could be different. Baseball is set to return with a 60-game season after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Mets have a good shot at making the playoffs.

The Mets have the eighth-best World Series odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, but have just the third-best odds to win the NL East. With the oddsmakers displaying such a tight window for the Mets' playoff chances, here are three reasons why New York will make the postseason in 2020.

1. Talented Young Hitters

Pete Alonso won NL Rookie of the Year in 2019. / Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Mets possess a very talented group of young position players. Six of the nine projected starters in the Mets lineup will be under 28, and they all have significant upside for 2020. Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Michael Conforto already proved their value last season, but the addition of Dominic Smith with the universal DH rule and an improved year from Amed Rosario would make this one of the best lineups in the National League. Expect the Mets to score early and often with plenty of home runs.

2. Quality Starting Pitching

Marcus Stroman should provide plenty of solid innings for the Mets. / Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Mets will obviously benefit from having Jacob deGrom, the reigning back-to-back NL Cy Young winner. With the season shortened to 60 games, having an ace like deGrom is even more critical to success. The Mets also have a solid No. 2 starter in Marcus Stroman, who should provide some stability after Noah Syndergaard went down with Tommy John surgery. While the back end of the rotation is a question mark with Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, and Michael Wacha, the shortened season will reduce their overall impact.

3. Outfield Depth

Brandon Nimmo will hopefully have a fully healthy season in 2020. / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Mets had a bad outfield group for much of 2019. Injuries to Yoenis Cespedes and Brandon Nimmo forced Juan Lagares and Keon Broxton into more playing time than they deserved. However, the Mets got creative and converted both J.D. Davis and Jeff McNeil into serviceable outfielders, giving them far more flexibility going forward. They also added Jake Marisnick from the Houston Astros over the offseason, giving them a good defender with a solid bat. With Nimmo, Conforto, and Davis, the Mets have a much-improved outfield group. Of course, the return of Cespedes from his numerous, self-inflicted injuries is also a possibility, as he has been confirmed to be part of the player pool for 2020.

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Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.