David Wright for MVP

About two weeks ago a graph was put up during an SNY Mets telecast comparing the stats of the top MVP candidates. The point of discussion was if David Wright could be considered as an MVP candidate. They compared Wright with Albert Pujols and others discussing who would be in the running for MVP.

At the time I thought it was a little bit of a stretch to include Wright in the discussion. He had been on a streak at the time but I just didn't see him being in the same company as Pujols or Fielder in consideration for MVP honors.

Now, my position has changed. David Wright is absolutely an MVP candidate. I'm not saying he'll win it but he should be in the top 5 for voting. After a horrendous April, Wright has been the most consistent and effective hitter for the Mets and has the #2 batting average since the All Star break at .366.

If you look at Wright's numbers he continues to build on the success of last year, and I expect him to outperform every category from '06, except for maybe his RBI total (last year = 116, currently at 91).

Wright may very well end the season batting over .320 with 30 home runs and 40 stolen bases while driving in 100 runs and scoring 100+ runs. Wright is looking like a young version of Wade Boggs with opposite field power. I'm not saying he's going to be exactly like the Red Sox hall of famer, but the way he makes contact, hits for power and situational hits reminds me of Boggs. Of course Wright has a lot more speed and more pop than Boggs.

Keep it up David Wright. You've got my vote for MVP.

The Elusive 5 Game Win Streak

What a difference a week makes. Last Tuesday, the Mets began the long anticipated 4 games series with the Phillies with the chance of burying the Philadelphia club. Then it happened. The roughest 4 games of our seasons.

Now, life is good again. With a sweep of the Braves and the return of Pedro Martinez, confidence is back in the Mets dugout. David Wright has become the leader of this ballclub and the Mets lineup appears ready to handle the September stretch run.

One thing still remains undone: a 5 game win streak. The Mets have had half a dozen 4 game win streaks, but have often fallen apart after it ended. We have been waiting for this team to go off and win 7 or 8 straight, and win something like 12 out of 13 games.

Now is the time for it to happen. Willie Randolph has constantly talked about winning games at the end of the season. It doesn't get any closer to the end than September and I honestly think this team is ready to go on a run. With 2 games left in Cincinnati and a 3 game series against the Astros at Shea, there's no reason for the Mets not to win 7 straight and 9 out of the next 10.

This team needs to continue to build its confidence and get some swagger by the time the Phillies roll into Shea next week. They need to be ready to avenge their sweep.

I think they'll be ready.

Happy Labor Day

Here's to hoping Pedro Martinez makes it an especially happy day for all Mets Lifers.

A Series of Miracles

I can't make up mind as to which miracle is more amazing. Is it the fact that Mike Pelfrey pitched one hit baseball through 6 innings en route to the Mets win on Saturday? Is it that Tom Glavine actually held the Braves in check at Turner Field while facing off against his buddy John Smoltz? Is it that Billy Wagner came in on Sunday and yet again gave up a run and brought the tying run to the plate only to get out of the inning?

But I think the real miracle is that the Mets were able to overcome their getting swept in Philadelphia and come into Atlanta and sweep the Braves.

I posted the past few days how we as Mets fans need to start believing in this team. For the first time in a long time, I see that this team is starting to believe in themselves. No one had an outstanding series, but each game someone came through when they needed it.

From John Maine on Friday, to Delgado & Pelfrey on Saturday, to David Wright on Sunday, the Mets finally played like a team on a mission.

I feel good about this team. I actually feel better about them after this series than when we had a 7 game lead. A true test of a champion is their ability to win when they need it.

And no team needed to win more this year than the Mets did this weekend.

Let's continue this streak with Pedro tomorrow.

Continue to Believe

It was only one win, but last night's win was a big one. Everyone on the Mets knew that they needed to stop the bleeding. The amazing thing was that they were able to explode offensively not only in Atlanta, but against possibly the top pitcher in the NL.

It's just one win, but you have to continue to believe. Smoltz pitches today which for the Braves has been an automatic win against the Mets, especially in Atlanta. We have the "man without a win" going for us in Mike Pelfrey. If ever there was a time where we as Mets Lifers need faith, it's now.

It's improbably that Pelfrey will be able to match Smoltz and hold the Braves to 1 run like Maine did. It's improbable that the Mets will be able to explode for another 7 runs today. It's improbable that the Mets would win a series at Turner Field.

But the fact remains that it's still possible. We need to restore our faith in this team. I might be setting myself up for a huge disappointment, but I have to believe this team knows that it has to beat the Braves before it can win the division.

Continue to believe.

Is Delgado Getting His Groove Back?

For the first time all year, I actually liked the swings I saw from Delgado. His 3-run shot last night was crushed at least 420 feet. The pitch was a fastball that hit too much of the plate and Carlos Delgado made Tim Hudson pay for his mistake.

That's something we haven't seen all year. Delgado has failed to make pitchers pay for mistakes. Now pitchers know that he can't turn on that inside fastball, but Delgado has continued to fall for those bad pitches. Last night, he looked confident. He looked comfortable.

I thought he hit another home run until Matt Diaz somehow tracked down that ball up against the wall. (I wonder who's a worse outfielder Diaz or Shawn Green?) In the series with the Phillies, Delgado showed some signs of coming out of his slump, but I knew that this was Delgado we were talking about so I couldn't get my hopes up.

Let's see how he does against Smoltz today. If he can swing the bat well against Smoltz, we might finally see a light at the end of this tunnel.

The Big Maine

The John Maine of the second half of the season has made us forget that this guy can be a big game pitcher. With the home runs he's given up lately and the unbelievable amount of walks, you forget that this guy got us a big win in game 6 of the NLCS last year.

John Maine reminded us of the pitcher we hoped he'd be last night. He avoided giving up walks and reached down deep when he needed to get some big outs. With the bases loaded last night and no outs, Maine got out of a huge jam by getting Chipper Jones, Mark Teixera, and Brian McCann while only giving up a run on a wild pitch.

It was great to see John Maine show some emotion and fire on the mound. When he wasn't hitting his spots you could tell he was frustrated with himself. He knew how big a game this was for the Mets and he didn't let us down.

I've missed this John Maine. I hope he sticks around for September because I'd love to see him in October.