Good or Great?

Rob Neyer is one smart man.

Ryan Dempster says the Cubs are going to win the World Series and Jimmy Rollins says the Phillies are going to win 100 games. I don't think it really hurts anything for players to engage in these sorts of rousing predictions. But as Homer Derby's Richie Rich points out, both predictions are unlikely to come true now that Johan Santana's joined the National League. Just to pile on, I'll note that the projections have started coming in, and the Mets are easily the best-looking team in the league, with roughly 95 wins on the proverbial paper (the Cubs are next, just short of 90).

The Mets are pretty much the best team in the NL heading into the season. You can give me the 'ole games are not won on paper line, but that is loser talk from people who are fans of teams that are just not as good. At this point of the year, we can only analyze things with the information we have which just so happens supports the notion the Mets are significantly better than every other team in the National League.

Also, they could very well be one of the top three teams in the entire Major Leagues. While the NL is generally referred to as the junior circuit or AAAA, the Mets are an AL powerhouse-esque team. They can stack up with anyone and I do include the Red Sox in there as well. While I do not disagree the Red Sox are the top team in the league, there are a few teams that are close behind and the Mets are one of those teams.

If the Mets do not get flooded with complacency again, they should roll over the league. They have three legitimate MVP candidates and one of the favorites to win the Cy Young Award. You would be hard pressed to find many holes on the team that will break camp and head up North. The bullpen will be very deep if Duaner comes back strong, the rotation is five deep, and the lineup has no holes in it and is well balanced to boot. Get excited. This Met team is much closer to great than good.

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Too right handed or not, Fukodome needs to bat second. Actually, he should bat first. Who the hell decided that Alfonso Soriano and his .327 career OBP is a leadoff hitter? Am I the only person who is missing something here? Gordy seems to get it, but Lou does not. I would worry about breaking up righties after I worry about making sure the guys at the top of the order get on base.

Good times...

He wanted Johan Santana and Andy Pettitte to both be in the New York Yankees rotation this season. The Yankees decided to go in another direction, keeping all their kid pitchers and banking on the veteran Pettitte.

"The bottom line is that I would have liked to have them both," Steinbrenner told The Post on the eve of Petite’s arrival at spring training.

I cannot wait. Johan will be ruling the baseball universe while the kiddies will have some growing pains in the Bronx. Old Hank is going to have a coronary.

Pedro is proud of what he has done.

"I dominated that era and I did it clean," he said. "I can stand by my numbers and I can be proud of them."

And dominate he did.

"I have a small frame and when I hurt all I could do was take a couple of Aleve or Advil, a cup of coffee and a little mango and an egg -- and let it go!" he said.

As if you needed another reason to not argue with Rob Neyer’s assertion that David Wright is the favorite to win the MVP Award. I think things are setting up nicely for the Mets to dominate the 2008 Awards and make some serious noise in the playoffs.

Jon Heyman tries to rank the top ten GMs. Always a mighty tough endeavor, but I think he did well. I actually think Jon Daniels should have cracked the top ten for what he is building in Texas and Kenny Williams should probably be knocked out. I'm a big Williams fan because he is go-er, but I would say he is out of the top ten. Oh, 'Stand' Pat Gillick should be out as well. What makes him one of the best in the game?

Carlos feels like he is ready to rebound this season and I think he will most assuredly be better. How much better? Let us not go crazy, but he will be much more of a contributor in '08 than he was in '07.

Interesting tidbit...

When Delgado entered the clubhouse, reliever Matt Wise reminded him of their first meeting, back on Aug.15, 2000, when Wise was a rookie with the Angels and Delgado was a Blue Jay. Angels manager Mike Scioscia told Wise to throw Delgado four straight fastballs inside. Delgado squared to bunt and Wise unintentionally drilled him in the groin - the first hit batter of Wise's career. The two didn't cross paths again until they bumped into each other two months later at a Newport Beach, Calif., restaurant, when Delgado was visiting Shawn Green. A scared Wise hopped in his car and drove off.

The positive reports about Duaner are great to hear. The Mets are seemingly putting together a shut down bullpen.

'Tis great days we live in. It is all shits and giggles in the Met camp with Santana there, Sanchez looking great, Wright being sugary, new outlooks abound, etc. while the Yankees have to deal with a blubbering Andy Pettitte. Awesome.