MLB analyst thinks the New York Mets rotation is as scary for hitters as it is for their own fans
The New York Mets' rotation is scary — in more ways than one. On one hand, they have two aces that would be the best pitcher on 90% of all the major league teams in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
They also have arguably the best international free agent to join baseball this offseason in Kodai Senga. This forms an elite top three.
Verlander and Scherzer, however, are pushing 40 and Verlander recently had Tommy John surgery. International free agents are never a guarantee, so Senga could be a bust, too.
It's this duality that makes the Mets arguably the most interesting team to watch in 2023. MLB insider Matt Snyder ranked them fifth in his power rankings because the talent is there, but the concerns are, too.
He wrote that the Mets rotation is "both fearsome and worrisome." He also stated that if they have everyone healthy, they could win the World Series title.
That is a very big "if", though. Verlander and Scherzer are absolutely exceptional, but they also come with major question marks. What will their talent do for the Mets if they can't stay healthy all year?
But if they are healthy, they boast perhaps the best top three in baseball and almost assuredly the best top two in baseball. It will be difficult to get multiple wins off of those pitchers in a five- or seven-game series.
Are the New York Mets World Series favorites?
After a wild offseason in which owner Steve Cohen redefined spending, the New York Mets have a real shot at winning it all next season. Unfortunately, all that money did not make them the favorites.
They're currently the team with the third-best odds to win it all. Ahead of them are the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, albeit incrementally. They're ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers and division rival Atlanta Braves.
Had the Mets landed Carlos Correa, this might have been a different story. That didn't happen, though, and the Twins got him back. With Correa, it's hard to imagine a team with better odds than the Mets.