Mike:
We like to bring up the fact around here from time-to-time that one of the great joys of baseball is that it is not really so easy to figure out. If everything always went according to plan there wouldn’t be much fun in watching. 2014 has been no different. Like anyone else, we had our opinions on the Mets overall, and most of the players on the roster. Recently, we both discussed how surprised we had been by Daisuke Matsuzaka. We have now passed the halfway mark of the season, and he hasn’t been the only positive development I didn’t see coming. For today, let’s forget any of the negative developments that have occurred during 2014, and discuss some of the pleasant surprises of the year.
Jimmy:
Well, how about ROY candidate, Jake deGrom? It’s one of those cases that just underscores two things:
1) You just never know;
2) The unreliability of all these hot-shot prospect mavens, the blogs and prospect services, the guys who pride themselves on ranking the prospects, and re-ranking and re-ranking them again, endlessly. They can get things completely bass ackwards.
Going into the season, deGrom was beginning to generate some minor buzz, but nobody saw this coming. It’s weird.
Mike:
Yes, I’ve been thinking about this. This is two years in a row, as last year nobody on the 
planet prepared me for Juan Lagares, Gold Glove caliber center fielder. There is more hype than ever about prospects now. Hey, it’s fun to dream. And I’m not against it, I went to a couple of Cyclones games myself and found a few of the players interesting. But when it comes to predicting the future, there are a lot of variables in play. It’s okay to keep an eye on the future, but live firmly in the present. Things change.
The deGrom story is a great example of why teams can turn a corner without warning. Lucas Duda might just be another one.
Jimmy:
Eric Campbell has been a nice story, though I can’t say I’m really a believer. I’d like to see him get more opportunities in the outfield. He’s a RH bat on a team that desperately needs RH hitting. It’s always great when a non-prospect like Campbell can emerge unexpectedly and get his shot. Every time I see him I think of how happy he must be to be playing in the big leagues. It does the heart good.
Mike:
Yes, good for him. I don’t think anyone thinks of Campbell as a full-time player, but if the Mets are going to be a good team again you need some quality on the bench. Is Campbell that guy? There should be enough time left in 2014 to get a better idea. His defense does scare me, but bench guys are going to have some flaws to their game.
Jimmy:
For surprises, you have to look at the bullpen, too. I’d say that Mejia’s smooth transition was a surprise, except that it wasn’t. The whole thing felt inevitable, and I’m not at all surprised to see him succeeding out there. Same with Familia. But recent Grand Slams not withstanding, I am surprised that Josh Edgin has returned with superior secondary pitches and a resurrected fastball. I had no faith in him at all. To me, he was just an ultra-aggressive, hard-throwing guy who was going to give up too many homers. He’s been outstanding this season.
Mike:
Yes, he has looked very good in a limited role. The question will be can he handle more responsibility, and like Campbell, the second half of this year should be a good opportunity to find out.
All three of these guys, deGrom, Campbell and Edgin, have gone from afterthoughts to valued members of the 2014 Mets. The rest of this season should tell us a lot about whether they can be counted on as additional building blocks for the 2015 edition.
