Baseball is back!

The Mets play their first regular season game of 2016 tonight. They will be facing off against the Royals in Kansas City with Matt Harvey dealing for the Mets and Edinson Volquez for the Royals. I am extremely excited for the season. This is the first time since 2007 or 2008 that the Mets are the favorite to win the NL East, but one of the great things about baseball is that so much can happen over the course of 162 games and six months. The Mets could collapse and miss the playoffs; they could win the World Series; they could end up somewhere in between. Regardless of what happens, there are a number of things that excite me about the Mets in 2016, including:

• The Rotation - Harvey, deGrom, Syndergaard and Matz have the potential to make up the best starting rotation in the majors this year. Colon will be the final pitcher in the rotation until...
• Zack Wheeler's Return - After missing all of last year in his recovery from Tommy John Surgery, Wheeler is expected to return to the Mets sometime in June. If the rest of the rotation stays healthy, the Mets would have a starting staff made up entirely of pitchers younger than 29 years of age.
• Dilson Herrera - With the acquisition of Neil Walker, the Mets essentially delayed Herrera's opportunity to serve as the team's starting second baseman. Expect him to return to the big league squad sooner rather than later, and if Neil Walker sustains any sort of injury, Dilson would be the first choice to take his place. Also, when Dilson gets called up, he will most likely start against left-handed pitchers, as Walker did not hit well against lefties last season.
• David Wright - Can David Wright bounce back from a poor 2014 and an injury-riddled 2015?
• Hansel Robles - This guy quietly had a solid rookie season last year and has the attitude and personality of someone who can be an effective late-inning reliever. Could Robles earn the role of setup man?
• Michael Conforto and Travis d'Arnaud - Both of these young players produced effectively on offense in 2015. A lot of the Mets offensive success rests on if they will take their production to the next level. Can they hit well enough to become All-Star Caliber players?
• Juan Lagares - After an exceedingly disappointing year in 2015, can Juan Lagares return to his 2013/2014 defensive form in center field? How extensive will his role be in the Mets outfield?
• More Playoff Baseball - There is a very good chance that the Mets will once again win the NL East in 2016. I am excited to watch the Mets compete in the playoffs again.

There are a lot of things to look forward to in 2016, and there will be many surprises and disappointments... but no matter what happens... LGM!