Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Mets

Not a great year to be a Mets fan, eh?

Everyone who was doing anything remotely good either got injured or was traded. The ones that stuck around, like Yoenis Cespedes, were ineffective and on and off the DL. Fun stuff.

Even Seth Lugo, who had a fantastic WBC, and...admittedly looks like a certain Texas senator in this photo, fell short of expectations, missing a portion of the season to injuries, and only doing so much upon his return.

At the loss of Jeurys Familia, due to...like, everything, A.J. Ramos came aboard as closer (back before getting traded from Miami was cool), and did a fairly decent job of it, replacing the departed Addison Reed, and doing as much as he could.

The Mets seem to have an interest in handing the future to this guy, Dominic Smith, even though he had way too many strikeouts this year. Him and Rosario are being pointed at to revamp the lineup, and hopefully they'll be able to, as the lineup for 2018 is looking pretty dour.

Coming Tomorrow- Amazing in June, out by the first week of October. Again.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Marlins

The Marlins, as usual, came in third in the NL East, and it was a pretty hard third. This is a team that's been stockpiling some definite talent over the last few years, and everything's beginning to click. Christian Yelich had another really nice season, and is hitting for average and playing nice outfield. It's becoming evident that maybe HE'S the future of the franchise, and not Giancarlo Stanton.

Tom Koehler was, in Jose Fernandez' absence, the ace, and did a pretty nice job given the circumstances. He's better fit for a 3-4 spot, but he had a nice enough season. The Marlins are probably gonna be reshuffling the rotation a bit for 2017, as Edinson Volquez is probably going to take the top spot, so Koehler will likely get placed a smidge lower.

Adeiny Hechavarria is still a great defensive option in the infield, and is still a nice average hitter. He doesn't always shine as much as other parts of the lineup, but he's a solid piece, and he's due for more success next year.

I love this card so much.
AJ Ramos remains a perfectly viable closer option for the Marlins, even if he was injured for a spell this year, causing a still-rocking-it Fernando Rodney to ride in and cover for him. He's probably gonna do well again next year, though for some reason I think the Marlins are concerned.

Justin Bour was injured more often than not this season, but he's still a nice 1st base option, and he can still hit. A full season in 2017 will probably due him some good.

Coming Tomorrow- The Mets almost made the playoffs, and a few of these guys were reasons why.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: Marlins

It's hard to exemplify a season through just one guy, but Dee Gordon was basically like the Marlins in 2015. Started strong, was injured for a bit, finished decent enough. If it hadn't been for injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Henderson Alvarez, Jose Fernandez and Dee Gordon, the Marlins might have been able to compete this year. But sadly, they came in third.

Dee Gordon, meanwhile, is still an ASG-caliber second baseman, with enough speed to keep them rolling for a while.

Jose Fernandez didn't get a ton of playing time in 2015, but when he was on, he was unstoppable, and is still one of the strongest arms in the NL, regardless of the time he's missed on the DL. It's looking like he might be traded this month, though you really never know.

I love this card, and I already adore Ichiro. Even if he wasn't the main focal point of the Marlins lineup, he still did a lot off the bench, and still was able to get a ton of playing time late in the season thanks to the carousel of injuries in the outfield. Plus, he's sticking around for one more season in Miami.

Martin Prado...man, he could have been a Yankee in 2015, but we so BAAADLY wanted Garrett Jones and his limited bench ability, didn't we? Still, Prado had a nice season, playing great 2nd base and hitting well...stuff he could have been doing in New York this year...

In Fernandez' absence, Tom Koehler was the main guy in the rotation this year, and for what it was, he didn't do the worst job. True, some people are very excited to have Fernandez back next year, but Koehler is a great arm, and had some very nice games this year.

Justin Bour came up at first this year, and replaced Garrett Jones, and this was another reason the Marlins got the better end of the deal, because Bour was wonderful, getting a ton of hits and keeping the infield strong, like a Matt Adams-type.

JT Realmuto took over for Jarrod Saltalamacchia at the plate, and was a defensive upgrade, giving some youth and talent to the position, and making things a little easier for the pitchers.

Finally, AJ Ramos took over the ninth inning job after Steve Cishek he was more suited for a setup-man position (in St. Louis), and did a very nice job, getting 30+ saves.

Coming Tomorrow- That little 'ol NL East team that almost won the World Series.