Just Mets

Tonight the Mets open a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. It’s the first time these two clubs have faced each other since June, 2012, also at Tropicana Field.

When comparing those Mets to the Mets of today, there have been some drastic changes in only three seasons with the franchise.

Whether it’s the starting rotation, the lineup or even the franchise as a whole, seeing how far the Mets have come in three seasons is rather remarkable.

Here’s a look back at that series from three seasons ago…

Again, the last time the Mets played the Rays was in St. Petersburg from June 12th- June 14th, 2012. The Mets came into central Florida and pulverized the Rays, sweeping them in a three-game series and outscoring them 29-9.

After sweeping the series, the Mets went six games over .500 bring their record to 35-29. It was the clubs first sweep since they swept the Phillies on May 7th-9th of that season.

The Mets starting pitchers for this series were vastly different than that who will throw in this series. Chris Young, R.A. Dickey and Johan Santana all started for the Mets in those three games.

Interestingly enough, Noah Syndergaard – who was acquired by the Mets for Dickey just four months later, will pitch in this series against Tampa Bay.

Anyway, Young pitched well enough to earn his first win of the season in game one of the series, which was an accomplishment considering he was coming off capsule surgery in his shoulder, the same procedure Santana underwent nearly two years before. He pitched 5 2/3 effective innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and two walks.

Dickey, of course, pitched one of his memorable gems in that Cy Young Award winning season in a complete game, one-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Tampa Bay. He did give up a run, but it was unearned.

Lastly, Santana, who was just 11 days removed from throwing the first – and only – Mets no-hitter, was mediocre in the finale, going only five innings although he did pick up the win thanks to a nine-run outburst from the Mets offense. Santana would only pitch eight more games that season as he was headed for a second surgery to repair the capsule in his shoulder.

But one thing which often gets forgotten in this series was it was the week Ike Davis broke through from his miserable slump with a three-run home run against JP Howell in the seventh inning of game two, which was part of a six-run outburst as the Mets went on to win 11-2. Davis would go on to hit another 28 home runs in what originally seemed like his breakout season after missing nearly the entire year before with a bone bruise in his ankle.

In addition, Kirk Nieuwenhuis started two games in centerfield during this series, and produced at the leadoff spot for the Mets. In nine at-bats, Nieuwenhuis notched five hits with five runs scored and three RBI. Lucas Duda started two of the three games, and drove in four runs to go along with his three hits.

In just three years, it’s amazing to look at the pitching staff in particular and realize it’s completely transformed. None of the three starting pitchers in that series are with the organization any longer, and only Bobby Parnell remains from the relief corps from 2012.  Ike Davis started at first base for all three games with 6 hits and 6 RBI.

Joe Maddon – who managed the Rays at the time and is now the current manager of the Cubs, was very complimentary of the Mets after outplaying them for three days in their home ballpark.

”I like the way the Mets are playing right now. I think they’re playing hard. I think they’re all engaged mentally in the game,” Maddon explained to WFAN after that series. “Again, they’re not unlike us and how we came to be over the last few years, just a bunch of young guys trying to make a name for themselves and playing the game hard and properly.

“It’s a very interesting team,” Maddon continued.”But, from what I’ve seen of the Mets, they’re headed in the right direction.”

Maddon was right, although it took a few years and virtually a complete roster transformation for them to begin to find their way.

To really see how far the Mets have come since their last series in Tampa Bay, Matt Harvey was still six weeks away from making his Mets debut in late July of that season. Jacob deGrom spent the 2012 season in Savannah and later was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets. Noah Syndergaard was still with the Blue Jays with their Single-A affiliate, the Lansing Lugnuts.

What’s more, Michael Conforto was only in his freshman year of college at Oregon State University.

What a difference there is, just three years later.

The Mets have a completely different identity than what they had the last time they played the Rays. And, the Rays have a completely new identity themselves, although Evan Longoria remains the face of their franchise.

But unless you followed the Mets closely, you would have had no idea what Harvey was going to be all about. You probably stilled believed in Davis over Duda, too, and Jordany Valdespin was still, “the man.”

And don’t forget the Jason Bay contract.

Well, maybe some things haven’t changed. Regardless, the visiting team that will play at Tropicana Field tonight is a different team and this time, they’re one to truly be feared.