National League East full of great young talent
Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park. (June 8, 2010) Credit: Getty Images
The talk in the Mets clubhouse Wednesday - other than the rain that canceled the game against the Padres and spawned a day-night doubleheader - was about the amazing debut of Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
"Struck out 14, went seven and got a 'W,' " Ike Davis said. "That's a good way to start your major-league career."
Davis has had a pretty good start to his career, too, punctuated by Tuesday's walk-off home run in the 11th inning. He's the first baseman and cleanup hitter of the third-place Mets two years after he was drafted.
The Mets also have Mike Pelfrey, who at 26 has blossomed into a potential All-Star. The Nationals just drafted wunderkind hitter Bryce Harper, who could join Strasburg in a few years to form a Cy Young / MVP candidate duo.
The first-place Braves have pitcher Tommy Hanson and outfielder Jason Heyward. The Marlins have power-hitting outfielder Mike Stanton, who made his big-league debut on Tuesday with three hits, and ace pitcher Josh Johnson, who is 17 days younger than Pelfrey.
The Phillies? They're just the two-time defending National League champions. Oh, and they added Roy Halladay.
Did the Mets' NL East world get more difficult on Tuesday night? Every division has its share of young phenoms, but the East does seem to be a division where all five teams can reasonably point to a rosy future.
"You've still got to think that Philadelphia is the team to beat," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "They're probably a little banged up right now but they're still the team to beat."
Sure, in 2010 they are. What about 2011, when Strasburg has a half-season under his belt and the Nationals can spend some of the extra revenue his arrival is already generating?
Or what about 2012, when the Marlins move into a new ballpark and add the clout of cash to their formidable player development system, which has churned out top players only to see them move on when they got too pricey?
The Mets have a good core, but at the moment are missing the secondary talent that would make them a true contender for the division.
Nor is any further help expected from the farm system this season. Davis was it. The Mets have to hope their last few drafts produce a star or two, but they won't know for years. By then some of the other clubs - especially the ones with All-Stars in the front office, which the Mets definitely don't have - may have passed them by.
That's the feeling Mets fans had to have while watching Strasburg. Excitement about a new star on the baseball horizon, trepidation about the possibility of facing him five to six times a year for the next five years.
Manuel said he'd welcome the challenge for his team to face Strasburg, which could happen when the Mets visit Washington for a four-game series over July 4 weekend. (The Nationals' only remaining trip to Citi Field will be for the season-ending series in early October; by then Strasburg is expected to have been shut down because of an innings limit.)
"Very impressive young pitcher," Manuel said. "Kind of look forward to seeing him . . . when we're hot, swinging the bats well."
Davis faced Strasburg last year in the Arizona Fall League (strikeout, lineout). He knows a lot of the NL East phenoms from college or the minors or some other stop. "It's really weird how small the baseball world is," Davis said.
In the NL East, it may have just gotten a lot smaller.
