At least he put a number on it.

First place and 92 wins for the Mets.

I see no way of separating this optimistic prediction from the Daily News' endless cheer leading for the Mets ... but at least Madden is not being vague:

"As for the offense, obviously I’m banking on Lucas Duda, Juan Lagares and Travis d’Arnaud all building on their 2014 seasons and David Wright, his shoulder fully healed, regaining his 20-homer/100 RBI form — and possibly even Curtis Granderson benefiting from the pulled-in fences in right-center and the reunion with his favorite batting coach, Kevin Long, to have a year more befitting his $13M salary. I don’t think any of that is a reach."

I think it's a reach.

David Wright 20/100?

He has accomplished this one time since 2008. He came close in 2012, and 20 HRs is no big whoop.

But RBIs are a team stat. I think the same thing when I hear Teixeira talking about 100 RBIs. Like it just happens because, you know, it's a round number.

Tossing off 100 RBIs as if it was 1999, does Madden know how many NL players drove in 100 runs last year?

Three.


So David Wright is going to drive in 100, in the National League, in 2015 ... and Granderson and Lagares and Duda and D'Arnaud are also having good years.

Is this team going to score 800 runs?

Or is Wright going to be the only player ever to drive in 100 for a 600-run team? (No, I didn't research this.)


Maybe I'm wrong.

Maybe all this Mets optimism is warranted.

With no worthwhile analytic backup, though, it just sounds like wishful thinking.