The Mets are not the equal of any of the AL contenders in terms of pitching. Tom Glavine has an ERA just under 4 pitching in the NL. If the White Sox played in the NL their rotation of number 3 starters could all put up better numbers than that. Wagner scares nobody and isn't a post-season tested closer either. And being a Boston fan I've watched Pedro wilt in the playoffs every year since '99 and he is not even the equal of the Pedro in '04 anymore. AL teams with a better pitching staff than the Mets:
Anaheim, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota and New York (AL). I'd say they are about the equal of Boston since neither team has a deep rotation, but if Boston gets Wakefield back (a guy who has come up big in the postseason more than once) I'd put them narrowly ahead. And of all of those teams the Mets could rival the lineups of Anaheim, Minnesota, and Boston. I love David Wright and Beltran will probably be the MVP in the NL this year but their lineup isn't nine-deep like the ones featured in the AL.
If you're a Mets fan then sure, be happy, be optimistic, but don't be an idiot about it. Getting your panties in a bunch because the majority of non-Mets fans view the AL is a superior league is stupid because only NL homers do not believe that. The only NL teams win winning records in interleague play this year were the Giants and Rockies, both of whome played most of their games against the weakest division in the AL (the West). For an NL team to win the series this year its going to take some good play and a little luck. I'd say the Mets aren't any better than the Astros or Cardinals of the previous years and neither of those teams even won a game in the World Series.
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