Meet the 2016 Mets, favorites to win the NL East.
For the first time in at least eight years, the Mets are headed to spring training as “team to beat” in the division, a status earned through a young rotation’s development and last season’s surprising pennant run.
Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz spearhead a rotation that might be the game’s best, and Yoenis Cespedes’ return for $27.5 million — he can opt out from the ensuing two years on his new contract — should add spice to a decent lineup.