5 Questions the Mets Need to Answer

In tonight's NLCS opener between the Cardinals and the Mets, everything appears to favor New York. The Cardinals nearly made history with a late-season collapse then struggled to put away the Padres once the playoffs began. The Mets, on the other hand, waltzed through the regular season and then swept the Dodgers in three games. Yet not all that shimmers is gold. Here are five questions the Mets need to answer as the Championship Series begins:

1) Can the Mets continue to win without major production from Jose Reyes? Reyes needs to improve on his NLDS numbers (.167 BA, .286 OBP, 1 SB, 1 CS) if the Mets want to keep advancing. The pressure and the opponent are both greater in the NLCS, and the Mets need Reyes to start getting on base and distracting the Cardinals' pitchers with his speed.

2) Will Cliff Floyd be ready to go? With his aching hamstring raising questions about the sluggers status, New York needs to find a replacement should Floyd remain out for the series. With an overload of powerful lefties (Delgado, Beltran, Green, and Valentin), his leadership and experience is needed more than anything.

3) Will Billy Wagner come through in the big game? It was clear all season that Mets fans don't entirely trust their closer in tight games. In the Division Series, Wagner allowed one run in the first game to pull LA within a run, yet shut them down the rest of the series. If his control is there and he doesn't overthrow his fastball, he's reliable. If not, things could get interesting.

4) Can John Maine duplicate his NLDS Game 1 start (4.1 IP, 6 H, ER)? The Mets are without El Duque and Pedro and must rely on their bullpen for success, but with the pressure jacked up in the Championship Series, Maine needs to maintain his poise and hand the game over to the Mets' reliable 'pen. If the Cardinals hope to steal away home field advantage, hitting Maine early and often in Game 2 could be their best hope.


5) Who will be the unsung hero of the bench? In all postseason games, big hits can come from pinch-hitters and role players who the managers can strategically use to counter the opponent's pitching (lefty on lefty, righty on righty, defensive replacements, etc.). In the National League, with pitchers hitting and with weaker hitting prevalent, these guys become even more important. The Mets' have options, but it remains to be seen who can come through off their bench, consisting of IF Chris Woodward, OF Michael Tucker, 1B Julio Franco, OF Endy Chavez, and C Ramon Castro.