We are headed for another season of Mets baseball where we hope that once again these Mets can make it all the way back to the World Series.  Since 2015, we have seen a definite pattern emerge with the Mets, and I think as Mets fans, we should all try better this year to not react, some would say overreact, when one of the following things we know will happen, happens:

• The Mets are not going to sign another big name free agent this offseason.  It’s not going to happen, and it just may happen that Jose Bautista winds up in the division and on a fairly discounted deal;
• Jerry Blevins will sign an extremely reasonable two year deal . . . with another team;
• Instead of fortifying the bench, the Mets are going to go with this year’s version of Eric Campbell -> Ty Kelly;
• Terry Collins is going to use and abuse Addison Reed to the point where his arm may actually fall off.  This will go double if Jeurys Familia gets suspended;
• Hansel Robles is going to go through a stretch in one week where he pitches five innings, 1/3 of an inning, two innings, and three innings, and everyone is going to wonder why his production has fallen off;
• The infield of Lucas Duda, Neil Walker, David Wright, and Asdrubal Cabrera will be ridden hard despite their injury histories and capable backups like Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes on the bench;
• Just pick a random player on the roster – he’s going to be on the DL for over two months with a back injury;
• There will be a game with Reyes in center and Juan Lagares in right;
• Travis d’Arnaud is going to get injured, and Kevin Plawecki is not going to be able to replace his bat in the lineup;
• Matt Harvey will complain about the six man rotation that will be implemented at some point during the season;
• Robert Gsellman will make an appearance throwing well over 100 pitches in five innings or less;
• Rene Rivera will hit under the Mendoza Line;
• T.J. Rivera will be raking in AAA and not get called up despite the Mets needing some offense;
• Michael Conforto will not face one left-handed pitcher all season;
• Yoenis Cespedes will not dive for a ball, run out a pop up, or run hard to first on a dropped strike three;
• Curtis Granderson will have a better OBP than Reyes, but Collins will continue to lead off Reyes and his sub .330 OBP;
• Collins will not know if Brandon Nimmo is faster than Flores and it will cost them a game;
• No matter where he winds up this offseason, and no matter how poor his year is going, Chase Utley will hit two home runs in a game he faces the Mets;
• Sandy Alderson will mortgage a part of the Mets future because he didn’t make a move in the offseason that he should have made;
• Paul Sewald will pitch well in AAA, but the Mets won’t call him up because they would rather rip Sean Gilmartin or Gabriel Ynoa from the Vegas rotation to make a relief appearance on 2-3 days of rest;
• Both Josh Smoker and Robles will be fully warmed up, and Collins will go to Smoker to pitch to the lefty;
• For reasons the Mets themselves can’t quite explain, Rafael Montero will spend the full season on the 40 man roster;
• d’Arnaud will come off the disabled list, play well for a stretch, and the Mets will lose him and Steven Matz in the same game;
• Matz will have appendicitis, but the Mets will talk him out of the surgery because they need him to start against the Reds;
• Dilson Herrera will tear it up every time he plays the Mets;
• Wherever he lands, Jay Bruce is going to hit 30 homers and 100 RBI;
• Collins will show up in the dugout without wearing pants, and the Mets still won’t fire him;
• Noah Syndergaard will get ejected from a game for throwing inside.  A player who takes a bat to one of the Mets infielders in retaliation won’t;
• Fans will clamor for Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith to get called up all season long;
• Seth Lugo will bounce between the bullpen and rotation so much, MLB is actually going to test him to see if his arm is actually made out of rubber;
• Bartolo Colon will pitch so poorly against the Mets, fans will wonder why they wanted a bum like him back;
• R.A. Dickey will not only beat the Mets, but he will throw the team into a week  long offensive funk causing some fans to decry the trade;
• One or more pitchers will get hurt, and fans that even question if the Warthen Slider could be an issue will be mocked mercilessly;
• Some way some how Jon Niese will pitch for this team;
• Rather than build Tom Seaver a statue, the Mets will issue #41 to Niese upon his return to the team;

• Daniel Murphy will have another terrific year for the Nationals, and some Mets fans will still defend the decision to let him go;
• Ricky Knapp will make a solid spot start for the Mets causing fans to think he is the second coming;
• Mets will trade a good prospect for Kelly Johnson; and
• Despite all of this the Mets will make it to the postseason

Honestly, I give it until April 9th when Collins declares the last game in a three game set against the Marlins is a must-win game.