Wright named captain of the Mets

Terry Collins announced that the Mets have decided to make David Wright the fourth captain in the team's history. Wright will join Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, and John Franco as the franchise's captain.

"This is probably one of the proudest days of my career so far," Wright said. "To be viewed in this light - by ownership, by Sandy and the front office, the coaching staff, and most importantly the players- means a great deal to me. I'm honored and proud to be on the short list of guys of who have been named captain in our history. It's a dream come true, to say the least, and something I am very, very proud of."

Wright also said that he spoke to his teammates seeking their permission before he received the honor. Additionally, the organization agreed the he will not wear the "C" on his jersey.

"A uniform is a uniform for a reason ... Everyone is in agreement we will do without it," Wright explained. 

Wright has done everything right and completely deserves this honor. After signing the lucrative eight year contract extension in the winter, we knew that the organization had faith in him. It is interesting to see how Wright's career has turned out so far. He started out being an extremely hyped up prospect who learned from veteran players such as Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, and others, and now he will be the veteran giving advice to the younger players. 

I'm a bit disappointed that we won't be seeing the "C" on his jersey, but obviously that doesn't play a huge factor in how he is looked at by his teammates. They see him as a leader, and a player who will hopefully continue to have success once this team is back on it's feet again. 

Jon Niese named Opening Day starter

Terry Collins recently told reporters that he will have Jon Niese start Opening Day against the Padres. Niese said that he is excited to receive the honor, but doesn't want to viewed as the leader of the rotation. 

"Obviously Johan and Marcum do a very good job of that," Niese explained. n

With Santana starting the season in the DL, the Mets obviously had a big choice to make when choosing the Opening Day starter. Should they go with the youth in Matt Harvey? Or go with a more experienced pitcher in Jon Niese, which is fully believe is the right move. Niese was a very dependable starter last season, and the organization thinks very highly of him. He has slowly turned himself into a top-of-the-rotation starter, and I expect him to have success against the Padres on Opening Day. 

Valdy may be the teams leadoff hitter, says Collins

Jordany Valdespin has had a very nice spring, so much so that Manager Terry Collins has been thinking about making him the teams leadoff hitter. In 14 games this spring, Valdespin has hit .341 with 4 homers, and only 2 strikeouts. 

"As of right now, that's what we're looking at," Collins said. "He's really worked at the pitch selection. He's got a nice idea at the plate, he makes pitchers work. He can bunt for a hit and he can hit a homer. He's not getting very many easy, first-pitch fastballs." 

Valdespin clearly has plenty of talent, but his attitude has been concerning. Some older players and coaches have been annoyed by his cocky attitude, but many, including Terry Collins, claim that the veteran players will "keep him in line." 

Assuming that he calms down a bit, I feel like he would be an excellent addition to the every-day lineup. Last season I worried about his swing, given that he is/was a free-swinger, and has the tendency to strike out a ton. That is certainly not what you look at in a leadoff hitter, but this spring he has looked so good, and his speed definitely gives him a bonus. 

As for Opening Day, I believe that Collin Cowgill will get the nod in center field (since the team is facing left hander Clayton Richard of the Padres). The organization seems like they want to keep Valdespin in the outfield, so it is possible to see a platoon situation in center field. If that is true, then I would have to believe Valdespin would get the opportunity to be a leadoff hitter.