The first trimester of the Mets season has come to an end and it's a moment to celebrate.
No one really seemed sure what to make of Terry Collins' team as the season got rolling since they kept finding ways to win games when everyone was sure that this season would be a flaming wreck from the very first day. Little by little, though, people seemed to warm up to this Mets team and you could see fans starting to smile or nod at each other as if they were in on a little secret.
Now, the secret is out and the Mets have to live with the reality that this season will amount to something other than killing time until Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler are ready to pitch in the major leagues. And this is similar to what parents go through at the end of that first trimester as they have to start dealing with the realization that a human being is going to be joining them in a few months.
There's a big difference between thinking about being a parent and actually knowing that you are about to become a parent. The difference between hoping to become a contender and knowing that you actually have a shot to make it to the playoffs is equally large.
It might not be as large as the gap between having that shot and actually making it to the postseason, however. That's the issue the Mets are going to have to deal with as they move into the second trimester of this season.
They can feel very good about what they've gotten from R.A. Dickey, Johan Santana and David Wright through the first two months and they should feel fairly confident that all three of them will continue along the same track. There's less confidence that you could pick which one of them has the best narrative, although this vote goes to Dickey because of the sheer unlikely nature of his ascension to the top of the National League's pitching rolls.
You can't win with just three players playing well, however, so the trio will need some help as they move forward with the season. Ike Davis and Jon Niese, a pair of crashing disappointments this season, need to be two of the primary helpers if the Mets are going to keep on having fun for the next four months.
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Other players can step up, of course, but those two are players the Mets expected to be much better that they have been this season and, beyond that, they are players the Mets are hoping can be part of their foundation for years to come. Whatever happens this season, it's important to remember that there's still a long view in place for the franchise and seeing Davis and Niese rebound the rest of the way would make that view look a lot better.
It's been a giddy couple of months that haven't always felt quite real for the Mets. June's here, though, and that means it is time to move forward or recede into the background for one more year.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.
