Last week, I wrote about how the tide seems to be shifting with how the Mets are viewed by mainstream media. I even predicted that a few sites like ESPN or Fox Sports would choose the Mets as their playoffs sleeper pick for 2015. Even online sports betting is reflecting a positive seismic shift towards the Mets. In the last three months, the Mets have seen their odds to win the World Series go from 40:1 to 25:1.

On Monday, Jesse Spector of the Sporting News, wrote that the the Mets can be very close to a playoff team without doing anything at shortstop.

“It depends on Matt Harvey. If he’s the same guy that he was before Tommy John surgery, the Mets have a rotation with him, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Bartolo Colon and either Jon Niese or Dillon Gee. Even without Harvey, that should be good enough to make some noise in the National League. With him at his best, that could easily be the rotation for a playoff team.”

“The lineup, with Michael Cuddyer joining the core of Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy, and David Wright, is better than it probably gets credit for, and don’t forget how well Travis d’Arnaud hit after his brief demotion to Triple-A. It is possible that the only real weak spots in the Mets’ batting order will be shortstop and center field, and I wouldn’t count out the idea of Juan Lagares getting better at the plate. As it is, his value in the field makes him worth having in the lineup.”

While he doesn’t believe it’s necessary for the Mets to make the playoffs, Spector says the addition of a Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, would make October baseball a slam dunk for the Mets.

Whether that’s true or not I couldn’t tell you, but it’s certainly nice to start seeing the Mets getting a lot of positive press and even some rave reviews of late.