Projected batting order Roger Cedeno, CF Roberto Alomar, 2B Mike Piazza, C Mo Vaughn, 1B Cliff Floyd, LF Jeromy Burnitz, RF Ty Wigginton, 3B Rey Sanchez, SS Rotation Tom Glavine, LHP Al Leiter, LHP Pedro Astacio, RHP Steve Trachsel, RHP Mike Bascik, LHP/David Cone, RHP Bench Tony Clark, INF Joe McEwing, INF/OF Timo Perez, OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo, OF Vance Wilson, C Bullpen Armando Benitez, RHP (CL) David Weathers, RHP Scott Strickland, RHP Mike Stanton, LHP Grant Roberts, RHP Jaime Cerda, LHP Complete Mets roster  ESPN's Take Q: Can Art Howe bring a new attitude to the clubhouse and succeed in the biggest of all markets? Art Howe is a good manager and a wonderful man, but the Mets' problem is talent. They are a dreadful defensive team with a starting staff that puts the ball in play. Robby Alomar isn't happy. They can sit around a clubhouse campfire and sing "Meet the Mets," but Boy Scout happiness doesn't win games. -- Peter Gammons It appears fantasy owners are very excited about what Cliff Floyd might do this season, as he's being drafted among the first 100 of all players. However, based on what other new Mets did last season, the difficulty of hitting at Shea Stadium and Floyd's extensive injury history, there are plenty of better outfielders to grab this season. Give Steve Trachsel a chance! While he's not the sexiest of names to draft, the numbers don't lie. Trachsel is a safe bet for double digits in wins and at least passable numbers in ERA and ratio, making him worth your attention on draft day. Sure, Pedro Astacio offers upside, but Trachsel is far safer. -- Eric Karabell Jose Reyes, SS Not yet 20, there's little doubt that Reyes is the Mets' shortstop of the future, with Rey Sanchez merely keeping the position warm for him. Prototypical five-tool player, he's shot up through the system and could be in the middle of the infield by the middle of this season.

Manager: Art Howe  Home: Shea Stadium (55,777)  '02 record: 75-86  Team page | Schedule | Offseason moves

Catcher: Mike Piazza There's a disturbing pattern with Piazza's career -- in each of the last three seasons, his home run totals have dipped. Last year, Piazza failed to hit .300 for the first time in four full seasons with the Mets. Still a fearsome right-handed hitter, the fear is that, at 34, he's begun an irreversible slide. That's especially so behind the plate, where he threw out just over 14 percent of opposing base stealers. First Base: Mo Vaughn After missing all of the 2001 season with a biceps injury, Vaughn returned to action with the Mets last year. Overall, he had a mediocre season (.259-26-72) which could partly be attributed to the layoff and a weight problem. The Mets were encouraged when Vaughn hit 21 homers in his final 77 games. Vaughn is in far better shape this spring and will probably benefit from the arrival of low-key manager Art Howe. Second Base: Roberto Alomar The fear is that this Hall-of-Fame infielder has lost his skills quickly. His first season in New York was disastrous (.266-11-53) and he was particularly vulnerable against left-handed pitching (.204). His problems weren't limited to the plate, either -- his error total more than doubled from the previous season. Like many of his veteran teammates, he needs a bounce-back season to prove he's not through. Third Base: Ty Wigginton Will open the season as the Mets' starting third baseman somewhat by default. The Mets attempted to deal for a more established player over the winter, but couldn't make a deal. Wigginton has less than a full-season experience at Triple A and doesn't provide the kind of run production normally associated with the position. He's played all over the diamond, though he's adequate defensively at third. Don't be surprised to see the Mets try to upgrade here. Shortstop: Rey Sanchez Replacing Rey Ordonez at short, Sanchez moves back to his regular position. Like Ordonez, he won't provide much in the way of offense (he had just 14 extra-base hits while playing second base for Boston last year), but with a career .275 average, he'll at least contribute some. Sanchez may not be as spectacular at short as his predecessor, but he has above-average range and a strong arm. Left Field: Cliff Floyd Is with his fourth team in the last year. The Mets hope he can provide some protection for Mike Piazza in the lineup. Though he runs well for his size, he's not much of a base-stealing threat any more. A key for him will be to stay healthy -- Floyd's had a number of nagging injuries the last few years and isn't likely to become more durable now that he's turned 30. Center Field: Roger Cedeno Was a huge disappointment last year, compiling a poor .318 OBP and struggling defensively, committing a league-high eight errors in left field. Now that's he being shifted to center, his problems in the field will become magnified. Cedeno stole 55 bases only two years ago, but dropped to 25 last year, in part because he bulked up his body. Right Field: Jeromy Burnitz Yet another newcomer who had an off-season with the Mets last year, Burnitz is back with the Mets only because the club could find no takers for him in the offseason. Hapless against lefties (.174), Burnitz struck out 135 times in just 479 at-bats. But the biggest falloff came in the power department, where Burnitz went from someone who had averaged 32 homers and 102 RBI in the previous five seasons to just 19 homers and 54 RBI. No. 1 Starter: Tom Glavine The Mets' big offseason acquisition, Glavine brings experience and professionalism to the rotation. But there's some concern over the fact that while Glavine won 18 games, fourth-best in the NL, he was a mediocre 7-7 3.93 in the second half of last year. Glavine is durable and smart, but at 37 and with some 3,330 innings on his resume, his best days seem behind him. No. 2 Starter: Al Leiter Though he finished at .500 (13-13), Leiter was the most dependable of all Mets starters last year, allowing two runs or fewer in 20 of his 33 starts. His record was more an indication of poor run support. Assuming he stays healthy, Leiter can probably be counted on to win 14 games -- his average victory total in his five seasons with the Mets. No. 3 Starter: Pedro Astacio Has battled shoulder woes this spring and his availability for the start of the regular season is uncertain. Worse, Astacio pitched poorly over the second half of last year (7.00), and the Mets have to wonder about his durability. He also allowed the most home runs of any NL pitcher last year. No. 4 Starter: Steve Trachsel After a miserable first half, he rebounded nicely after the All-Star break (5-4, 2.72) and earned himself a return to the Mets rotation for this season. Hardly overpowering, Trachsel relies on command and changing speeds. A solid, if unspectacular veteran, perfect for the backend of a rotation. Bullpen: David Weathers, Scott Strickland, Mike Stanton, Grant Roberts, Jaime Cerda Bolstered by the addition of Stanton, this should be a formidable unit for the Mets, as long as they stay healthy. Weathers posted an impressive ERA last season (2.91), and should be the primary set-up man to closer Armando Benitez. Strickland was very good at times last year, but often was far from reliable as evidenced by his nine losses and four blown saves. Closer: Armando Benitez Can be overpowering with a fastball in the upper 90s and his save conversion rate (90.7 percent over the last three years) is the best in baseball among closers with 75 or more opportunities. Yet every year, Benitez seems to blow some big games at precisely the worst time and is prone to dips because of heavy work loads.

-- Sean McAdam, ESPN.com

Record: 75-86 | Finish: 5th in NL East | Results | Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (NL rank) Defense (NL rank) 690 runs (13th) Home: 321 runs (13th) Road: 369 (5th) 703 runs allowed (7th) Home: 339 (8th) Road: 364 (8th) 2002 Stats Leaders   Average: Edgardo Alfonzo, .308 Runs: Alfonzo, 78 On-base pct: Alfonzo, .391 Stolen bases: Roger Cedeno, 25 Wins: Al Leiter, 13 Saves: Armando Benitez, 33 Home runs: Mike Piazza, 33 RBI: Piazza, 98 Slugging pct.: Piazza, .554 OPS: Piazza, .903 ERA: Steve Trachsel, 3.37 Strikeouts: Leiter, 172