The 1962 New York Mets Opening Day Lineup and Pitching Staff
Beginning the Mets Baseball Mogul challenge.
Let’s play ball!
The 1962 New York Mets’ inaugural season is now underway in Baseball Mogul!
Here is what my MLB roster looks like on Opening Day.
Lineup.
The numbers beside each player’s name represent their current overall rating compared to their peak rating.
So Jim Hickman’s current overall rating is “80,” and his current peak rating is “83.” This suggests he still has a little bit of getting better to do - but he has neared the peak of his skillset.
Players like Richie Ashburn, with an “84” overall rating and no peak number beside them, have already “peaked,” You shouldn’t look for them to improve beyond where they already are, generally speaking.
My assessment of this lineup is that it is a below-average lineup by Baseball Mogul standards. Having five players in the starting lineup with an overall rating below “80” is not really what you want to see.
Look for the 1962 Mets to struggle offensively.
Pitching Staff.
There’s a lot of promise on the Mets’ pitching staff.
While Jerry Koosman is only 19 years old, he’s already one of the highest-rated pitchers in the entire organization - and with a peak rating of “95,” he could become a star in the next few years.
Likewise, 18-year-old Al Schmelz shows a lot of promise as well.
So the Mets’ pitching staff is relatively talented, with a lot of promise for the future. But they are very young in 1962.
Look for the pitching to struggle - but maybe not as much as the offense.
What the Mets Did in April 1962.
In the season's first week, the Mets went 4-3 and were tied for fourth place in the National League.
Week two saw them fall down the standings, and their record stood at 6-7.
After sliding to 6-10, the first injury of the season struck the Mets. Felix Mantilla, the Mets’ third baseman, broke his ankle and would miss 96 days.
He wasn’t hitting all that well with a .212 batting average, but his three home runs were second most on the team. I brought up Rich Herrscher to take his place, and he was inserted into the starting lineup at third base. Herrscher hit alright in the Spring and was hitting decently in AAA.
I finished playing through the end of April, and the Mets went 12-15 during the first month of the 1962 season. Surprisingly the Mets are sitting in fifth place.
The Mets being in fifth is somewhat deceiving as only one game separates fifth and tenth place. But, I am somewhat pleasantly surprised with the Mets’ start - 12-15 is by no means good, but it’s not terrible either.
Batting Stats on May 1, 1962.
Charlie Neal (.378 batting average) and Gil Hodges (.366 batting average) certainly stand out. However, the middle of the lineup is really struggling,
Pitching Stats on May 1, 1962.
As we thought, the pitching - while not great - isn’t doing horribly. Two starting pitchers have a sub 4.00 ERA, and Jerry Koosman is close with an ERA of 4.12. The bullpen is a little more hit or miss though.
Next time I’ll simulate more of the season - probably at least May and June.
The 1962 Mets’ season is underway, and things aren’t too bad at the moment!