The New York Mets may not be Pedro Martinez's most well-known team during his illustrious major league career, but he did make two All-Star appearances in his first two years of his tenure with the team from 2005-2008.
And with the Queens club still holding on strong in the NL playoff picture, despite being 12.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East standings, the will and passion of the team have not died down in the slightest, currently holding the final Wild Card spot in the National League with a roster chock full of young talent.
And the three-time Cy Young Award pitcher has just as much faith in the team's future as the fans do.
"They Look Bright For the Future"
Even if a late collapse occurs and the Mets do end up missing the postseason, the heap of young talent on the team, such as catcher Francisco Alvarez and pitchers Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat carries an optimistic hope for the team in the coming years, and Martinez is a firm believer in that.
“I think the Mets look bright for the future,” Martinez said to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “I hope they continue to draft well and that they continue to go international and get some guys."
Martinez also pointed out how important development and getting the players comfortable in the major league setting is.
"But I think it’s great to see. That’s gonna feel great for these kids. It’s sooner than we expected, but it’s gonna build some grit," said the Baseball Hall of Famer. "The good thing is, if they happen to have success right now as rookies, by the second year, they feel like they can be successful at a very early age. That’s what we want. We want to see the young players develop quickly and also build the grit to have failure and also enjoy success."
The Mets are currently 77-73, 1.5 games above the Wild Card cutline.