Postponed: New York Mets at Washington Nationals - 4/1/21 MLB Picks and Prediction
Photo by Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Nationals (0-0) vs New York Mets (0-0)
Game Info: Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 7:09 pm (Nationals Park)
Max Scherzer (0-0) (0.00) vs Jacob deGrom (0-0) (0.00)
Betting Odds: Washington Nationals +125 / New York Mets -135 --- Over/Under: 7 Click Here for the Latest Odds
This game has been postponed. The New York Mets will head on the road to face the Washington Nationals for an opening day matchup between these NL East rivals.
The New York Mets are optimistic heading into the 2021 season. They finished 2020 26-34 but added star shortstop Francisco Lindor to an already potent offense, making them a top contender in a stacked NL East. In 2020 the Mets had a .272 team batting average (1st), .348 on base percentage (2nd), and .459 slugging percentage (4th). The Mets were average in spring training, going 11-11 in Grapefruit League play. Francisco Lindor led the team with a .370 batting average, and 4 home runs. Another welcome sign was the resurgence of Pete Alonso this spring, as he hit .340 with 4 HR and 16 RBI.
New York will send out ace Jake deGrom to start on opening day. He was great in 2020, going 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA, 104 strikeouts and a .96 WHIP. That success has carried over into the spring, as deGrom was lights out in the Grapefruit League. He was 3-0 with a .66 ERA, .66 WHIP and 13.8 K/9.
The Washington Nationals fell short of the playoffs in 2020, but are expected to bounce back in 2021. They finished 2020 with a 26-34 record, last in the NL East. Their lineup is still not as potent as a few years back, but they still finished 2020 in the top ten of most offensive categories. The Nationals will also be returning a top rotation featuring Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. In spring training the Nationals finished in the middle of the Grapefruit League standings with a 10-9 record. Veteran Ryan Zimmerman had a monster spring, hitting .481 with 6 HR and 15 RBI. Josh Bell also hit well, with a .383 average to go with 6 HR and 15 RBI.
Washington will call on their top guy Max Scherzer to counter deGrom. He was solid in 2020, with a 5-4 record, 3.74 ERA and 92 strikeouts. In spring training he was 0-1 with a 3.95 ERA, .88 WHIP and 13.2 K/9.
The Mets should have the edge here. deGrom has been phenomenal in spring, after having another great season in 2020. Lindor has added more juice to an offense that was one of the best in 2020. Pete Alonso's monster spring is an indicator he is back to form heading into 2021. The Nationals added Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber in the offseason to give this offense some more firepower, but Juan Soto's bad spring makes it hard to back them against an elite pitcher like deGrom. Give me the Mets to win.
Joe’s Pick New York Mets -135
AUTHOR: Joe Bonomo
Mitch's Take...
![Washington Nationals vs New York Mets 4/1/21 MLB Pick and Prediction MLB Tips [Betting Pick]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QnIlKVK62yQ/hqdefault.jpg "Washington Nationals vs New York Mets 4/1/21 MLB Pick and Prediction MLB Tips [Betting Pick]")