Improved Mets are clear playoff contenders

The Mets lost 92 games in 2017, and if there’s any possible way to take a silver lining out of that, it’s this: It wasn’t for lack of talent. Unlike other disappointing teams that just couldn’t compete or were actively in the middle of rebuilds, the Mets had their share of skilled players, many of whom led the team to the World Series in 2015 and the Wild Card in ’16.