New York 2009 Goals

2008 is over, 2009 is here. In 2008, we saw the Yankees miss the playoffs, the Mets choke down the stretch, the Giants win the Super Bowl and clinch home-field advantage in the 2009 playoffs, and the Jets choke down the stretch. What are some reasonable expecations and goals for these teams to accomplish for the new year?

New York Yankees
Expectation: Make the postseason. After not making it last year, they desperately need to. They signed three top free agents over the off season (so far). With the rotation they have (CC Sabathia/Chien-Ming Wang/A.J. Burnett/Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes), their pitching staff should be much improved. Plus with a healthy lineup that includes two power hitters in their prime (Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira), there is no excuse for not making the playoffs.
Goals: Score over 850 runs and accumulate at least 930 innings from their starting rotation. In 2007, the Yankee offense scored over 968 runs. In 2008, the offense scored 789 runs. Hitting coach Kevin Long needs to get back to his 2007 form and teach the players how to hit. As for their pitching staff, Peter Abraham of LoHud Blogs found an interesting statistic. The playoff teams from 2008 had enormous innings pitched by their rotation. The Rays (973.1), Red Sox (966.2), White Sox (998.1) and Angels (1,012) all had great support. The Yankees only had a 898.1 innings pitched by their rotation. 40 innings by the rotation is a lot, they need all the help they can.

New York Mets
Expectations: Make the playoffs. The Mets choked down the stretch the past two years. 2007 was just a dreadful collapse and 2008 was just as bad. They need to prove they can finish a season without falling in the past month. The Mets need to make the playoffs so they can erase the harsh memories from 2007 and 2008.
Goals: A better bullpen for sure. The Mets' save percentage was 60%, tied for 4th worst in the National League and tied for 9th worst in baseball. They blew 29 saves, 3rd worst in baseball. They also allowed 58 homeruns, tied for 8th worst in baseball. And as for earned run average, the Mets' bullpen ranked 23rd (4.27). They desperately need bullpen help, desperately. They already got help from acquiring Francisco Rodriguez and JJ Putz and losing Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman, and Joe Smith.

New York Jets
Expectations: Make the playoffs. The Jets collapsed over their final 5 games, going 1-4. They were outcoached and outplayed over those games. No matter who the coach is, no matter who the quarterback is, they need to make the playoffs. They already faced a lot of criticism by the media for their offseason acquisitions of Alan Faneca, Damien Woody, Kris Jenkins, and Calvin Pace. Brett Favre added on to that. If the Jets want to erase 2008, they need to make the playoffs in 2009.
Goals: Find a new QB and improve on pass defense. Brett Favre's TD/INT ratio was 22/22, not what anyone expected. He is old, washed up, and needs to retire. The Jets need QB help and Favre is not the solution. Whether they try to sign Matt Cassel, Tom Brady's replacement, or look in the draft for a QB, they need help. The Jets' pass defense was appalling to say the least. They allowed 234.5 passing yards per game, 4th worst in the NFL. 23 passing touchdowns were allowed, tied for 8th worst in the NFL. The Jets ranked 26th in opponent's completion percentage. They need help at SS and CB. Abram Elam is not doing the job, neither is Eric Smith at safety. Darrelle Revis is a pro-bowler but he needs another cornerback to complement him.

New York Giants
Expectations: For the upcoming playoffs, make it to the NFC Championship game. The Giants' surprise run to win last year's Super Bowl was astounding. They already have home-field advantage for this year's postseason and not making it back to the title game will be a disappointment. As for next season, it is too early to be thinking of that. They need to focus on this season first.
Goals: Win the Super Bowl. No one thought they would win the Super Bowl last year. No one thought the Giants would come remotely close to winning this year's Super Bowl after losing defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. No one thought they would stand strong after the Plaxico Burress shooting. The trend here is shunning the nonbelievers and proving the doubters wrong. Their goal is to win the Super Bowl again.