Lo Duca won’t put his money on these Mets
In his second career as a horse racing analyst, former Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca knows all about picking winners and losers.
Saturday is the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes and the NYRA analyst said he believes Justify will complete the fabled Triple Crown.
“Justify I think is going to get it done. [He] might be tired, but I really believe in [jockey] Mike Smith and [trainer] Bob Baffert,’’ Lo Duca, who was at Citi Field for the Belmont draw Tuesday, told The Post before the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Orioles. “They’re Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. They’re Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.’’
As for the Mets, Lo Duca is not about to cash any tickets on Mickey Callaway’s club.
“I think Mickey is really in a tough situation,’’ said Lo Duca, who will be on MSGplus Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. previewing the Belmont Stakes and will be an analyst all summer on the network.
“My point of view is that they handled this completely the wrong way, they went the pitching route,’’ Lo Duca, 46, said of the Mets’ overall plan. “I get it, you can never get enough arms, but hitters don’t want to sign to come to Citi Field. Agents want their players to base themselves on numbers and when you go to Citi Field your numbers are going to dip.
“So, to me, I always felt the Mets should go stock up on hitters through the draft and the minor leagues and then go through free agency for pitching. It’s backwards. The reason you hear people talk- ing about should they start trading their guys is because there is nothing in the minor leagues to be excited about. Nothing.
“You have the Braves and the Phillies who are significantly younger and ahead of the curve.’’
As for this season, the fourtime All-Star said: “No. 1, I don’t think I’ve ever seen batting out of order from a lineup card, I’ve only seen it in a double switch. No. 2, two sprained fingers, not one, two. No. 3, Matt Harvey is pitching in Cincinnati. No. 4, both catchers get hurt in the first two weeks of the season. There is a lot going on that is not towards Mickey’s favor. I thought he handled the situation early on great, but now it has to be next man up. … You have to will yourself.
“You can’t score one or two runs in a four-game set against the Cubs. [Jacob] deGrom has Cy Young numbers and he might not win 10 games with the way the Mets are scoring runs.”
As for the Mets’ future, the Brooklyn-born Lo Duca said” “I don’t know if it’s time for a change in a lot of things. They are not finding that superstar that you need in New York and on the other side with the Yankees, they got four or five of them. It’s an embarrassment of riches.’’
Asked if he would put his money on the Mets Lo Duca said, “No, they have too many questions. They got a manager now who is a little bit scared and that’s not his doing. They’re making mental errors. That bullpen is that bullpen. That four-game stretch in Atlanta crushed them. You got to be able to manufacture runs.’’