With the Guaynabo Mets one-quarter of the way through the 2022 regular season, things are coming into focus.
Eight games in, the team’s record stands at 4-4, good for fourth place in the BSN’s B Division. But as the winners of 3 of their last 4 games—and with an important reinforcement on the way—momentum is building for last year’s championship runner-up.
The Mets’ roster has experienced significant turnover from a season ago. Tony Bishop and E.J. Crawford are gone, while the team added Kyle Viñales, Jonathan Ocasio, and Ben Moore. They also brought back Tyquan Rolón, Jonathan Han, and William Orozco. Han, a team captain, has yet to see the court this season after suffering a serious hamstring injury last October, but he could be close to a return.
“We are starting to get a better feel for our team,” said Head Coach Brad Greenberg. “We are almost at full strength and look forward to Jon Han suiting up soon. His experience, leadership, and shooting ability will be a welcome addition to our backcourt.”
Greenberg praised the play of offseason acquisition Ben Moore, who previously spent time in the NBA G League and with the Indiana Pacers prior to signing with Guaynabo as an import player for 2022. Moore currently ranks among the top-ten in the league for points, rebounds, blocks, and free throws made.
“I am very happy with the play of Ben Moore,” said Greenberg. “He has been one of the most efficient players in the league to date.”
Kyle Viñales has also flashed for the Mets, averaging 16.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. A top-five scorer in the BSN as a member of the Grises de Humacao in 2018, he leads all players on the team in minutes played. Viñales ranks ninth in the league in scoring, tenth in assists, and fourth in three-pointers made.
As a team, the Mets are averaging 86 points per game and giving up 83.1 points per game, both of which rank seventh out of twelve teams. Offensive rebounding—led by Moore’s league-leading 4.4 offensive boards per game—has been a team strength. But Guaynabo’s leader sees room for improvement on defense.
“We have had some good moments on offense, especially on the offensive boards, but have not shown the defensive progress needed to compete at the highest levels in the league,” said Greenberg.
Over the past two seasons the Mets have gotten better as the season went on. They finished third in their division last year, including winning 9 of their last 13 regular season games. Guaynabo went on to defeat Ponce in the quarterfinals and Bayamón in the semifinals before dropping a hard-fought final series to Arecibo while playing with a short rotation.
Mets assistant manager Jorge Rincón told Primera Hora that the team is now more complete and has more depth compared to last year, noting that Greenberg likes to have eight solid rotation players who can provide 25 to 30 quality minutes per night. They also have the benefit of a full offseason and training camp under Greenberg.
Expectations are high for a Mets club that came within two games of winning it all a year ago. But their path forward isn’t going to get any easier. Guaynabo faces a tough upcoming four game stretch in which it will play Arecibo, Fajardo, Ponce, and Bayamón, all of which are at or near the top of their respective divisions. And the Mets will not have more than two full days between games until May 19. They’ll enjoy a week off from May 25 to June 1 over the All-Star break and close out the season by playing fourteen games in less than four weeks. BSN playoffs are expected to run between July 7 and August 21.
“The schedule is unrelenting but we are doing our best with limited practice time to grow as a team, step by step,” said Greenberg.