Bodog Beat

Hurler Johan Santana awed his teammates in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (AP Images)

Johan Santana pitched against his new teammates for the first time Friday and the reviews were predictably hyperbolic.

"His arm action is ridiculous," said star third baseman David Wright. "Every pitch looks exactly the same."

Second baseman Damion Easley, another newcomer to the Mets, called Santana "a difference-maker". "When you put that skill with high competitiveness, you get a two-time Cy Young Award winner. And this was just his first time out. There was some crispness and some late sharp movement,” Easley said. “If his fastball was what it's going to be, it'd been ugly."

Santana arrived in an offseason trade with Minnesota and immediately affected the Mets’ World Series odds. New York went from 7/1 to win their first title since 1986 to 4/1, making them co-favorites with the defending champion Boston Red Sox.

The pitches he threw in batting practice were just the beginning of what’s sure to be a busy season in the spotlight for Santana. He will throw another warm-up session before taking the hill for the first time in a game situation for New York next week.

He’s also the likely starter for the Mets when they open the regular season on March 31 against the Florida Marlins.

2008 World Series odds!