Coming into the 2023 season, Mets fans had every right to be excited and hopeful, as the Mets had the 3rd best odds to win the World Series, at +700. After a disappointing end to 2022, the Mets looked to make some moves and revamp the team for the 2023 season. With the departure of Jacob DeGrom, Mets owner Steve Cohen was looking to acquire another superstar pitcher to fill his shoes, and he did just that.
Cohen signed Justin Verlander from the Houston Astros on a contract that gave him 2 years and a guaranteed 43 million for both seasons he played with the Mets. Still looking to bulk up the starting pitching, the Mets looked into the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan (NPB), and signed Japanese superstar RHP Kodai Senga from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for a 5 year contract worth up to 75 million. The Mets made one last addition to the starting pitching staff, signing LHP Jose Quintana from the St. Louis Cardinals, coming off a very strong 2022 season.
After making many changes to the starting pitching, Cohen was looking to strengthen the Mets bullpen. As a result, Cohen signed reliever David Robertson from the Phillies on a 1-year 10 million dollar deal. The Mets also signed reliever Brooks Raley from the Rays for one of their minor league prospects. Debadetably the biggest move of the offseason was when the Mets re-signed superstar closer Edwin Diaz to a 5-year 102 million dollar deal after an incredible 2022 season for the Mets when he posted a 1.31 ERA with 32 saves and 1.9 strikeouts per inning pitched. The last bullpen move made by Cohen was re-signing RHP reliever Adam Ottavino after an impressive 2022 season with the Mets. The Mets also prioritized re-signing CF Brandon Nimmo and did just that after giving him a deal that gave him 162 million over 8 years. The Other minor deals the Mets made included the signing of catcher Omar Narvaez and the re-singing of designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach.
After what looked like an incredible offseason for New York, this is where everything started to fall out of place rather than into place. The beginning of the disastrous 2023 season for the Mets took place before the season had even begun. On March 15, Edwin Diaz had just closed out a decisive game for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic and injured his knee when he landed awkwardly while jumping up and down with his teammates in celebration. He limped toward the dugout, struggling to put weight on his right leg. He eventually used his left leg to hop over to a wheelchair and was escorted off the field. Diaz received the x-rays of his right knee and he was told it would be unlikely for him to return to a pitching mound for the rest of the year. Mets fans and the New York Mets organization were still optimistic about the season and still made winning the World Series their primary goal.
It is safe to say that the Mets were the most disappointing teams of the 2023 season and it is not unreasonable to list them as one of the most disappointing teams of all time. On the night of July 27, the Mets traded closer David Robertson to the Marlins for prospects. By doing so, it is clear that the Mets were choosing to be sellers at the deadline, rather than buyers. The Mets effectively removed themselves from playoff contention in August, then mathematically eliminated themselves in September, finishing with a record of 75-84 and placing 4th in the National League East. The departure of David Robertson led to a number of moves at the deadline including Max Scherzer to the Rangers and Justin Verlander to the Astros.
One key takeaway from the 2023 Mets is that money does not necessarily buy success. It is evident that throwing hundreds of millions of dollars towards the roster doesn’t always net a positive outcome. “We’re not the only team that spent a decent amount of money and maybe it didn’t work out the way we had hoped it would work out,” Cohen said. “It’s really about finding the best ballplayers, putting together the best team we can, and cost is not necessarily the determinant of success.”
One of the crucial reasons why the Mets struggled mightily in 2023 was because of the starting pitching. Apart from Kodai Senga, most of the Mets pitching staff faltered. Although injuries did hurt the Mets pitching staff, they still finished 19th in the majors in terms of ERA after finishing 9th in 2022. The regression from the pitching staff served as a primary reason for the Mets failures because overall, the Mets hitting statistics were good and well above league average.
The Mets had few bright spots in their lineup but one of those bright spots included shortstop Francisco Lindor, who had a career year in several categories. Lindor had a .254 avg. with an on base percentage of .336 and hit 31 home runs with 98 rbi’s. On top of that, Lindor also recorded a career high 31 stolen bases, being only the 65th player in MLB history to have a 30/30 season (30+ home runs and 30+ stolen bases). Francisco also finished as a finalist for the National League Golden Glove and recorded a 6.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Lindor was definitely the most consistent hitter for the Mets as he played in 160 out of 162, showing fantastic durability. What is most impressive about Francisco Lindor’s 2023 season is that he played the entirety of the season with a bone spur in his elbow. Through all of the adversity that Lindor faced, whether it was from the preseason expectations, from the fans, or from injury, he was still able to put up elite numbers and is undoubtedly a top candidate for the MVP of the 2023 Mets and very well could receive votes for National League MVP.
