The vibe surrounding the New York Mets is far different than it was at this time last year.
Last November, the Mets were coming off of a 101-win season and a playoff berth. Looking to be serious contenders, the Mets had signed Justin Verlander and re-signed Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz. Everything looked good on paper, but that was just the beginning of the downfall. A season ending injury to Edwin Diaz, followed by a substandard showing in the month of June led the Mets out of contention, resulting in the departure of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline.
Now, with David Sterns at the helm of baseball operations in New York, the Mets are looking to enter a new era. The Mets will plan to remain in contention while their young pieces continue to develop.
Although the Mets did not sign a couple of big names as they often do in typical Steve Cohen fashion, New York did make a few minor moves during this chaotic offseason. In an attempt to strengthen their starting pitching, the Mets signed former Yankee Luis Severino to a one year, $13 million contract. The lingering injuries Severino had dealt with last year proved to have an impact on his pitching performance, as he pitched to a 4-8 record, a 6.65 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. Although judging by Severino’s 2023 season may not grant much to be optimistic about, Luis has had years in the past where he has pitched up to 19 wins and recorded a 2.98 ERA. In addition to Severino, the Mets also acquired right-hander Adrian Houser from the Brewers in exchange for prospects. Houser has been fairly reliable throughout his career, pitching to a combined 4.00 ERA during his seven years in the league.
On the offensive side of things, the Mets brought in right-handed hitter Harrison Bader to improve the outfield depth and provide a fantastic glove and speed around the bases. Other minor acquisitions include the addition of infielder Joey Wendle, outfielder Tyrone Taylor, left-hander Sean Manaea, right-hander Adrian Houser, and right-hander Shintaro Fujinami.
One of the biggest X-Factors going into 2024 for the Mets is outfielder Starling Marte. Marte’s 2023 was riddled with injuries and eventually his season was over after he opted for groin surgery. Marte was a fantastic addition for the Mets in 2022, where he accumulated a .292 batting average along with 16 home runs and 63 rbi’s. In addition to the solid offensive attributes Marte possesses, the defensive aspect of his game may be even more impressive. According to advanced metrics, Marte’s arm value and arm strength in the 2022 season were ranked in the top 20% of the MLB. The speed Marte puts on display empowers him to be an elite defender who can play any position in the outfield. His substantial quickness also helped him to collect 24 stolen bases last year despite missing a decent portion of the season. If Marte can manage to return to his 2022 form, it could potentially spark this team in the long run.
So, the Mets have evidently opted for higher-risk, lower-cost options that don’t require long-term commitments. This Mets team will be very different from past Mets teams. Instead of relying on a high-powered offense as they usually do, these Mets will adapt to the run-preventing style that David Sterns had previously used in Milwaukee.
Projected Opening Day Roster
Catcher: Francisco Alvarez, Omar Narvaez
First Base: Pete Alonso
Second Base: Jeff McNeil
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor
Third Base: Brett Baty, Joey Wendle
Outfielders: Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Harrison Bader, DJ Stewart, Tyrone Taylor
DH: Mark Vientos
Starting Pitchers: Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Adrian Houser, Tylor Megill
Bullpen: Edwin Diaz, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, Drew Smith, Jorge Lopez, Jake Diekman, Phil Bickford, Michael Tonkin
Injured List: Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Ronny Mauricio
Record Prediction: 84-78, 3rd NL East
