2023 Mets Season Preview

As the Mets won 101 games last year, 2022 should be a season that fans will remember fondly. That won't be the case, however, as the Mets, who had been in first place for for the entire season, lost the National League East championship to the Atlanta Braves in the last two weeks of the campaign. After that misstep, the Mets were defeated by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the National League playoffs, despite the fact that all three games were played at Citi Field.

Nonetheless, 101 victories is a respectable number. Steven A Cohen, who grew up a Mets fan in Great Neck, LI, has demonstrated a desire to spend in his club, much to the dismay of his other owners, and the Flushing fans are happy to have such a generous owner. There was thus every reason to be optimistic about the next season.

Regrettably, after Team Puerto Rico's victory against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, closer Edwin Diaz, who was the finest bullpen pitcher in baseball last year, tore his patella in his right knee. Diaz injured his knee while celebrating with his teammates by bouncing around. Diaz's replacement will be very difficult given how many one-run leads he maintained.

A benign tumor was found on left-handed starting pitcher Jose Quintana's rib cage earlier this month, which was a significant loss. Quintana, who the Mets acquired as a free agent throughout the offseason, has been expressing discomfort in that region when pitching. After undergoing recent surgery, he won't likely play again until after the All-Star break.

Let's take a look at the roster that Mets manager Buck Showalter has available right now.

beginning a pitch

The Mets have typically excelled in starting pitching, and Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, two seasoned co-aces, seem to be continuing that trend. Within days of their own two-time Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom, choosing to sign a five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers, the Mets signed Verlander, who has won the Cy Young Award three times in his career (including last year as a member of the Houston Astros).

Although the majority of Mets supporters were glad that deGrom would remain, they were also praying that he wouldn't throw another pitch that would force him to miss the remainder of the season. DeGrom had arm problems for significant portions of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. But when he was well enough to throw, he was amazing.

In addition to Verlander, Kodai Senga, a star in his native Japan, was the Mets' second significant free agency acquisition this past winter. He is renowned for his "ghost forkballs," so named because they seem to vanish when batters swing at them.

The departure of Jose Quintana will increase the expectation on Carlos Carrasco, 36, to build on his accomplishments from 2022, when he recorded a 15-7 won-loss record and a good 3.97 earned run average. After a dismal 2021 season during which he missed the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury, it was a stunning return. When he returned to combat in August, he was, to put it mildly, unsuccessful.

The Mets' first choice in the 2017 amateur draft, lefty David Peterson, will complete the starting rotation. He has worn both excellent and hideous clothing at various points. He also had problems with his arms. At 27 years old, Peterson is at a critical stage in his growth. He must demonstrate to the Mets that he is more than simply a contemporary Jon Niese. Also, he must stay healthy the whole season and make all of his starts.

In 2022, Tylor Megill started for the Mets on Opening Day. Before being diagnosed with right biceps irritation in mid-May and missing the rest of the season, he was throwing extremely effectively. Even that short period was hampered by the fact that he was added to the Covid-19 injured list days before the regular season came to a finish. Megill will start the season at Syracuse of the AAA.

Taijuan Walker and Chris Bassitt won't be part of the Mets' starting rotation after 2022. Walker was selected for the 2021 All-Star squad before disintegrating in the second half of the year. He had a strong first half of the season in 2022, but his performance dipped in the second half, but not as sharply as the previous year. He joined the Philadelphia Phillies after becoming a free agent.

For the most of 2022, Chris Bassitt pitched well for the Mets, with the exception of when they most needed him. In late September, the Braves swept the Mets in Atlanta, and Bassitt was dreadful against them, being chased after three innings. In his subsequent start, Bassitt put on a repeat performance, being shelled by the San Diego Padres in the decisive Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series. I think Bassitt would still be a Met if he had just had one terrible performance rather of two. With the Toronto Blue Jays, he signed.

Bullpen

The Mets bullpen is uneasy to say the least with Edwin Diaz out for the season. The Mets have had several health issues with their relievers, despite the fact that they are all anticipated to contribute in 2023.

While he has been dealing with a hamstring ailment, southpaw Brooks Raley, who was acquired as a free agency from the Tampa Bay Rays, should be ready to go when the season starts. Hard thrower Sam Coonrod had several successful outings for the Phillies during the previous two years. Due to his inability to maintain health, the Phillies released him. The past seems to be repeating itself as Coonrod, who impressed throughout spring training with the Mets, suffered a "high grade lat strain" and would likely miss a significant portion of 2023. Bryce Montes de Oca, one of baseball's legendary players, who had coffee with the Mets last year, is now dealing with a stress response in his throwing elbow.

During the summer of 2017, Drew Smith has been a member of the Mets organization after being acquired by them from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for slugger Lucas Duda. Smith has performed well for the Mets in tiny sample sizes. Smith has a great chance to prove that he is more than just a name on the 40-man roster by performing well under pressure.

John Curtiss, a seasoned pitcher who missed 2022 while recuperating from Tommy John surgery, has performed well this spring. He wasn't on many Mets fans' radars, but he turned out to be one of the team's finest spring training surprises.

Tommy Hunter, who performed well in a small number of appearances for the Mets in 2022, is another seasoned veteran who could be helpful.

When the Mets are ahead in the game, they will rely on a pair of worn-out workhorses, David Robertson and Adam Ottavino, to throw the ninth inning.

If Mets General Manager Billy Eppler had made even a little attempt to re-sign Seth Lugo, Mets supporters may feel a bit more at ease with the team's relief lineup. Even though he was never an All-Star, he was competent and generally got the job done. This year, Lugo will throw for the San Diego Padres.

Catcher

Francisco Alvarez, the top prospect in the Mets farm system, has been the team's starting catcher for the most of the season. He was promoted in the latter days of the 2022 campaign in an effort to spark the struggling Mets' offense, but he failed along with the rest of the group.

Alvarez will eventually start catching for the Mets, but not right away. Omar Narvaez, a 32-year-old former backstop for the Milwaukee Brewers who has some pop in his bat, was signed by the organization to replace James McCann, who was essentially given away to the Baltimore Orioles.

As a result of McCann's terrible batting during his two seasons with the Mets, boo birds at Citi Field had started to often target him. Strangely, Mets supporters can't hold the Wilpons responsible for his acquisition since he was the first player the organization signed after Steve Cohen purchased it in the autumn of 2020. Sandy Alderson, the interim general manager for Cohen, decided not to communicate with JT Realmuto, who was also a free agent at the time. The franchise has been plagued by that choice ever since.

Alvarez has plenty of time to get to Queens as he is just 21 years old. He would benefit more at this stage from spending more time with Syracuse, the top Mets minor league team, to get more experience behind the plate. Also in spring training, he had subpar at-bats. There is no purpose in exposing him to big league pitching right now and risking a blow to his self-assurance. Alvarez was sent to the Mets' minor league camp last week, which was a wise move by the team to eliminate unnecessary speculation over his inclusion on the Opening Day roster. Alvarez wasn't expected to be brought up to Flushing until September, according to Buck Showalter.

The backup for Narvaez will be Tomas Nido, a streaky hitter at best but a great defender.

Infield

The Mets' infield is the one place where they seem to be set. Pete Alonso, the team's primary power threat, will once again man first base. Alonso has put a lot of effort into improving his defense. When he originally joined the Mets, Dominic Smith, who is currently a player for the Washington Nationals after the Mets failed to extend him a contract at the end of the 2022 season, regularly replaced him in the late innings for defensive reasons.

Jeff McNeil, a second baseman, won the National League hitting championship in 2022, and as a result, he was given a four-year contract extension for $50 million over the next four years. In 2021, McNeil struggled as he attempted to develop into a power batter. He ultimately failed to bat for average or hit many long homers. He performs best when he is happy to hit for contact.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor struggled in 2021, his first season with the Mets, but had a strong comeback year in 2022, hitting.270 and blasting 26 home runs. In the third year of an eleven-year deal, Lindor is currently. While the Mets certainly gain from having a quality shortstop, you have to wonder what the future holds for shortstop Ronny Mauricio, one of their top prospects who had a fantastic spring training. When Lindor was representing Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, Mauricio smashed three thunderous home runs and displayed excellent defense in Lindor's place.

Going into spring training, the only uncertainty surrounding the infield was "Who will start at third base, seasoned Eduardo Escobar or rookie Brett Baty?

Escobar, 34, a switch-hitter, is currently in the second year of a two-year deal with the Mets. Although he had a difficult season overall, he deserves credit for being the Mets' most effective hitter in September, a month in which the rest of the lineup appeared to be using bats made of Swiss cheese. Escobar attributed his difficult season on family problems that were on his mind. He claims that they are now over.

The Mets' best chance to have a third baseman since David Wright came up through the system is Brett Baty. While Baty is undoubtedly prepared to play in the major leagues, the Mets want him to see more action at the AAA level. The hardest choice Buck Showalter had to make before the Mets broke camp in Port St. Lucie was to send Baty back down to Syracuse.

The versatile infielder Luis Guillorme, who has always been dependable, is back as the go-to replacement for an injured or off day player.

Outfield

When X-rays showed that Brandon Nimmo just had a sore ankle after pulling up in agony at second base on a hit-and-run play during a spring training game against the Houston Astros, the Mets avoided a serious injury. The beloved centerfielder for the Mets agreed to an eight-year, $162 million deal with the organization because owner Steve Cohen did not want him to depart.

The reason Nimmo is so well-liked is because he gives his all throughout every minute he is on the field. The danger of injury that comes with his "all hustle, all the time" mentality has cost him throughout his career.

When right fielder Starling Marte was struck in the hand by a fastball during a game with the Pittsburgh Pirates in September, the Mets' season was effectively over. He didn't play for the remainder of the regular season, but he did play in the Wild Card Series. He obviously wasn't the same player. Evidently, he wasn't only uncomfortable with his right hand. He had groin surgery in November. He should be able to go back to the form that made him an All-Star in 2022 now that his physical issues are behind him.

The reality that Mark Canha is a disciplined hitter who makes pitchers work by seldom hitting at weak pitches is concealed by his 2022 numbers (.266 batting average, 13 HRs). The leftfielder for the Mets possesses a powerful arm and moves a lot in the outfield on balls hit into the gap. He is also the man that media go to in the clubhouse when they need a quote.

Over the offseason, the Mets added seasoned outfielder Tommy Pham to a free agency contract. Even when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pham has always been difficult to get out of the way. While his spring training wasn't great, one shouldn't make too much of it.

Tim Locastro, a seasoned outfielder, was signed by Billy Eppler to a minor league deal during the offseason. Up until injuries lost him his roster position, Locastro performed well for the Yankees as a bench player. He can steal bases, makes strong contact at the plate, and plays excellent defense.

Specified Hitter

The Mets had issues in this area in 2022 since Dominic Smith and JD Davis didn't produce much. Around the July 31 trade deadline, Mets general manager Billy Eppler was eager to get rid of Davis in the worst manner possible, and that is precisely what occurred. Darin Ruf, a talented player who played for the Phillies not long ago, was acquired by him from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Davis and three minor leaguers. Ruf was even worse than Davis and provided the Mets with nothing but outs, as seen by his.155 hitting average. Due to an arthritic wrist, all expectations for a return by the 36-year-old Ruf were dashed. The Mets declared Ruf out of the running on Monday and sent him on assignment.

In the latter part of July, Eppler also acquired Daniel Vogelbach. While Vogelbach has reduced his weight during the off-season, he is still a highly restricted player and is unable to play any position on the pitch. Because of his strength and keen eye at the bat, he receives several walks from pitchers. But if he wants to continue playing as the Mets' designated hitter, he must raise his average.

Another highly regarded talent in the Mets' organization, outfielder Mark Vientos, is a more practical choice. He can provide the necessary depth to the outfield and has already shown he can take major league pitching. Vientos will start the season in central New York State, similar to Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, and Ronny Mauricio. He shouldn't be staying there for very long.

Outlook

It serves no use to sugarcoat the situation. The Mets' offense did not much improve from the previous season, and Edwin Diaz's departure is a severe loss.

The Atlanta Braves continue to be the top club in the National League East unless shown differently. Ric Flair, a legendary wrestler, once said, "To be the man, you have to defeat the man! The Mets have yet to shown that they can defeat the Braves when the stakes are high.

When Rob Thomson took over as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in June after Joe Girardi left, the team's season took a turn for the better. Before the postseason began, they were the hottest club in the National League, and they gave the Houston Astros everything they could handle in the World Series.

David Dombrowski, the general manager of the Phillies, was not willing to sit back and take it easy. Gregory Soto, a reliever who might be for the Phillies what Edwin Diaz was for the Mets, was acquired by trade. Trea Turner, a shortstop who was undoubtedly the greatest free agency player and whose abilities were on full show for Team USA during the just finished World Baseball Classic, was signed by him. Josh Harrison, an infielder, was also added to the Phillies' bench, strengthening it further. First baseman Rhys Hoskins' ACL injury during spring training did cost the Phillies a crucial talent for the season.

Sandy Alcantara, the current winner of the National League Cy Young Award, and second baseman Jazz Chisholm are two of the Miami Marlins' talented young players. They have historically been a challenge for the Mets, but it is questionable if they are prepared to contend in the National League East. Until club owner Bruce Sherman begins drastically raising wages, that is probably not going to change. According to rumors, Derek Jeter quit the company for that reason.

The Washington Nationals were the reigning World Series winners three years before. With how badly they have destroyed the squad, it seems like three thousand years have passed.

It is difficult for me to see the Mets finishing ahead of any of their two main competitors, but anything is possible in a lengthy season. It should be noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Tug McGraw's well-known "Ya gotta believe! " assertion.