NY Mets: Simulating 8 years into the future with MLB The Show 21

Pre 2023 offseason trades and free agency

Legendary slugger Albert Pujols is inducted into the baseball HOF

The Mets trade declining SP Marcus Stroman to the white sox for CP Andy Gowdy, a computer-generated prospect.

The Mets are unable to keep Edwin Diaz as he signs a 5 year/ 5 million dollars a year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Brandon Nimmo also walks on a 1 year, 5 million dollar deal with White Sox.

Here’s what the starting lineup, rotation, and bullpen for the 2023 season shapes out to be:

Starters

2B McNeil 89
3B J.D. Davis 82
LF Smith 87
1B Alonso 91
RF Conforto 87
SS Lindor 94
CF Kyle Lewis 80
C James McCann 85
DH Jose Peraza 80 overall

And now for the rotation and bullpen:

Rotation

Jacob deGrom 99
David Peterson 84
Eduardo Rodriguez 84
Carrasco 83
Kluber 83

Bullpen

Lrp Taijuan walker 82

Lrp Lucchesi 80

Lrp Jordan Yamamoto 77

Mrp Betances 75

Mrp Gsellmen 74

Su Trevor May 82

Su Shane Greene 75

Cp Lugo 83

Notice Walker makes the veteran move to the bullpen, and David Peterson finally begins to take off.

2023 All-Stars, team’s finish and award winners

The Mets have two All-Stars named at the break pitcher Jacob deGrom, 9-4, 123.2 ip 146 strikeouts, 2.62 era, 1.02 whip; and Dominic Smith, 313 ab, 25 hr, 57 rbi, 2 sb, .307 avg.

Skipping ahead to the end of the regular season, the Mets finish above .500 at 84-78 (.519) but fail to make the playoffs in a competitive NL East division. Former Mets top prospect, now with the Reds finishes the year unimpressively with 259 ab, 1 hr, 19 rbi, .224 avg.

The Mets trade Carlos Carrasco to the Braves for catcher Robert Hanley, another computer-generated prospect.

The Yankees defeat the Phillies in the 2023 October Classic for their second World Series title in a row.

On the bright side, DeGrom, now surely an inner-circle Hall of Famer wins his fourth career NL Cy Young award with stat lines of 18-5, 2.77 era, and 263 strikeouts.

On to 2024…

2024 Trades and free agency

Robinson Cano who never recovered from his PED suspension in 2021 finally retires and stops collecting paychecks. Despite the poor end to his career, he and Miguel Cabrera are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

In free agency the Mets sign veteran slugger Brandon Belt to 1 yr/3.9 mill contract. The Mets flip one of their previously acquired computer-generated prospects for catcher David Dahl, previously with the Yankees.

Here’s what the 2024 lineup, rotation, and bullpen shakes out to be:

Starters

2B McNeil 88

3B J.D. Davis 85

LF Smith 88

1B Alonso 91

RF Conforto 87

CF Kyle Lewis 84

SS Lindor 95

C James McCann 84

DH David Dahl 81

Notable depth

OF Khalil lee 75 overall

Finally, Khalil Lee makes a natural, not out of injury-depleted desperation, rise to the show. The Mets still are keeping top prospects, 3B Brett Baty, 74 overall, and SS Ronny Mauricio 72 overall in the minors, not an issue when McNeil and Davis are hitting one and two in the lineup and Lindor is one of the best players in the game with a 95 overall rating. Catcher Francisco Alvarez, still with the Reds, is now a 77 overall, and as expected, progressing the fastest out of all the 2021 Mets top prospects.

Now for the rotation:

deGrom 99

Peterson 88

Rodriguez 85

Lucchesi 82

Taijuan Walker 81

With the departure of Carlos Carrasco following his being traded to the Atlanta Braves, Taijuan Walker makes his return to the rotation. DeGrom is clearly still, in the year 2024 the best pitcher in the game.

And now for the bullpen:

LRP Sean Reid-Foley 74

LRP Thomas Szapucki 73

MRP Gsellman 77

MRP Miguel Castro 72

MRP daniel Zamora 59

Su Trevor may 82

Cp Lugo 83

Everything else has been going great, but this seems to be one area that will need management’s focus, now in the second year since the departure of Edwin Diaz to the Red Sox.

The season progresses towards the all-star break and the Mets, considering Lindor is the shortstop of the long term future, decide to trade highly-touted SS prospect, Ronny Mauricio, to the Reds for catcher Carson Kelly, who is having a fine year hitting .317 at the plate with 5 home runs by this point. The Mets then turn around and trade Carson Kelly again for more prospects, a move that makes sense in the now and the future considering Lindor’s contract.

2024 All-Stars and team finish

The All-Star break hits and the biggest surprise of them all, Joey Lucchesi is named an all-star with a 7-1 record, 111.1 ip, 102 strikeouts, 2.18 era, 1.01 whip. Also named all-stars are 3B J.D. Davis, 332 ab, 21 hr, 61 rbi, 2 sb, .292 avg, and SS Lindor, 334 ab, 16 hr, 54 rbi, 6 sb, .240 avg.

The Mets go on to win the NL East with a 104-58 record (.642) and will take on the Dodgers, the winner of the wild card. In five games, the Mets lose to the Dodgers and are eliminated from the playoffs. The Athletics go on to defeat the Padres in the 2024 World Series.

Now time for 2024 award season…

deGrom comes in third for NL Cy Young, with a 17-12 record, a 3.26 era, and 234 strikeouts. Gold Gloves to SP Jacob deGrom, 1.000 pct, 22 putouts, 15 assists; 2B Jeff McNeil, .997 pct, 213 putouts, 368 assists, and SS Lindor, .994 pct, 195 putouts, 423 assists. Silver slugger awards go to P Taijuan Walker, .258 avg, and 9 rbi, and 3B J.D. Davis, .290 avg., 33 hr and 98 rbi. Lindor leads league in runs with 115, Alonso leads league in base on balls with 114 and David Peterson leads league in win pct with .875.

Haven’t seen enough of the future yet??