3) Last year was a blip for all of those suddenly hot players
Speaking of our beloved young power-hitting third baseman, Mark Vientos turns into a pumpkin. David Peterson’s ability to get out of jams he created fizzles. Reuniting with Sean Manaea gets ugly real fast. It’s nightmare fuel for the 2025 Mets season.
It’s not even fair to say Vientos, Peterson, or Manaea overachieved last year. The first two have long been thought of as future core members of the Mets roster. Manaea has pitched well in the past and just happened to make the right adjustments to get back on the right track.
Suddenly hot players go beyond those three. Jose Butto failing in his relief role would be devastating. The same goes for Dedniel Nunez and Reed Garrett. Amazingly, none of those three were on the team’s Opening Day roster in 2024 and yet each should be a major contributor in the upcoming season.
When a roster looks lackluster in the preseason, some might suggest how things will turn out “if everything goes right.” Oftentimes not everything does go right. What about situations where everything goes wrong? This is still improbable but feels more likely.
Not everyone who burst onto the scene in 2024 and gave us hope is going to be mediocre. Vientos won’t hit .200, Peterson isn’t going to have an ERA in the 5.00’s, and Manaea isn’t getting moved to the bullpen in year one of his three-year contract. Could one tragic and sudden decline occur? Watch enough Mets baseball and you know it can.