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3 injured NY Mets who would’ve made the biggest difference during 2025 stretch run

It sure would have been nice to have these three NY Mets playing and healthy right now.
ByNoah Wright|
May 2, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker (3) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
May 2, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker (3) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets are hanging onto a Wild Card spot by a thread. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants are all within two games of the Mets for the last playoff spot. The Mets have had plenty of strong performance this year, but they could have had even more. Many of the players that were key components of their roster heading into this season have missed a large chunk of playing time. Had these three Mets not gotten injured, the the team may have had a much larger lead in the Wild Card race, or even potentially still be leading the National League East.

1) Jesse Winker

The Mets first acquired Jesse Winker at the 2024 trade deadline. The veteran DH/outfielder became one of the Mets’ clutchest hitters down the line. He was especially important during their playoff run. He delivered seven total hits, with two triples and a home run. He also drew seven walks with just four strikeouts.

That was enough for the Mets to bring Winker back on a $7.5 million contract for the 2025 season. His overall production has been about league average. He is slashing .229/.309/.409 with a 100 OPS+ and 95 wRC+. He drew walks at a solid 11.1% pace, while posting an isolated slugging percentage of .171.

The thing is, that has only come in a 26-game sample size. Winker was first placed on the IL on May 5 with a grade two oblique strain. His timetable for his return was set at six to eight weeks. Winker then returned to action on July 8, but it was a short-lived re-arrival. He appeared in just two more contests before landing back on the IL yet again, this time with a back injury, and he would soon undergo an epidural injection. Winker made another attempt to return to a big league field, but was ultimately shut down once again with lower back discomfort.

It’s a good thing that Starling Marte has been able to hold his own without a lefty-hitting platoon partner this year. Otherwise, they would be in even more trouble than they already are. Still, losing a clutch strong-side platoon bat has put a dent in the Mets’ depth chart, which they haven’t been able to replace. Winker had a .986 OPS in high-leverage situations last season, which is something the Mets could really use right about now.

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