5 recent NY Mets players who had a hot spring training but an ice cold regular season

A red hot spring training can help push a player onto the Opening Day roster. The last spot in the bullpen can be won with a miniscule ERA in exhibition action. One half of a platoon can get secured because you popped multiple home runs in Florida against pitchers throwing from the opposite side of how you hit. In the last three years, multiple New York Mets players have had hot springs only to see reality set in once the regular season began.

From 2022-2024, these five Mets players helped to provide us with a reminder that what happens in St. Lucie can stay in St. Lucie and not for the best of reasons.

1) Dominic Smith in 2022

The 2022 Mets feel like a lifetime ago. A well-built ball club coming out of the lockout, they had plenty of offensive players competing for regular at-bats in the spring. One player who put on a strong showing was Dominic Smith.

Smith led all Mets hitters in spring training with 11 hits. It came with 3 doubles, a triple, and a pair of home runs. He’d finish the spring with 6 RBI and an “in your face” .423/.531/.846 slash line.

The performance was big for Smith who was coming off of a down year in 2021. Finally given a full year to play, his numbers cratered after the promising 2020 season when he received enough MVP votes to finish 13th in the NL. Would the hot spring carry into the regular season? Not in the least.

Smith was given 152 plate appearances for the Mets and failed to take advantage. He hit .194/.276/.284 without a single home run. Used regularly as a first baseman and DH option alongside J.D. Davis and another player we’ll get to momentarily, Smith was sent to the minors and non-tendered at the season’s conclusion.