The only thing certain about the NY Mets defensive alignment is uncertainty

What will the New York Mets lineup be this year? Ask three people, you’ll get three different responses. Usually with a defensive alignment we’re more in lockstep. Not with this year’s Mets team.

MLB Network had their take:

SNY had another:

Finally, in an attempt to compare the Mets to the Los Angeles Dodgers and actually line everyone up, Bet MGM put together an actual lineup but with yet another take on what the defensive alignment will be:

No one seems to have, with any certainty, a clue as to what the Mets defensive alignment will be

Left field is the big mystery with the solution appearing to be Brett Baty as the emergency button over Carson Benge. It’s first base where everyone keeps disagreeing most regularly. Will it be Baty regularly? What about Mark Vientos or Jorge Polanco? All three are an option. There is only room for all three to start if Baty does move to left field where the team has a current vacancy.

David Stearns can say one thing about the Mets’ plans then do the exact opposite. The proposed plan of an offseason built around run prevention has gone much differently with two players already guaranteed to play new positions and a third, Baty in left field, bound to, unless the Mets end up trading him.

Upon the signing of Polanco, fans were pitched the idea of the longtime shortstop turned second baseman being a first baseman/DH. No other actual experienced first baseman has been added to the organization since, leaving everyone scratching their head as to how much he’ll play at the position. Baty moving off of third base due to the presence of Bo Bichette added a new wrinkle to what felt like a mix-and-match between Polanco and Vientos at first base. And there’s still a matter of whether or not both of those younger Mets will even be around.

The Mets have done a lot, brought in new players, subtracted others, and we’re still not so sure how everyone will line up on defense. Is it a competition of some kind between Polanco and Baty or Vientos? Does the team have at least some plan of bringing in someone else? If so, it probably eliminates Vientos from the roster altogether.

Frustration of Mets fans this offseason has been heavily stacked due to uncertainty. The team has operated tight-lipped and mysteriously, making several acceptable yet unexpected moves.

It’s only three roles we’re unsure of with the biggest uncertainty being the three names. Baty in left field is temporary with the expected rise of Benge. There appears to be a competition within the competition for at-bats.