A great NY Mets offseason debate, who will be this year’s big surprise?

The New York Mets haven’t even been making smaller roster changes. The MLB offseason didn’t get the memo. The holidays are over. Start makin’ moves!

Several standoffs in free agency as well as a lack of trades have fans looking for other topics to discuss. Over on Twitter/X, user @rookiepitchers came up with a great debate to have in this slow period.

There’s always a guy, right? Last year we had a few. Mark Vientos was the one we were familiar with who never broke free previously. David Peterson put together a remarkably good year that shouldn’t be overlooked. Then there’s Jose Iglesias who came from the outside only to completely change the vibes around the Mets. Who will it be this year?

Here’s who some Mets fans see as the 2025 random guy to have an amazing year

Signed to a split contract and with minor league options so there’s not as much of a risk of losing him, Jared Young is relatively unknown in fan circles. Just 69 plate appearances at the major league level, he rebuilt his stock over in Korea last season with a .326 batting average and 10 home runs in 169 trips to the plate. The 29-year-old plays all of the corner positions. He gives off some J.D. Davis vibes with a left-handed swing.

A bit more high-profile, the Mets are seriously hoping for a big year out of Griffin Canning. His exact role is debatable. Is he going to be one of their six regular starters or shoved into a bullpen role for the majority of the season? Canning putting together any semblance of a productive season would be a huge victory for a Mets team hoping to keep its reputation as a place where pitchers looking to reach their highest potential can land.

The forgotten trade deadline addition from last summer, Tyler Zuber pitched poorly in Triple-A. I’d give you the statistics but the government might come knocking on your door if you read them. He was really good previously in the year as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Look for him to be someone the Mets try to mold but don’t overcommit to as a member of the bullpen.

Other mentions by the fans were far less of a surprise. Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, or a year from Francisco Alvarez we’ve been waiting for were regularly mentioned. A couple of players who didn’t get mentions might be Kevin Herget whom the team picked up off waivers in November after a very strong season, Brandon Waddell who pitched well in the KBO last year, or Huascar Brazoban looking more like his Miami Marlins version than the one we got with the Mets.

Here's a bold pick: Michael Hobbs. The Mets added him in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. Strong splits against left-handed batters over the last two years can give him a chance to creep onto the major league roster at some point.