An unexpected NY Mets player can be a bigger X-factor than expected

There has been a lot of noise about Starling Marte this season, mainly focused on his lack of production for the New York Mets. There are plenty of different offensive pieces to choose from, and only four open spots on a day-to-day basis.

Fans and media alike have called for his playing time to be slashed in favor of some younger talent, which it largely has. There's a particular reason why he's still around, though. And as long as he is around, an uptick in his production can mean a world of difference to the Mets' struggling offense.

It sounds weird to say out loud, given his performance thus far, but Marte might be one of the biggest "X-factors" on the Mets roster.

Why Starling Marte isn't going anywhere

The argument for keeping Marte in the clubhouse is purely an intangible one. Marte is widely regarded in Queens as the elder statesman. He's the sage veteran who keeps the guys afloat through the ups and downs of a 162-game schedule.

There is no better example of this than his relationship with Juan Soto. All reports indicate that Marte has been Soto's number one integrator. He's the one tasked with making the $765 million man comfortable in his new royal blue pinstripes.

In 2017, Carlos Beltran was brought into Houston to assume the role of veteran leader. He didn't produce his normal output, given that he was 40 years old by that point. But the Astros found value in his roster spot, largely due to his off-the-field impact. Marte, in a lot of ways, plays a similar role for the Mets. And it worked out for the eventual World Champion Astros eight years ago.

The numbers are disappointing

Marte boasts a career stat line of .285 batting, .440 slugging, and a .782 OPS. All of those numbers are down in 2025. He currently sits at a .248 batting average, .376 slugging percentage, and .720 OPS. While these numbers are not a massive departure from his previous few seasons, the expectations for the club are now higher than ever.

He's clearly past his fielding prime. The two-time Gold Glover rarely ever sees the outfield anymore, sticking to the DH spot almost every night he's played this season. This gives the Mets limited flexibility with when to use him.

There are four positions that the Mets can tinker with on a nightly basis. These are the DH spot, center field, second base, and third base. The rest of the positions are essentially spoken for. And with so many young prospects that pose potentially higher value, it isn't always easy to justify Marte's place on the big league club.

It seems to make more sense to utilize Jeff McNeil, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, or Ronny Mauricio in those spots. That doesn't even include Tyrone Taylor in center field or Jose Siri and Jesse Winker when they return. So, things are crowded.

How he can turn it around and what it can mean for the Mets

The beauty of Marte in this situation, is that he already isn't giving you much. So if he starts hitting – even a little bit more – it would be a huge injection of life. And for better or worse, Marte is not going anywhere.

As long as the Mets are "stuck" with him, for lack of a better word, there's no reason he can't provide a mid-season addition style boost. He's already bringing the leadership. The only question now is, can he provide an on-field spark to match?