NY Mets spring training preview: 1 player we want to see get as many reps as possible

New York Mets spring training is one of the most exciting events on the baseball calendar. After a long offseason, fans finally see their favorite teams and players take the field for the first time since the year before. It's also our first chance to see the newly acquired players the team brought in over the offseason. As well as top prospects who we hope can be the future of the organization one day.

However, lost in the excitement of a new season is the opportunity spring training presents to players. The opportunity for players who have struggled in the past to prove they still have it. That they still can be an MLB caliber player with the right development. Several players fit that role for the Mets this upcoming spring training. However one stands out above the rest. One that deserves a ton of reps to show if he's worth keeping or not. That player is Alex Ramirez.

Why Alex Ramirez deserve a ton of reps during spring training

At one point, Ramirez was one of the highest-regarded prospects in the Mets system. According to MLB Pipeline, back in 2023, it was the fourth-best prospect in the Mets system. This was due to the strong season he had back in 2022. Ramirez has always been viewed as a strong defender with a good arm, but that season, his bat finally came around. He slashed .281/.346/.436 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI.

Although those numbers came at the Single-A level, the hope was he could keep those numbers as he moved up. However, that wasn't the case. Over the past two seasons at the Single-A and Double-A levels, he slashed .215/.300/.308 with 12 home runs and 99 RBI.

These struggles cause him to plummet down the prospect list. The most recent MLB Pipeline ranking has him as the 24th prospect in their system. Due to these struggles, Ramirez became a free agent this offseason and signed a minor league deal with the Mets two weeks later.

Despite his struggles, the Mets still should give Ramirez a chance to prove himself during spring training. As mention early Ramirez has always been praised for his defensive ability and his speed. That hasn't changed despite his struggles at the plate. A player like him could be perfect to have on the bench.

The only thing preventing the Mets from keeping him in their plans is his struggles at the plate. If the Mets give him reps at the plate during spring training they can see if he's worth keeping him around. Getting him at-bats against MLB pitching or players close to major league pitching, they'll see if he can handle it. If he succeeds he can be developed into a bench player, but if he struggles the Mets can cut ties and look for other players to fill that role. This can only be done by giving as many opportunities as possible.