Batting seventh in the dream Mets lineup, right fielder Starling Marte
Starling Marte might not be in everyone’s dream Mets starting lineup for next year. We need to be a little realistic. Even Mulholland Drive had grounded moments. And given how well he did hit at times this year, the Mets could do much worse in right field. Yeah, his defense stinks. He isn’t nearly as quick as he used to be. Some might dream of a scenario where the Mets are able to dump him and the final year of his contract. Not in this dream. He’s back with the 2025 Mets in right field on Opening Day with available flexibility of the roster to replace him with Drew Gilbert as needed.
Marte finished the regular season batting .269/.327/.388 with 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts. His power was mostly absent for the second straight season. He’ll never get close to what he did in his first year with the Mets. As a role player to at least begin the year, he’s a nice fit and someone who can give them a threat to steal a bag near the bottom of the order.
Technically, Marte won’t be in right field for every second of this dream. The presence of Santander will give them an alternative candidate as well. Neither is a particularly good defender. Give Marte the nod to start the year and go from there.