2 Mets players who will exceed expectations and 2 who will fall short

Francisco Alvarez won’t quite reach the lofty expectations of the fans

Meanwhile, as many aren’t expecting much from Baty this year, the Francisco Alvarez bandwagon continues to add seats. I get it. This guy is something special. Younger than Baty and Mark Vientos by about two years, his growth as a rookie last season was most obvious from a defensive standpoint. Alvarez has the kinds of intangibles you’d want in more than a player. He’s an elite employee willing to learn a language to help his communication skills.

How high are fans setting the bar for Alvarez this year? See enough Mets fans’ takes on him and they already have Alvarez bound for the All-Star Game. This is a bit too quick of an assumption. Playing the position he does typically means a slower rise. 

Stud Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman is someone worth referencing when it comes to expectations for Alvarez. Rutschman is 26. Alvarez isn’t even halfway to turning 23. He’s well-advanced physically but needs a little more patience. If the Mets had their way, he wouldn’t have made his MLB debut until mid-2023 at the absolute earliest.

Alvarez has things to work on all over the place. The power is the only thing that’s present and not going anywhere. It’s possible we see a repeat of what he did offensively with a slight uptick in areas such as batting average and OBP. The 2024 campaign will be another one for growth. Don’t expect him to put up Mike Piazza numbers just yet.

Tyrone Taylor will be one of the more productive outfielders on the Mets roster

Tyrone Taylor has been good enough in his major league career to warrant a platoon job in the major leagues. Pair him with a left-handed hitting outfielder and he could improve the position he shares with a teammate.

That’s not to suggest Taylor has been limited against right-handed pitchers. An OPS difference of only 10 points better versus lefties than righties, he’s a guy who’ll have an average year if he bats .245 with an OBP just under .300. This isn’t superb but neither is the Mets’ outfield picture as a whole.

The expectations for Taylor aren’t immense, exciting, or even something a casual Mets fan has thought about. His talent is hitting for power off the bench and playing truly immaculate defense. He’s not the same wizard with the glove as Harrison Bader is. An arguably better hitter than the team’s starting center fielder, we’re going to get to a point this year where we wonder why the Mets are sitting Taylor over Bader when the offense scuffles.

Taylor will look more important to the Mets than the numbers show. Remember how legendary Kevin Pillar was in 2021 despite some pedestrian numbers? This is the kind of guy Taylor has potential to be.

An occasional big home run late in games plus some exciting defensive plays will have Taylor exceeding everyone’s expectations except for mine: only because they’re higher than they should be.

Tylor Megill won’t improve as much as some think he will

A new pitch shouldn’t have anyone expecting Tylor Megill to necessarily stick around in the major leagues. He has a long way to go to prove he isn’t just the sixth starter on this ball club. Flashes of success in past seasons with a tendency to drop off, he remains a bit of a mystery.

A successful spring for Megill was the first step in proving he should be more than an emergency option for the Mets. As one of the small number of controllable starting pitchers on the 40-man roster, this is a huge year for him to showcase himself. He enters the season with some fans insistent on a huge improvement. Is he really going to be anything more than a fifth starter?

Some will cite last year’s finish as a hint of what’s to come. Megill had a strong final month, going 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA. However, with a 1.22 WHIP and a strikeout rate of 7.1 per 9 which was the second lowest of any month last year, there aren’t a whole lot of impressive numbers other than the run prevention.

For Megill, expecting anything better than an average season is generous. He’ll have an early opportunity to prove the believers right and his doubters wrong. Complicating a chance for success further will be some possible movement on the roster from the majors to the minors and back again. If the Mets are any good this year, he’s probably not going to be one of the top ten reasons why.