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2 early Mets strengths nobody predicted before the season started, 1 more we’d like to see

The Mets wins have come in some unexpected ways.

By Tim Boyle |
New York Mets third base Brett Baty (22) throws to first for an out in the sixth inning of the MLB
New York Mets third base Brett Baty (22) throws to first for an out in the sixth inning of the MLB / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY
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Preseason New York Mets predictions were all about the same because when you make a prediction you do so with some sort of an educated guess. We figured Harrison Bader might contend for a Gold Glove. Pete Alonso would challenge for a home run crown. Edwin Diaz would be the best closer in baseball. Boring!

There was nothing bold about predictions like those. Those Mets strengths were predictable. What about the ones nobody saw coming?

It’s only a handful of games. So far, we’ve already seen two strengths appear that nobody was predicting. Then there’s a third beginning to creep around the corner we’d like to see more of.

Mets third baseman Brett Baty is making big defensive plays

How can you not root for Brett Baty at this point? His disastrous 2023 season included a demotion to the minors for a couple of weeks in August. When he returned to the majors, he wasn’t any better. Only because he has looked more capable as a major league third baseman was he able to run away with the starting job over Mark Vientos this spring.

Baty hasn’t just taken off with the baton. He’s in a full-on sprint and showing he is more than a young player with a power bat. Dare we declare Baty a well-rounded player already?

Last Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds included two stellar defensive players from the young third baseman that had everyone changing their tune.

Along with the leather, Baty has been one of the more productive hitters for the Mets. He could’ve ended up as the hero in game one of last week’s doubleheader if not for the foolish decision to ask him to bunt.

Baty will have a couple hundred more chances at third base this year to prove he’s the man for the job. We all assumed the bat had room for improvement. If he’s even an average defensive player with the capability of making big plays like these on a routine basis, the Mets are set at the hot corner for a few years.

The Mets pitching staff is one of the best in MLB so far

The Mets have lost a bunch of games but a good number of the runs against them have been unearned either due to errors or the ghost runner in extra innings. The end result is one of the best ERAs in Major League Baseball. ERA might be a bit of an antiquated statistic to measure a pitching staff’s full talent. What better way though than to represent the pitching staff as a whole than tracking how many runs they surrender?

The Mets starters and relievers have each gotten in on the fun. Although some games against the Atlanta Braves have helped tarnish the numbers a bit, the pitching remains a strength of this ball club.

Even with a few more runs across the board this week in Atlanta, the Mets have a 3.42 ERA which is good enough for 8th in baseball and tops in the National League. The starters have been the better half, holding a 3.33 ERA in those first 11 games played. Without an ace around, it’s even more impressive.

Will they fall back to earth? The rotation is bound to skid a little and so will the bullpen which currently has Edwin Diaz, Drew Smith, Brooks Raley and surprise entrant Reed Garrett combining for 19.2 innings without an earned run charged against them.

The Mets have potential to become a base stealing threat

Stealing bases hasn’t become a real weapon of the Mets yet mostly because some of their most capable of swiping a bag aren’t getting those opportunities. Until Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte begin to hit and reach base, we’ll have to wait on this to become a fully loaded strength.

Beyond those two key base thief threats, the Mets should at least attempt to have Brandon Nimmo run more than usual and will do so with Harrison Bader. The bench has some good runners on it, too. Tyrone Taylor should regularly get the greenlight. For however long they’re able to last on the team, Zack Short and Joey Wendle should be regular pinch runners and commonly used to steal in the right situation.

Equally as important for the Mets is to cut down on the number of bases stolen against them. While a daring proposition to declare this as a desired strength of the team, it would equal that of Baty becoming a solid defender and the success of the jeered pitching staff. Francisco Alvarez has received positive reviews for his handling of pitchers and it’s easy to see how locked into the game he is. His management of the pitch clock routinely shows the potential for more growth.

Where Alvarez and even veteran Omar Narvaez haven’t done well is cutting down runners. It’s early and the pair of backstops can turn things around. Alvarez will also have to limit the number of passed balls against him. He led the league in this statistic in 2023.

Will the Mets lead the league in stolen bases? It’s doubtful. Usually that’s a title belonging to a team with a guy who’ll steal around 50 to pad the overall club’s total. Finishing in the upper half of baseball is all we’re asking for. Taking into consideration some of the prospects they could call up later this year, there’s a good chance we see the SB total continually go up.

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