5 pleasant 2024 Mets season plot twists we can wish for

4) Joey Lucchesi pitches his way into the rotation

A forgotten man on the Mets, Joey Lucchesi offering them anything this year would be welcomed. Injuries have taken their toll on him. When he has pitched, Lucchesi was effective.

His 2023 numbers were especially promising. In those 9 starts, Lucchesi was 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA. It’s enough to make you wonder what he could do for the full length of a season.

An immediate opening for Lucchesi doesn't exist. Although the Mets should and probably will count on something as close to a six-man rotation as possible without being strict about it, those starts could be interchangeable between Lucchesi and others. Opportunities will arrive due to injury. This twist isn’t happening unless it’s Lucchesi who ends up as one of the arms who stays healthy.

This season is especially vital for him because it’s his last with minor league options. He’ll either have to crack a permanent spot in the rotation for 2025 or likely end up somewhere else. We don’t want the Mets coming away with nothing from the trade they originally made for him back in 2021. The return of a hero we didn’t know we needed. There must be at least a half-dozen Star Wars films with this story.