2024 New York Mets season predictions

Does the start of a new era in Mets baseball equate to the playoffs?
With some questions surrounding their lineup, will Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor be able to lead the Mets lineup to the playoffs?
With some questions surrounding their lineup, will Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor be able to lead the Mets lineup to the playoffs? / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Bench

Outside of backup catcher Omar Narvaez, the Mets bench consists of players who were not in the organization last year, in Joey Wendle, Zach Short, and Tyrone Taylor.

The Mets front office emphasized defense this offseason, and their decision to put Zach Short on the Opening Day roster is proof of that. Short played well defensively across multiple infield positions, and did just enough offensively to make the team, although he is a career .174 hitter.Short appeared to be their Luis Guillorme replacement. Joey Wendle was brought on for similar reasons, with his defense outweighing his bat.

Then Tyrone Taylor brings an underrated power and speed combination that could prove crucial for the Mets, especially if they lose an outfielder.

Starting Pitching

The Mets open the season with Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Tylor Megill, Sean Manaea, and Adrian Houser in their rotation, with most of them coming in with something to prove. Luis Severino will have to prove his strong spring (1.29 ERA in 14 innings) was not a fluke. Tylor Megill will need to show his new pitches are effective, and there is reason for hope following his performance this spring, in which he won the race for the last spot in the rotation.

Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser will need to show they want to stay in the rotation, especially if somebody pitches well enough in Triple-A to warrant a spot in the majors.

Speaking of Triple-A, Jose Butto and Joey Lucchesi are both immediate options who are coming off strong finishes to last season. You also have top pitching prospect Christian Scott who could contribute at some point this season, as well as other top pitching prospects like Dom Hamel and Mike Vasil, though both probably have work to do to be major league ready.

With Kodai Senga and David Peterson looking like midseason returns to the majors, you are looking at as many as 12 viable starter options this season, which is quite impressive. But the quality and consistency of their starting pitching this year is full of question marks and could be the difference between playoffs and no playoffs for the Mets.