3 biggest Mets success stories of 2023

The Mets trade deadline was a success, and set the team up greatly for the future

The Mets were one of several teams with high payrolls to miss the playoffs this season in what was a big surprise across the league. However, instead of sticking it out and hoping for a miracle, the Mets smartly decided to cut their losses and gained some potential star prospects in return.

When the Mets determined the season was lost, they flipped every veteran or expiring contract they could, most notably Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Even though the front office knew the harms of giving up on the season, they went ahead and even attached money with their players to get the best prospects possible.

While this decision made 2023 end on a sour note, the Mets now have a plethora of top end talent in their farm system as a result. Luisangel Acuna and Drew Gilbert, both acquired via trade, are ranked as the 38th and 52nd best prospects in baseball respectively. These prospects and many more have the chance to change the Mets fortunes long term in a way that the veterans they traded away wouldn't have been able to.

It's strange that a teams biggest win on the season comes from an overall failure, but that's exactly what the Mets were able to accomplish at the trade deadline. With a clean slate and loads of new prospects ready to make their mark, this Mets team is more set up for the future than they were coming into this season.