3 most important Mets players we should already be concerned about for next season

Many New York Mets fans have already turned their attention to next year. How sad is this? It’s August and the team with a record-setting payroll is out of it, partly by choice but more so because of the poor play on the field.

The “there’s always next year” mantra isn’t the most palatable to accept. With this team and the amount of improvements they need in certain areas, we should have concerns.

The Mets won’t look entirely different from this year to the next. That’s both a good and a bad thing because there are at least three very important Mets players under contract for next season in major roles who’ve already given us some reasons to be concerned.

1) NY Mets outfielder Starling Marte has been hurt and looks disinterested at times

Starling Marte doesn’t necessarily get a pass this season for how he has played. He doesn’t get an excuse either. Let’s refer to the injuries, the migraines, and everything else that has gone wrong as an explanation.

We knew Marte’s four-year contract wouldn’t have a happy ending. Who would’ve thought it would begin to taste so sour by year two? He has aged quickly. The power isn’t there. The defense has declined. At times, Marte doesn’t even look interested.

Throughout the 2022 season, Marte was one of the Mets players always “on the go.” He was a non-leadoff hitter spark at the top, middle, and closer to the bottom of the order. Adding his speed onto a roster without much of it on the base paths seemed like the correct move to make in the offseason. We were thankful and now there’s a whole lot of uncertainty.

Is Marte an overpriced corner outfielder with declining defense abilities who’ll hit only singles? Cross your fingers for a restful and healthy offseason. Otherwise, these concerns will be back.

2) NY Mets third baseman Brett Baty hasn’t won the starting gig yet

Brett Baty isn’t close to the Rookie of the Year conversation. Tell that to yourself before the season began. Your past self would’ve come to some awful conclusions.

The young third baseman has been disappointing on both sides of the ball. He hasn’t hit and his defense is among the worst at the position in all of baseball. The Eduardo Escobar trade in late June made it official that the position was Baty’s to put in a headlock. Instead, MLB pitchers are regularly getting him to submit.

Not all hope is lost on Baty. Few rookies explode onto the scene. Because we have Francisco Alvarez to compare him to, it might look a little more like Baty wasn’t ready for the big leagues. Alvarez has exceeded expectations behind the plate and hit for a ton of power. He has his own shoes to grow into, but the overwhelming questions aren’t there with him like they are with Baty.

How much patience will the Mets have with Baty? If next year isn’t an all-in season, we should expect them to give him plenty of leash. However, we should remember how quickly they were willing to give Carlos Correa over $300 million to become their new starting third baseman. This was before Baty showed the warts he has in the majors this season. If an opportunity arose for them to find someone else, would they?

While Marte is at the age where a decline is inevitable, Baty is trapped in the rookie malaise. Meanwhile, this last Mets player making us worry should be in the prime of his career.