3 Mets players who will have to earn our trust in 2024
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It is hard to believe that in just a few more weeks, pitchers and catchers will begin to report for the New York Mets for the start of Spring Training. That means despite the cold and wintry conditions we have seen, especially on the East Coast, baseball is almost here.
And for the Mets, they're looking to rebound after a disappointing 75-87 season in 2023 after winning 101 games the season before. Now, under first-year manager Carlos Mendoza, can the Mets get back into contention in the very competitive NL East?
It will not be easy for New York as it still seems like there are more questions than answers for this team as this offseason has been a quiet one for them in terms of big-time moves not being made. So with Spring Training near and with mostly the same players from 2023 returning for the 2024 regular season, these three players this Spring need to earn our trust for this year.
1. Brett Baty
With the devastating news this winter that Ronny Mauricio will miss the entire 2024 Season after suffering a torn ACL while playing in the Dominican Winter League, it seems likely that Brett Baty may end up being the starting third baseman for the Mets on Opening Day. Even though Baty may take that job, he still needs to earn.
Baty, who the Mets drafted in the first round in 2019 in the MLB Draft and is one of the "Baby Mets", burst onto the scene right away when he clubbed a two-run home run in his first major league at-bat against the Atlanta Braves on August 18. That got Met fans excited about what he could bring to the table both on offense and on defense and how he could be the third baseman of the future for the Amazins. But after a disappointing 2023, Baty needs to rebound if he wants to gain the trust back from the Mets faithful.
Baty played just 108 games this past season and had a poor batting average of .212 and drove in just 34 runs and nine home runs. Also, Baty had an alarming 109 strikeouts in his 353 at-bats as well which was a concern for the Mets to see. His defense as well was not too sharp as his struggles were on display with the most notable moment when Baty missed a routine pop-up against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 15 which resulted in LA scoring a run. If Baty wants to be the third baseman of the future, he needs to play a lot better both on the field and in the batter's box. 109 strikeouts won't cut it in New York and miscues on defense like the one we saw last July by Baty, won't cut it either.
2. Tylor Megill
I don't know about every Met fan, but starting pitcher Tylor Megill drives me crazy. One start, he's pitching like an ace but the next start, Megill completely unravels and gives up north of five runs. This is a crucial year for the right-hander and another player on this Mets roster that needs to regain our trust.
While it eas a slight improvement this past season, Megill had a 4.70 ERA in 25 games pitched for the Mets after having a 5.13 in 2022 and a 4.72 in 2021, there's still questions about Megill's consistency as a starting pitcher in this Mets rotation. Megill in his 126.1 innings pitched, gave up 18 home runs and 76 runs overall and gave up more hits than innings pitched with 141. Megill also had 58 walks and only went beyond seven innings once in 2023 which came believe it or not, in his last start of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on September 30.
This is a very crucial season for Megill. With the Mets rotation as thin as it already is and has a lot of questions about it that answers, Megill needs to prove doubters wrong and have a solid season for the Mets if he wants to gain the trust back from Mets fans.
3. Mark Vientos
Just like Baty, Mark Vientos is also one of the "Baby Mets" and is looking to prove that he belongs in the big leagues for the long haul. Despite the reports that the Mets are interested in Jorge Soler and JD Martinez for their designated hitter position, don't be surprised if the Mets shift Vientos to that role if they don't land Soler or Martinez. And if that's the case, Vientos needs to step up.
Vientos has yet to play north of 100 games in the majors but this season he might. In 2023 he saw the most playing in his young career as he played in 65 games. In those 65 games, Vientos slashed a batting average of just about .210 at .211 and only had 36 base hits in his 218 at-bats. Vientos also only drove in 22 runs but did have nine home runs. But just like Baty strikeouts were a problem with Vientos as he had 71.
We expect to see a lot of Vientos this season and there are for sure some Mets fans that have some questions about Vientos being an everyday hitter in the Mets lineup. We will see how Vientos plays at the start of Spring Training, but just like his fellow "Baby Met" Brett Baty, Vientos needs to earn trust this season.
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