4 winners and 3 losers of the first month of the 2024 Mets season
![Starling Marte is hitting .288 and looks like his old self again, which is encouraging for the Mets to see.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2809,h_1580,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/3/01hwktb8wjxfqjde1sx5.jpg)
One month of the 2024 New York Mets season is in the books, with the Mets hovering around team expectations. 27 games are in the books, or exactly one-sixth, of the 162 game docket the Mets have this year. So with the Mets just a game over .500, there happen to be more positive than negative results to dwell upon, as there were areas the Mets have done better than expected in, and then there are those where the results are lacking.
The seven players that are on this list have defined where the Mets stand as they begin the next slice of their schedule. We compiled four winners and three losers of the first month of the 2024 Mets.
New York Mets early season winner: Starling Marte
The level of concern surrounding Starling Marte before the season began among the fan base was heightened based on his recent injury history and lackluster results in spring training. However, the Mets claimed in spring training that they weren't concerned. So far, it's the Mets that have been proven right. Marte swung the bat quite well in the early going, batting .288 with four homers in 104 at-bats, and six stolen bases without getting caught.
He is also hitting the ball much harder than he did in the past, with a current hard-hit rate of 46.9 percent. Having a healthy and productive Marte matters because his approach at the plate is different than the rest of the Mets hitters, and it causes the opposition to game prep around someone other than Pete Alonso, which means the Mets offense can be an issue for teams. Just ask the Dodgers.
New York Mets early season winner: Reed Garrett
Where would the Mets be without Reed Garrett being one of the most dominant relievers in the league? He is 5-0.. that's not a typo... his five wins are tied for the most in the majors of anybody (including starters), with a dazzling 0.61 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched with 27 strikeouts. But, more importantly, he's been the guy that's given the Mets multiple innings in critical situations when their starters couldn't go deep into games. The most recent example was Sunday's pulsating 11-inning victory against St. Louis, where he gave up just one unearned run in the 10th and 11th innings.
Garrett was not on the Opening Day roster, but he stamped himself as a critical piece for the Mets for the rest of the season and will be asked to go multiple innings on several occasions, taking on the role Michael Tonkin was supposed to play. Garrett is the biggest reason the Mets have the best bullpen ERA in the National League.
New York Mets early season loser: DJ Stewart
Yes, DJ Stewart has a .814 OPS. But he is also hitting just .204 and has been an all-or-nothing player with the Mets, and it's been more of nothing this season. But with Mark Vientos having a nice couple of days back in the big leagues (including a walk-off home run on Sunday), it is easy to wonder if Stewart's days as a Met are numbered earlier than he thought.
If they want to give Vientos more at-bats in the majors with an eye towards the future, it would set up a fun and interesting discourse as to who the Mets third baseman of the future should be. Ultimately, Stewart may be the odd man out with a forward-thinking front office in charge.
New York Mets early season winner: Luis Severino
Among the starters in the Opening Day rotation, Luis Severino has been the most impressive. He is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 27.0 innings over 5 starts. His fastball command and confidence has shown up this season, which was something he did not have last season with the Yankees. Also, he has gone at least five innings in each start so far
His 2023 results and his overall talent made him one of the biggest boom or bust signings of the offseason, and so far, he's been a big-time boom as a Met. If Severino can keep this up, the Mets will be in the Wild Card conversation this summer.
New York Mets early season loser: Omar Narvaez
Omar Narvaez has had a brutal two-year tenure as a Met so far, both at and behind the plate. Last year, he had an OPS of just .580. This year, in 37 plate appearances, his OPS is just .458. Behind the plate, he already has a defensive runs saved mark of -4 in 90 innings behind the plate, thanks to a whopping 20 stolen bases without a runner caught, four errors, and a staff ERA of 5.20 when he is catching. For comparison, Francisco Alvarez has a staff ERA of 2.15 when he catches, while Tomas Nido has a staff ERA of 3.83 when he catches.
It's not looking good for Narvaez when it comes to his playing time, and he will probably be cut when Francisco Alvarez returns from injury. However, Narvaez did sign with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 when the baseball operations head was... David Stearns. So perhaps a saving grace?
New York Mets early season winner: Jose Butto
Jose Butto showed why deserved a spot on the Mets Opening Day roster. He had a terrific spring but started his season in Triple-A before getting called up a couple of weeks ago. In four starts this season, he has a 2.86 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 22.0 innings pitched, and has had to pitch under pressure often because of little run support.
Still, Butto proved that teams with quality depth in their starting rotation are most likely to succeed and gave the Mets reason to keep him in the rotation. The Mets strategy to aggressively add depth to the rotation worked, as it lit a fire into Butto.
New York Mets early season loser: Adrian Houser
It's a shame that Adrian Houser has produced lousy results, because many thought Houser was the underrated trade acquisition of the offseason. Houser was ineffective in three of his five starts in April. He is 0-3 with an 8.37 ERA, opponents have hit .302 against him, and he has given up more walks (16) than strikeouts (14).
It is appearing more likely, especially with Jose Butto being effective, that Houser will be either moved to the bullpen (where he can show his versatility as a long reliever) or be designated for assignment when Tylor Megill (who looked really good in his first rehab start in High-A on Saturday) returns from the injured list.
manual