3 NY Mets players who will be called up by the All-Star break & who they will replace

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The New York Mets season is already underway. They brought 26 players with them to start the year in what we hope is a successful campaign.

But, just because a player has been sent to the minors does not mean that he is gone for good. The Mets have quite a few prospects on their minor league teams who are working hard, refining their game, and preparing for their call up to the major league team. They should be ready for promotion very soon. Here are a few of the players who have the best chance of being seen at Citi Field before the All-Star break.

1) First New York Mets player who will be called up by the All-Star break - Brett Baty

It’s no secret that Brett Baty has the talent to be a major league baseball player and some say he might even be a future star. After hitting .325 in spring training, the real surprise was that he didn’t join up with the big team. His bat looks ready, and he has worked hard to improve his fielding. Brett Baty was taken in the first round of the 2019 Major League draft. Last season, he hit .312 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI at AA Binghamton.

The New York Mets player that he will replace - Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar is presently the Mets starting third baseman and is in the final year of his contract.
If he should get off to a slow start like he did last year, Brett Baty will be here faster than a New York Minute. The Mets might consider having Escobar share third base with Baty for a while, move him to another position, or even use him as a valuable part of a trade. Barring injury, Brett Baty is coming and will be here soon. How long he stays will be up to him.

2) Second New York Mets player who will be called up by the All-Star break - Mark Vientos.

For as long as he has been the property of the Mets, Mark Vientos has been called a man without a position. There are places he can play, but they are not places of need for the team. His best position is first base, where Pete Alonso calls home. His other position is third base where the Mets already have a log jam. Vientos’ lack of defense makes it difficult to see him moving to some other position.
However, the National League has adopted the DH, a position that appears custom made for Mark Vientos.

The New York Mets player that he will replace – Tim Locastro.

The Mets don’t have a right handed DH on their depth chart at this point. While filling that position by committee might be a short term solution, Vientos fills a need here. Much like Brett Baty, the real surprise was that the Mets didn’t choose to bring Vientos with them. Tim Locastro will be the odd man out in this transaction, as carrying a good fielding fifth outfielder who only hit .186 last season is a luxury this team can’t afford. Vientos was selected in the second round of the 2017 Major League draft. He hit 22 home runs at AA Binghamton two years ago and 24 more at AAA Syracuse last year. He’s about as ready as he’s going to get.

3) Third New York Mets player who will be called up by the All-Star break - Joey Lucchesi

Joey Lucchesi is a 29 year old left handed starting pitcher who was obtained in a trade before the 2021 season. He appeared in only 11 games for the Mets before arm problems caused him to have Tommy John surgery. Lucchesi missed the remainder of the 2021 season and all of 2022 as well rehabbing from his surgery. He was invited to spring training where he made two appearances in relief. Lucchesi was then sent to AAA Syracuse to begin stretching out his arm until he's ready to rejoin the Mets. Joey Lucchesi was in the Mets rotation before his injury. Now that he's healthy again, there's no reason not to believe that he can return to his previous form.

The New York Mets player that he will replace - The next injured starting pitcher.

Before this season even began, the Mets had to put Justin Verlander on the injured list and called up Tylor Megill. As sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, at least one additional Met starting pitcher will complain about stiffness in his arm, a pain in his elbow, or needing something like thoracic outlet surgery. It's only a matter of time. This is one of the dangers of having a 38 year old and a 40 year old at the top of your rotation. The Mets always have their fair share of injuries. They designated a player for the injury list 33 time last season. It seems like every player on the team is "Day to day" at one time or another. There's a chance that the Mets could go with a six man rotation later in the season to help give a little extra rest to their starting pitchers. When it comes to the Mets, you never say never.

Major and Minor observations

As stated earlier, the Mets designated a player for the Injured List a total of 33 times last season. For each one of those moves, there was a corresponding move to replace that player on the major league roster, almost always from the team’s minor leagues.

Sometimes the major league team might have a prospect start out in the minors only to bring him up a little later so that the number of years of his major league experience will end in .9 and thus extending his arbitration eligibility by one more year.

Remember, potential is not performance. For every player like David Wright, Tom Seaver, or Darryl Strawberry who has come through New York there have been dozens of other players like Billy Beane, Lastings Milledge, or Francisco Martinez.

John W. Lindsey holds the record of playing 16 seasons of minor league baseball. That is dedication.

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3 Mets who will be called up by the All-Star break and who they will replace