3 Mets players who dropped down the depth chart in the final weeks of the season

3) DJ Stewart

Forget all about DJ Stewart starting for the Mets next year. He absolutely should remain with the organization. A bench spot or even as minor league depth, there’s something there.

Stewart’s impressive season declined greatly late and he was able to only finish hitting .238/.328/.494. He did hit 11 home runs in a short period of time. If nothing else, Stewart proved he can replace Daniel Vogelbach on the roster as a left-handed hitter with power capable of actually playing the field.

Stewart was exceptional in August, slashing .303/.378/.378 with 8 of his home runs. The final month took a turn for the worst. He’d bat only .189/.286/.311 in the final month of the season.

Every start Stewart received was an earned one. Only called up out of necessity to fill the 26-man roster, opportunities to play more increased drastically after the trade deadline. He was especially productive in late August. His batting average dipped as low as .171 and when it was over he raised it to .279.

Stewart’s power outage was one of the more disappointing turns of September with his final dinger of the year coming in Minnesota on September 9. Stewart wouldn’t have any extra base hits at all after a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 12.

The Cinderella story wasn’t quite as glamorous as it once seemed like it could be for Stewart moving forward. While worthy of contending for a roster spot, a weak finish moved him down the depth chart where he probably should have been.

Concern Level: What do the Mets have to lose by stashing him in Triple-A?