1 top skill for each of the four new free agent additions

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The New York Mets have had quite the start to their offseason. First they signed Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha, and Starling Marte, then they signed Max Scherzer to a record-breaking contract.

These are smart moves that fill needs for the Mets, not just positionally, but also in terms of skills. Let’s take a look at each of these players' strongest skills.

Starling Marte is automatically the best baserunner on the Mets.

Starling Marte creates chaos on the bases. Yes, he’s fast. His average sprint speed in 2021 was 28.4 ft/sec, which ranked in the 83rd percentile on Baseball Savant. He also ran 22 bolts, which are sprints above 30 ft/sec. 

However, what’s more impressive is his success rate in stealing bases. Marte led the league with 47 stolen bases last season, and he only got caught five times. That’s a 90% success rate! He also led the league with a 12.3 BsR, which is crazy when you consider that the Mets as a team had a -13.5 BsR.

His speed helps him in the field too. He mostly plays center field, and he put up a +3 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) each of the last two seasons.

I love this signing for the Mets, and not just because I worship chaos. His high on-base percentage coupled with his baserunning abilities can create a ton of run-scoring opportunities for what’s going to be a very deep lineup.

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