How far the Mets must go in 2023 for the year to be a success

Let's be honest there may not be another team in baseball going into the 2023 season that may have more pressure on them to win than the New York Mets. When you look at their offseason spending from the re-signing of Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, to the signings of Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and the impending signing of Carlos Correa, among others, more cash has been spent this offseason than in any other in Mets history.

When looking in the rearview, the Mets won 101 games last season and had a mini collapse towards the end of the regular season as they limped their way into the playoffs after losing grip of the division to the Atlanta Braves. That would ultimately culminate in the Mets having an early playoff exit in large part to the offense mainly going silent against the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round.

Owner Steve Cohen however has made it abundantly clear this winter that the Mets will be a bonafide World Series contender in 2023 and has not let an MLB-imposed Steve Cohen tax limit him from spending wildly with hopes of bringing a championship to Queens next fall. Analysts and pundits around baseball agree, there is really no team around baseball built to win more right now than the Mets.

The Mets have sky-high expectations set upon them in 2023 which include bringing a World Series trophy to Queens

MLB.com recently released their first MLB power rankings of 2023 and they have the Mets coming in as the number two team in baseball. I don't recall the last time I saw the Mets ranked that high going into Spring Training, but that further proves nobody will be sleeping on the Amazins this season.

So what does this all mean for expectations going into next season? It's basically World Series or bust for the Mets and I don't think there is a fan who dons the orange and blue that would tell you any different. The Mets are entering the season with the highest payroll in baseball by a mile, bonafide superstars across the diamond, and a front office that is going to continue to make moves by any means necessary to win.

Anything short of a World Series appearance next season will be a massive disappointment and while every team has its own set of flaws, the Mets right now are being constructed as an almost flawless baseball team as the front office continues to be proactive in shoring up any potential holes or weaknesses that may exist.

The offseason still has about another month and a half remaining and it will be interesting to see what other moves will be made by the Mets' front office moving forward. Looking ahead I believe every player that is on the Mets roster going into Spring Training will understand the reasonable expectations that have been put on this ballclub and it will be interesting if the Mets will live up to the even loftier expectations than they had last season.

Plain and simple the Mets are in the driver's seat to not only get to a World Series but to win a World Series, and it's more realistic of an expectation for them to win it next season than it ever has been in the last five years.