4 biggest Mets Spring Training winners
![Mar 14, 2023; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (22) throws the](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4637,h_2608,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/3/01gvvvdrxz0sac9sqh6n.jpg)
The New York Mets have had a hectic Spring Training. The relief has suffered significant losses and depth with the loss of Edwin Diaz, Sam Coonrod, and Bryce Montes de Oca. Brandon Nimmo recently found himself in questionable status to start the year with the team due to a knee injury.
The team has had bright spots with the good performances of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer on the mound and some starters. Of all these positive points, four names have made the most of the preseason and have been the biggest winners of this Spring Training.
1) Mets prospect Brett Baty is quickly making fans forget Carlos Correa
Brett Baty entered the offseason with a mission to work his defense and cut ground hits to compete for the Mets' third base position. However, the Mets' interest in signing Carlos Correa blocked any immediate opportunity for Baty to fill the position.
As soon as Correa's deal fell apart for well-known health reasons, Baty began his task. Among the qualified players this spring training, Baty is the leader in AVG, OBP, and fourth in OPS in the entire MLB.
Additionally, he has connected the ball hard. Per Statcast, his average exit velocity sits around 93.5 mph, better than Pete Alonso's and fourth among the team's qualified players.
From the other side of the ball, Baty has made it clear that his effort pays off. Since he started working with Troy Tulowitzki in the winter, his defense has improved making routine plays and plays he couldn't make before.
Well ok then. pic.twitter.com/aYw8JjnYM4
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) March 14, 2023
Brett Baty went from a non-position player and possible trade chip candidate to a potential player with playing time in the middle of the year, to be on the verge of earning the job as the Mets' Opening Day third baseman. The 2023 Spring Training has been the best scenario for Baty to show what he is made of and why he is that great top prospect that scouts consider.
2) Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio has gone from a forgotten top prospect to a recognized power hitter
When the Mets signed Ronny Mauricio back in 2017 from the Dominican Republic for a reported $2.1 million they knew they had a great hitter. Mauricio began to gain a reputation in the Mets farm system until he became the # 1 prospect in the organization above Francisco Alvarez, Andres Gimenez, and Brett Baty.
From this moment on, Mauricio's value began to drop due to his indiscipline at the plate and the increase in ground balls. This made the Dominican prospect a bit of a forgotten youngster on the Mets farm.
However, Ronny Mauricio began to gain muscle that allowed him to continue to evolve his power swing. In his participation in the winter ball of the Dominican Republic, Mauricio exhausted the most number of at-bats with 188 accumulating five home runs, 31 RBIs, 15 doubles, and ten stolen bases to finish with a batting average of .287. and an OPS of .803 thus earning the MVP of the regular series.
With this production, Mauricio came into the preseason prepared to demonstrate this talent against MLB pitchers. So far this spring, he is the team leader in home runs and second in RBIs. He has made all this in more than ten at-bats less than the leader in this last category.
Ronny Mauricio is still crushing. His fourth Grapefruit League homer just went a projected 452 feet. It's his second 450+ foot homer this spring. pic.twitter.com/tBT6GcUntz
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 12, 2023
Ronny Mauricio has known how to take advantage of every opportunity at the plate, showing great power in his swing with high exit velocity and distance hits. This demonstration in the preseason has returned Mauricio to the organization's radar as a player with a future thanks to his bat, perhaps not in the shortstop position but being able to move to third base and the outfield.
3) Mets reliever John Curtiss has impressed us all this Spring Training
In a surprise move, the New York Mets signed John Curtiss to a major league contract in April 2022 while he was injured with a torn ulnar collateral ligament while with the Milwaukee Brewers. Before his injury, and being traded to Milwaukee in 2021, Curtiss had pitched very well with the Miami Marlins where in 35 games he had earned a 2.48 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched.
Throughout the entire half of 2021 and the full year of 2022, the former Marlins pitcher was rehabbing his injury returning to the mound this Spring Training 2023. Curtiss entered the preseason as a candidate to fight for one of the bullpen positions for opening day.
There was no assurance that this pitcher would make the team despite not having a minor league option due to the uncertainty surrounding his recovery. But John Curtiss has shown results this preseason that has surprised many and keep him as a practically safe candidate to start the year with the big team.
In all of his appearances on the mound, Curtiss has dominated an opposition that barely hits him around .150. His control has been spectacularly generating a WHIP under .70 with a K/9 ratio of an impressive 15.00 with a K/BB over 10.00.
John Curtiss had another scoreless appearance last night in the #Mets' 6-1 win over the Marlins.
— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) March 18, 2023
He's been fantastic this spring:
6 G, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, 47.6 K%@Metsmerized #LGM
With the opportunity in his hands in this Spring Training, John Curtiss has maximized all his appearances. Due to his performance this preseason and the injuries to the Mets' bullpen, Curtiss has become a big winner with one foot on the Mets' opening-day roster.
4) Mets outfielder Tim Locastro keeps playing at full speed for the opening-day roster spot
The Mets signed speedy outfielder Tim Locastro this offseason to a minor league contract. The organization has a depth option in the outfield with Locastro, a player with a top-speed ability on the bases.
During his six years in the big leagues, Locastro hasn't been a significant hitter, amassing a .227 batting average with a .656 OPS. His plus has always been his ability as a baserunner and defenseman in the center field, a rather rare position these days.
During his MLB tenure, Locastro has been within the top 10 of the league in the sprint speed category being number one in 2020 and number two in 2021. This places him as an elite position player in speed and attractive to many teams for these skills.
In this Spring Training, the former Yankees outfielder has shown great skill with the bat, something never seen before. He has posted a thus far batting average above .340, an OBP above .430, and an OPS around .980.
He has managed to hit 35% of his at-bats and is third in the league and the team leader in stolen bases. In addition, he already seems like a member of the Mets having received four hit-by-pitch this Spring Training.
Tim Locastro has been hit by a pitch for the 4th time this spring.
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 11, 2023
(via @BallySportsMW) pic.twitter.com/P2qrdbCEmm
This terrific offensive performance by Locastro opens up a whole discussion about a possible inclusion in the opening day roster of the Mets more now with the status of uncertainty about the health of Brandon Nimmo.
Regardless of the outcome, he has seized every opportunity at bat, responding with good performance and speed that makes him an excellent option for the Mets' bench this 2023 season. From a minor leaguer to a potential roster player from a team in a competition like the Mets, make Tim Locastro a great winner this Spring Training.
Next. Mets stories we hope to see unfold in the 2023 season. dark