There isn’t much wiggle room for the New York Mets Opening Day roster or even the lineup. Expected to face righty Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins to begin the season, the Mets will be in for a fight right from the beginning.
Plenty of wrenches can get thrown even into the best plans between now and the start of the year. The Mets are built best to withstand injuries.
This isn’t the lineup I expect to see the Mets start the year with. One can hope, though. It’s the most exciting one they can offer.
1) Batting first for the Mets and playing CF Brandon Nimmo
There’s no question who bats leadoff for the Mets on Opening Day. Center fielder Brandon Nimmo plugs back into the spot he has owned for several seasons now. Contractually obligated to make a lot of money and deliver for the Mets over the next eight seasons, there is no better way to kick things off.
2) Batting second for the Mets and playing RF Starling Marte
Starling Marte bats second. There is little debate about this. The Mets are a team with multiple players who could hit first or second in most lineups. Two guys hitting in the middle of their order are actually more ideal for the top. Nevertheless, it worked out well last season. Let’s see Marte put together another All-Star campaign and take advantage of those bigger bases and steal a few more.
3) Batting third for the Mets and playing SS Francisco Lindor
Boring! Yes, this is probably what the Mets will do. Nimmo, Marte, and Francisco Lindor third. Why mix things up when it’s so dream-like? In the future, it’s not impossible for us to see Lindor actually bat second more regularly. The team’s lack of power has him in the number three slot. Hey, it’s cool. He can drive in runs.