Mets Opening Day third base candidates for the 2023 season

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With the New York Mets in the midst of one of the biggest spending sprees in MLB history, many fans were quick to jump on the Carlos Correa train when it was rumored that he might be linked to joining the team. While the 2-time All-Star would have been a great addition, it was not a necessity for the Mets to sign Correa, as they already have a couple of other guys who can fit the role of New York Mets third baseman perfectly.

All three options had an opportunity to get some playing time at some point in the 2022 season and each could, once again, be given that same opportunity in 2023. The question here is, which will get the first chance to prove themselves when Opening Day arrives?

1) NY Mets starting third baseman candidate: Eduardo Escobar

When Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler worked their way through the offseason leading up to the 2022 season, they added multiple key contributors to an offense that would help the Mets win 101 games in the regular season. Eduardo Escobar was one of those key signings. He, along with Mark Canha and Starling Marte brought their veteran leadership and strong play on the field to a team looking for both.

Things started very slow for the former Milwaukee Brewer but after going down with an injury that kept him out of the lineup for some time in August, Escobar returned just in time for the pennant race and let me tell you, there was nobody on the 2022 Mets that had a better September than Eduardo Escobar. In 26 games, the 33 year old hit .340 with 8 home runs and 24 RBIs.

If Escobar can play anything like that in 2023, it would be huge for a Mets offense that is looking for more production at the bottom of the lineup.

2) NY Mets starting third baseman candidate: Luis Guillorme

The New York Mets in 2022 got way better defensively than they ever were in 2021. A big reason why was thanks to the wizardry we saw in the field from Luis Guillorme. Having a really talented glove at the hot corner is what many teams dream of having and the Mets certainly have it in Guillorme.

To go along with his outstanding defense, he also constantly puts together great at bats. With the Mets facing the Miami Marlins on Opening Day, it's expected that we'll see the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, Sandy Alcantara, on the bump for the Fish. Having a guy like Guillorme, who will be able to take long turns at bat to raise Alcantara's pitch count, especially when early in the season most starters don't go that deep into games, can be huge in leading the Mets to a 1-0 start.

The 28 year old batted .273 last season while getting on base at a .351 clip. He might not be able to hit for much power (Guillorme had just two home runs in 102 games last year) but Guillorme won't be used in the lineup to hit home runs.

The Mets lost Luis to an injury for the final month of the season and in the playoffs last year. While other key players like Starling Marte were out, it's tough to argue that being without Guillorme for the stretch run was a big reason why the Amazins fell short when trying to win the National League East and win their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres.

3) NY Mets starting third baseman candidate: Brett Baty

A lot of talk this offseason has been about how fans are so excited for Francisco Alvarez to become a real contributor to the offense for a full season. While I also am just as excited, there's another Mets prospect who has the potential to do the same.

One thing the Mets offense lacked in 2022 was power. New York hit just 171 home runs, which ranked 15th best in Major League Baseball. If you are looking for someone who can provide a little more pop at the plate, Brett Baty could be that guy.

In just 11 games in 2022, Baty hit 2 home runs at the big league level. If you calculate that to a 162 game pace, that's nearly 30 bombs. The young 23 year old certainly had his struggles, only hitting .184 in his short stint before going down with a season ending injury, but the phenom showed signs of greatness and has a chance to build on that in 2023.

Baty seems like the least likely of these three options to get the start on Opening Day, but don't be surprised if manager Buck Showalter pulls a rabbit out of his hat by telling his fanbase that the future is now.

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