3 Mets players who don't deserve blame for the team's horrific 0-4 start

2) Sean Manaea was fantastic in his Mets debut

Sean Manaea would probably not be on the Mets if they were able to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason. A need for reasonably priced starting pitching in the wake of Yamamoto's signing with the Dodgers led David Stearns to Manaea's door, though, and while he scuffled his way to a 4.44 ERA with the Giant last year, he's looked great since donning the blue and orange (and no, that's not a reference to his new clean-cut look).

Manaea turned in a solid spring, posting a 3.24 ERA in four starts with better than a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but he was even better in his first regular season appearance. The lefty shut down the undefeated Tigers on Monday, twirling six innings of one-hit, shutout ball behind eight strikeouts and just two walks. He would have been in line for the win if the Mets lineup wasn't so inept right now, and instead had to settle for a no-decision after the Mets lost in extras.

Manaea has been a starter throughout his career, but the Giants brought him out of the bullpen much of last year, as 27 of his 37 appearances came in relief. With the Mets' early injury woes and questionable depth on the back end of the rotation anyway, Manaea should have no problem cementing his spot in the rotation all season, especially if he pitches anywhere close to how he did against the Tigers.

3) Francisco Alvarez is on his way to becoming the face of the franchise

You can feel a changing of the guard coming with the Mets. Pete Alonso's name was thrown around in trade rumors all offseason, and he's currently playing out his contract year without an extension. Brandon Nimmo moved to left field to make room for the defensively superior Harrison Bader, and Jeff McNeil is picking fights instead of getting hits. With Francisco Alvarez behind the plate, Brett Baty locking down the third base job, and the most talented farm system the Mets have had in over a decade, it seems that it's only a matter of time until the kids take over for good.

Alvarez is leading the way. The power-hitting catcher has already become a fan favorite after winning the job last year, and with his titanic blasts and patented winning smile, it's easy to picture this becoming Alvarez's team sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old has even made great strides learning English in the past year, and he's conducted interviews outside his native tongue with confidence. His play on the field has matched his intangibles, as he's looked like far and away the Mets' best hitter. His three hits against the Brewers on Saturday had a little bit of everything: a home run off of a curveball that he pulled to left to get the Mets on the board in the second, a single up the middle in the third to score a run, and another single that he sliced to right field in the eighth.

Carlos Mendoza has noticed Alvarez's play, as he's moved him up from seventh in the lineup on Opening Day to cleanup in the first game of the Tigers series. Alvarez was also slated to again hit cleanup Tuesday before the game was rained out, so we would assume he'll be there the next time the weather allows the Mets to take the field.

The early returns on this Mets season have not been good, but Marte, Manaea, and Alvarez provide hope that maybe thngs can get turned around. Let's see if their teammates can hold up their end of the bargain.