3 NY Mets players who've sealed their fate in the final weeks of the 2023 season

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September is for more than getting stuck behind school buses for the first time in months. It's a chance for major league baseball players to seal their fate. A month of auditioning for some and clinging to work for others, we're witnessing a mix of both from several New York Mets players.

Only a part of what happens in September will carry over into the offseason decisions. These Mets players are having the kind of performances where it’s clear what’s next for them.

1) NY Mets outfielder DJ Stewart has won a major league job

Is there any doubt DJ Stewart belongs on the major league roster for the Mets next year? You don’t have to campaign for him to be in the starting lineup, but to at least not heavily consider carrying him on the bench seems personal.

The left-handed hitting minor league free agent came up to the majors this year more out of need than talent. Shortly after his promotion, Stewart showed those scouts who praised him many years ago and led to a first-round draft selection that they weren’t seeing things. He really does have talent.

Stewart has essentially become exactly what Mets fans were hoping to see from Darin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach. He hits for good power, plays the field much better than expected, and has the kind of swagger that’s impossible to avoid falling in love with.

We’ve seen enough from Stewart to award him a fourth or fifth outfielder job next year depending on how you want to label it. His left-handed stick has proven to be far too good to dismiss. Keep him around. What do you have to lose?

Heading into the final 6 games of 2023, Stewart is slashing .264/.352/.549 in 167 plate appearances. Adding 11 home runs and driving in 26 through such a short period of time has only helped his cause further as a potential bat off the bench next year and DH option.

2) NY Mets reliever Drew Smith has proven the team should move on

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Drew Smith. A well-liked reliever leading up to this year, it always seemed like Drew Smith was closing in on becoming a steady setup man for the Mets. There have been flashes in the past. He has been good for a while, but never quite more than a middle reliever you’d call upon in the sixth or seventh inning of a game you’re trying to win.

Unfortunately, Smith has failed to capture our attention in a positive way. He is consistently blowing leads or ending ties. We cannot count on him for those bigger frames. He is what he is and that might be a trade candidate.

After 54.1 innings of working spanning 60 appearances, Smith is 4-6 with a 4.31 ERA. He’s the owner of a 1.39 WHIP and a walk rate of 4.5 per 9 innings of work.

There’s definitely room for Smith on next year’s roster, but if the team isn’t planning to keep around too many players whose contracts expire after 2024, what’s the point? As down as we may be on a pitcher like Smith, other teams will need someone like him. They won’t have to pay a premium price to acquire him. Something along the lines of what the Mets gave up for Brooks Raley but less so is what we should expect to receive in return. He’s a decent enough reliever to help add a lottery ticket to the farm system. Expecting much more from Smith on the field or from the return via trade is a huge reach.

3) NY Mets rookie Ronny Mauricio is showing he doesn't need to go back to the minors

It’s the most recent member of the Baby Mets who has exploded onto the scene the hardest, quickest, and with the most force. In 2022, Brett Baty started off with a home run then slowed down. Ronny Mauricio began with a bunch of hits. The team has used him at second base and third base which goes against how they’ve tackled the other youngsters. Baty has been shoehorned into playing third base. Mark Vientos has barely touched a glove. Francisco Alvarez can only play catcher, but the team has also held off on giving him additional at-bats as a DH—partly understandable because you can only do this if you carry three catchers due to potential injuries.

Have the Mets learned from their mistakes or is Mauricio this much different from the others? Both answers could be correct. Either way, what’s clear is that Mauricio has sealed his fate with the Mets. Unless they trade him away, Mauricio is in the majors to stay.

His ability to give the Mets options at more than one position adds to the intrigue further even if there are doubts about how good of a defender he can be. It’s easy to see where he belongs. At worst, he’s a temporary bench player or platoon mate. At best, he’s starting at second base, third base, or even left field.

With each of these young players, the Mets have generally used the excuse of needing to see more from the player on defense. They’ve gone against it with Mauricio having already handed him as many starts at third base in the majors as he got in Triple-A. His exact role has yet to be determined, however, there’s no doubt he’ll be there on Opening Day if he’s healthy and with the organization.

Although he has cooled, Mauricio’s first 82 plate appearances still include a .260/.305/.377 slash line and a pair of home runs. He has shown more than enough to stay put. Optioning him to the minors is a step in a pointless direction.

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