4 Mets who proved their spring training was a fluke

To say that this New York Mets season has been surprising is true on a number of levels. The team has fallen far short of expectations, frustrating fans who entered the year with a "World Series or bust" mentality. Some players who seemed poised to break out in spring training have fallen flat, while others who looked terrible have been among the league's best at their positions.

Part of what has made this season so frustrating is that there are good pieces in place. The season hasn't been a total dumpster fire, which is why optimistic fans such as myself are still hopeful that things can turn around. One thing that has been clear, though, is that what we saw from many players in spring training, both good and bad, is not what we've gotten this season. Here are two Mets that have fallen off and two Mets that have stepped up, proving that maybe we shouldn't read too much into spring training after all.

Tomas Nido looked great for the Mets in spring training, but he has been unplayable since then.

No Mets fan expected Tomas Nido to light the world on fire, even after he hit .359 with three homers in spring training, but he was at least expected to be able to keep the backup catcher's seat warm behind Omar Narvaez until Francisco Alvarez was ready.

When Narvaez suffered an injury in the season's opening week, Nido's role became all the more important, but the veteran catcher has done nothing with the opportunity. Blame it on the dry eye syndrome that landed him on the DL, or blame it on Nido standing on the tracks as the Francisco Alvarez train was coming through. Either way, Nido was arguably the worst hitter in baseball before being sent down to AAA.

If you're sensitive to graphic images, do not go look at Nido's slash line for the season. His .125 average is truly horrific, but his .278 OPS is incomprehensible. I feel like Ron Burgundy when he discovered that Baxter ate the whole wheel of cheese and pooped in the refrigerator. I'm not even mad, that's amazing.