4 Mets who proved their spring training was a fluke

Max Scherzer's 1.53 ERA in spring training seems like a distant memory.

Max Scherzer ended last season on a sour note, failing to step up when the Mets needed him most. No amount of quality innings in spring training could ever erase that feeling heading into this season, but it was encouraging that Scherzer posted a 25:2 strikeout to walk ratio while giving up only three runs and one home run in 17.2 innings.

Scherzer has been unable to find any level of consistency since the season began, pinballing between quality outings and starts where he gets chased early. Tuesday's game against the Yankees was emblematic of the lack of faith Mets fans have with Mad Max at this point, as the erstwhile ace blew a 5-1 lead by giving up five runs in the fourth inning.

Mets fans can't afford to give up on Scherzer just yet. He's shown signs that he can recapture his vintage form, such as when he allowed only three runs in four starts against the Nationals, Guardians, Rockies, and Phillies. His last two starts have triggered the Flushing faithful's PTSD, though, as the Braves and Yankees have made him look past his prime, ballooning his ERA back to an unsightly 4.45.

Brandon Nimmo's rough spring training was concerning, but he has been integral for the Mets.

Let's change course and look at two Mets who have put poor springs behind them to be among the best players on the team.

The Mets were rightly protective of their newly signed $162 million man, allowing Brandon Nimmo only 14 at-bats in spring training. With a long history of big contracts, especially for outfielders, blowing up in their faces, you could forgive Mets fans for feeling like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football again as they watched Nimmo record only two hits in those 14 at-bats.

Nimmo quickly turned it on once the season started. Not only does he lead the Mets in hits, average, and walks, he's played outstanding defensively, more than justifying his new deal. As the rest of the Mets lineup has shuffled to account for slumps and injuries, Nimmo keeps plugging along in the leadoff slot, providing a spark for an offense that has struggled to find consistency otherwise.

Nimmo has demonstrated during his entire career that he's someone the Mets can count on. We should have never read too much into a brief, lackluster spring training.

Francisco Alvarez started slow before becoming one of the best hitters on the Mets.

It seems impossible that Francisco Alvarez was once overwhelmed by major league pitching, but through spring training and early April, he seemed like a guy that just wasn't ready for his close-up yet. This was a real disappointment for Mets fans that have anxiously awaited his arrival as one of the top prospects in baseball.

Alvarez hit only .107 with no extra base hits in spring training, then floundered when he was called up from AAA after Omar Narvaez went down. Since bashing two homers against the Reds on May 9th, though, the young catcher has turned into the second coming of Mike Piazza.

Alvarez has cemented himself as the Mets starting catcher of the future and present, crushing 12 home runs while trailing only Pete Alonso for the team lead in OPS. Along with his fellow bash brother, Alvarez has been the best thing about this season for Mets fans, giving them a reason to tune in even as the team has dropped in the NL East standings. He's even gotten at-bats at DH on days when he's free of catching duties, a sign that Buck Showalter trusts him over the Mets' other options.