3 red flags from Mets spring training worth some concern

It’s as much “only a flesh wound” as it is “only spring training.” The fake games where the stats matter as much as the expiration date on bottled water, New York Mets spring training is wrapping up and there are some red flags that should have fans concerned.

We know better than to lose sleep over anything that happens in the preseason. Deceptively good or bad performances have fooled us in the past before.

Nevertheless, these red flags are hard to ignore with Opening Day quickly approaching.

1) None of the Mets regulars are doing much hitting

There are two types of players in spring training. There are the ones whose numbers can suggest they belong on the roster or not. Then there are those who’ve been around the league long enough where we know a dozen-game slump is nothing to read much into. In such a short stretch, any player can hit .400 or .100. Unfortunately for the Mets, there’s a lot more of the latter.

None of the Mets regulars are doing much hitting at all. Francisco Lindor is hitting .167. We find Starling Marte’s batting average way down at .129. Only Pete Alonso, with a .289 batting average, is in range of what we’d like to see. His average is well above what anyone would expect.

There aren’t any fingerprints on the panic button over what a few All-Star caliber players have done in a short stretch of games where they exit midway through. 

We know better than to freak out over any individual spring training statistic. What about when the collective isn’t producing? The .682 OPS through 24 games ranks 26th in baseball. If there’s any consolation, it’s tied with the Houston Astros, just below the Atlanta Braves, and better than both the Philadelphia Phillies and last-place Miami Marlins.

Red flag or just something that happened? We’ll find out in a week. In these final spring training games, a wicked-hot bat would be nice to see.

2) Mark Vientos has been his usual self and the alternatives aren’t great either

Someone whose statistics should matter this spring to some degree, Mark Vientos has been his usual self. He can launch a home run every once in a while. Far too often, he’s striking out. This is an acceptable outcome if the home runs are more plentiful and the batting average isn’t chasing the .200 mark.

Vientos leads the team with 4 home runs but it has come with a .204 batting average and 16 strikeouts. Once again, he’s powerful yet incapable of putting the ball in play enough.

As bad as Vientos has been, the real red flag comes into the frame when we look at the alternatives. Both at the DH spot and for someone who could play third base, there isn’t much.

The Mets did attempt to bolster their DH depth this offseason with minor league signings of Ji-Man Choi and Luke Voit. The former has a chance to make the club with the latter doing everything in his power to guarantee a minor league assignment. Choi has been much less impressive over the last few games. All of a sudden, with a .194 batting average, picking him to make the club seems like a reach.

The planned use of the DH spot originally seemed to have the Mets turning to Vientos for the bulk of starts, DJ Stewart for some others, and utilizing it as an opportunity for right fielder Starling Marte to receive some extra rest while keeping his bat in the lineup. Outside of signing J.D. Martinez, the Mets plan will begin the year with a bunch of dirt on its chin.