5 important Mets spring training storylines to keep your eyes glued to

Stretch those hammies. Do another round of arm circles. New York Mets spring training is underway with actual games approaching. The beginning days of spring training remind us that winter does have an end. Vicariously, we enjoy the Florida sunshine and hope we can still fit into last year’s swim wear following a winter hibernation that began with a holiday binge on Halloween night.

Although the expectations have been lowered, the excitement hasn’t. The Mets are aiming to compete at some level this year. We’ll have months to argue and evaluate their chances.

Those first arguments and evaluations can begin as we follow these five important Mets spring training storylines.

1) The DH situation and everything about it

Everything about the DH situation is worth following. We’ve kept our eyes glued at this spot in the lineup all offseason. Spring training is when we’ll get some idea of what’s next.

Mark Vientos appears locked in as the guy to get the majority of at-bats from it. What if he has a terrible spring? Does it change a thing? Then there’s a scenario where DJ Stewart outplays him. As the left-handed option who will have far more opportunities to feast on right-handed pitchers than Vientos on southpaws, could he actually steal a large chunk of those early season at-bats away?

Vientos and Stewart should see far more time defensively than they will during the regular season this spring. Vientos, in particular, needs as many groundballs hit his way as possible. It wouldn’t hurt to have him shag a few fly balls in left field either. Adding another place where he can play has its benefits.

Needless to say, spring performances won’t sway management to extreme measures when it comes to decision-making. They didn’t get rid of Daniel Vogelbach last year when he slumped throughout March. If anything, the spring training results might give the Mets an altered early approach.

3) Early signs of free agent steals and busts

David Stearns won’t get a red marker pulled on him for any spring training results from the free agents he added to the Mets. Harrison Bader can go hitless. Jorge Lopez can have an ERA of infinity. Luis Severino can rip off his jersey on the mound and reveal a New York Yankees logo beneath then state he’s a mole then underhand toss the ball to the catcher. Nothing that happens in the spring is permanent.

We can, however, get some early signs of who was the right call based on the construction of the team beyond just the choices. Sean Manaea’s much-talked about velocity uptick with the San Francisco Giants late last season not making its presence known will have us raising an eyebrow. If Jake Diekman looks more like the Chicago White Sox version than the Tampa Bay Rays one, we’re going to have some questions.

Spring training is merely a suggestion of what’s to come. On an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, it’d be a piece of paper Drew Carey pulled from the hat but didn’t end up using. The points don’t matter during spring training either but what happens still has purpose. 

4) Ensuing battles once someone gets hurt

Someone will inevitably get hurt during the spring. We’re just going to have to hold our breath and ask whatever being we personally believe in creating the universe to make it someone who can be replaced. The presence of Jeff McNeil on the team makes it so the Mets have an obvious someone to turn to for most injuries. His absence, however, could push us into seeing a lot more Joey Wendle right from the start.

The Mets aren’t going into this year’s spring training with as many battles as they have put together in the past. Brett Baty is mostly unchallenged at third base with only Mark Vientos and his more questionable defensive skills posing a threat of any kind. An injury will completely change just how many skirmishes begin.

While the Mets have some intriguing pitching options in case of an injury, the worrisome area is with the position players. There isn’t a proven prospect at the Triple-A level yet. Depth pieces brought in from the outside include Trayce Thompson, Jose Iglesias, and a few others who’ll just be temporary. A devastatingly long injury could quickly create a hole.

The one player the Mets should be especially cautious with is Starling Marte. Marte getting back to his 2022 form could be the difference between this lineup looking deep and being cut in half. And as far as replacements in right field go, is Drew Gilbert ready?

5) Prospects making an early case for a big league promotion

Drew Gilbert isn’t the only notable prospect making a claim for some playing time this year. Several other hyped Mets prospects will be there at camp. The team doesn’t appear quite ready to clear a spot out for anyone nor should they rush them to the big leagues. Spring training is still an opportunity for prospects to make an early case for a big league promotion early in the season.

We were reminded last year of how quickly plans can change with the youngsters. Francisco Alvarez was summoned to the majors quickly after an injury to catcher Omar Narvaez. Due to a lack of offensive firepower coming from third baseman Eduardo Escobar, hot-hitting Brett Baty received his chance to enter the lineup.

How the Mets have handled prospects in the recent past has been a highly-debated topic. The 2022 season was a primary example. Despite having the need for a bat and several minor leaguers tearing Triple-A pitchers apart, they held back.

This year, the expectation is for several prospects to debut at some point. Players like Baty, Stewart, and Vientos should feel them breathing down their necks. The front office shouldn’t force something not clicking to continue when there are others who could win games. Every victory matters, especially in the coming year when sneaking into the playoffs is the likeliest best-case scenario.