3 Mets starting lineup philosophy changes to make for a better offense

The 2023 New York Mets have gotten stale, especially with the starting lineups. Rafael Ortega, DJ Stewart, and Danny Mendick have become permanent fixtures. It’s nauseating for these depth pieces to get as much playing time as they have. It’s nothing personal. We just thought August would have more meaning.

A major factor leading to the downfall of the 2023 Mets was their starting lineup. The personnel and the performance together combined to give them an increasingly below-average ball club. Nobody is having a career year. Your team won’t win a lot when so many players are performing below even an average season for themselves.

Some simple philosophy changes can help this team out. The approach at the plate might have to be universally overhauled. First, the Mets should rethink who they have and where they use them.

1) NY Mets need nine MLB starters to share the DH job

The idea of having the same designated hitter plugged into the starting lineup is a bit archaic. We all had our doubts about Daniel Vogelbach sharing duties with any number of right-handed options this year. We’ve been proven correct.

Other than the Los Angeles Angels with Shohei Ohtani, teams don’t typically have a single DH or even a platoon at the spot. There are some examples. The Los Angeles Dodgers have used J.D. Martinez as their DH, but as an everyday player and not in a platoon. Certain circumstances force a team to use a position player as a DH-exclusive bat. The Philadelphia Phillies did so with Bryce Harper last year. This season, the Minnesota Twins are doing it with Byron Buxton for the same reason: injury.

This was never the intention of the Mets. They brought back Vogelbach to be a man without a position only available to hit against right-handed pitchers. It felt wrong. It was the incorrect decision to make.

Going forward, the Mets should look at the DH spot as a chance to give a guy a half-day. Let it grow into a platoon if it shapes out that way. Don’t plan for it, though.

A Mets roster built with nine MLB starters sharing the DH duty should be the target. Give everyone regular chances. With Jeff McNeil on the roster, they already have the built-in flexibility. They’ll need some other changes or additions to fully embrace an “everybody gets to DH” mentality. As long as the most important offensive spot in the order isn’t wasted they’ll be heading in the right direction.

2) NY Mets need to choose power over getting on base at one more spot

There is plenty of uncertainty with how the Mets starting lineup will look next year. Trades, free agent signings, and a couple of DFAs could lead to big changes. Will this be a ball club built mostly with homegrown players or will there be a lot of outside help?

Regardless of who they have, a philosophy change the Mets need to make is how they value power. They have one true power hitter with Pete Alonso. Francisco Alvarez looks to be on his way there. Francisco Lindor can provide plenty of it, too.

Everyone else is on a different tier. They can pop home runs, but we wouldn’t consider them power hitters.

What the Mets have run into is a love affair with getting on base. For the last two seasons and maybe even longer, patience at the plate has taken precedence over actually driving in runs. The Mets don’t have an abysmal offense. They just lack those threats to turn a slow night into a furious one.

As frustrating as sluggers who strike out a lot and have an OBP under .300 can be, the ability to rip 30 home runs in their sleep is immeasurable. The Mets went into this year with a lineup where more than half of the players would be lucky to hit over 15 home runs. It’s not enough.

Having a left fielder or third baseman who hits for power (a DH, too) makes a world of a difference for the Mets. We can’t always count on three singles to get a run across. The three run home run remains one of the best weapons out there.