Fans of the New York Mets posed the first set of questions to Will Sammon and Tim Britton, focusing on spring training performances, breakout prospects, prospects, and 2024 roster development. The questions have been somewhat revised or shortened, as usual.
Who are scouts saying “they may have something there” about? — Doug B.
Will: Yohan Ramírez and Sean Reid-Foley, two scouts who watched the Mets during spring training, each cast multiple ballots for two relievers. Since both players are on the 40-man roster, they are not eligible for a minor league option. It looks like the Mets have two openings in their bullpen, and both pitchers are competitive candidates.
Relying mostly on his fastball, Reid-Foley resumed his stellar play at the end of the previous season and has since racked up six strikeouts in three scoreless innings. Ramírez’s 97 mph fastball has astonished observers. In exchange for cash, the Mets acquired him from the Chicago White Sox in December.
Others in the business praised Luis Severino’s one-year contract elsewhere because he has been playing well. Shintaro Fujinami, who will make his major league debut on Thursday, caught the attention of a few seasoned pitchers in the Mets’ clubhouse with his fastball velocity.
Luis Severino dials it up to 98 MPH for his first strikeout as a Met
(via @BallySportsMW) pic.twitter.com/rMTCa8WxfI
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 1, 2024
Do you see any surprises ending up on the opening-day roster? — John N.
Will The Mets need to decide on their DH strategy in the lineup, and they have a bench position available for grabs. I would foresee right-handed hitter Mark Vientos as the DH as long as he keeps on course. As a left-handed hitter, DJ Stewart is a good contender to fill out the bench, but it goes against him because the Mets have the option to send him to the minors. Nevertheless, he has experience playing first base on the back fields and can also play some outfield. The Mets can go to outfielder Trayce Thompson or seasoned first basemen/DHs Ji Man Choi and Luke Voit (Choi is the only left-handed batter among the three).
If Vientos were to split 400 plate appearances between designated hitter and third base (Brett Baty playing more there), Mets management would be good for it. However, I question the implications of classifying a 24-year-old as a bat-first player without giving him regular playing time and an opportunity to develop. Christopher Morel of the Chicago Cubs saw over 200 plate appearances at second base last season, which is uncommon.
How many players do spring training results actually matter for, who are they, and what do they need to show? — Kenny S.
Tim: This is a valid query. Almost every player, with the exception of the most assured ones, will tell you that performing well in spring training is great, if not necessary. For example, Pete Alonso, coming off a season of bad batted-ball luck, probably does not mind that he is allowed a few doubles to fall in because outfielders have misplaced the ball in the sun.
It is more crucial, in my opinion, for players who could use a confidence boost: Jeff McNeil, who just finished a disappointing season; Brett Baty, who is being closely watched; and Starling Marte, who is attempting to prove that he is healthy. All McNeil needs to do is watch the ball fall; a bad spring portended a disappointing 2021 season for him. Baty must strike the ball forcefully, ideally in the air. All Marte needs to do is find his swing again, whatever that means.
Who do you guys think is poised to “break out” this year? — David C.
Francisco Alvarez will do. I realize it is a scorching take. However, he is capable of far better than last year.721 OPS because, in addition to having obvious raw power (maximum exit velocity of 114.1 mph), he has demonstrated outstanding adjustment skills and, as a 21-year-old, produced a respectable chase rate at 26.1%.
Thanks to enhanced mechanics, a deadly new splitter, and more health, Tylor Megill has a good chance of making a breakthrough. However, he must attack the strike zone more effectively than in the past.
The Mets don’t need him now because they have two lefties in the bullpen and a host of players without minor-league options, but I can see Nate Lavender developing as a capable reliever whenever he arrives in the majors.
First Alvy of 2024! pic.twitter.com/UUH09Wu2ie
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 25, 2024
Between Jett Williams, Luisangel Acuña and Drew Gilbert, who do you see making it to the majors first? — Brett K.
Will: Since only Acuña is on the 40-man roster and no one else has yet played at Triple A, I would not bank on anyone, even the starting pitchers, making the jump to the majors quickly. However, Gilbert is my best guess. Gilbert, who can play all three outfield positions, is a threat for injuries, and the Mets need depth in the outfield. Gilbert, down 0–2 in the count, had one of the better at-bats I have seen this spring when he remained on a breaking ball and hit it in the opposite direction.
What is the Plan B if Brett Baty does not improve? And how long is his runway to show consistent improvement? — Michael G.
Will: Baty would not start the season at third base for the Mets in an attempt to rapidly move off him. They need to give their young players some time to show them what they can do. They had the option to sign a seasoned third baseman, perhaps a right-hander (Baty bats left), but they decided against it. There is Joey Wendle, Zack Short, and Vientos behind Baty. (Rylan Bannon, José Iglesias, and Olmer Sánchez are not on the 40-man roster, but they would still be alternatives.) Beyond that, Plan B could be contingent upon the team’s current position. In the event that Baty is unsuccessful this season, they can still attempt Ronny Mauricio in 2025 or make
Nimmo now is more a power hitter and seems to be a good candidate to hit behind Pete to give him some protection. What do you think of the idea of McNeil leading off followed by Marte, Lindor and Pete? — Peter G.
Tim: Generally speaking, protection is still overrated. (For example, Alonso had his greatest season in 2019 when Robinson Canó was largely out of it.) Getting as many guys on base in front of Alonso as possible would be my main concern rather than who is hitting behind him.
I looked at how batting orders have changed four years ago and explained why your three best hitters should bat first, second, and fourth. That is why I find that Nimmo, Lindor, Someone, and Alonso work best in that order. (However, perhaps I could get Nimmo, Alonso, Someone, or Lindor to accept me.)
Please persuade me as to why I should believe this core group of position players (Lindor, Alonso, Nimmo, McNeil) will ever win a division, let alone a pennant or World Series. — Terence D.
Tim: because a long list of teams, players, and coaches in sports history were unable to win the big one until they finally succeeded? I am old enough to recall that LeBron James’ late-game respect shown he lacked the deadly instinct required to win a title, that Villanova shot too many threes or Virginia played too slowly to win in March, and that Andy Reid’s poor time management was the reason he would never win a championship.
There is ample reason to be skeptical that this core is adequate. More reason for pessimism, in my opinion, should come from their problems over the prior three seasons with a bigger sample size rather than from their 2022 1-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves, or anything like.
Say the Mets are in contention in July. Would they trade prospects for, say, Dylan Cease, or do you think they’re so committed to a reloading year that they won’t bother? — Alix G.
Tim: David Stearns usually bought when the Milwaukee Brewers were involved at the trade deadline, as I noted in a January article. There are a few disclaimers here:
1. Although Stearns attempted in vain to make up for that loss by adding more guys to the bullpen that season, the Josh Hader trade is a noteworthy exception.
2. The Brewers were usually comfortably within the playoff race, either in first in the NL Central or within a game or two of a playoff place.
In July, Stearns and the Mets will have the dilemma of seeing if they are in the same predicament as the last three National League pennant champions at the deadline—that is, if they are just outside the playoff picture. In that scenario, I would definitely anticipate them to make multiple minor acquisitions at lower rates rather than making one major move for a pitcher such as Cease. However, guessing about it at this point is just that—speculating—because there are so many variables involved in that computation.
Does Trevor Bauer’s name ever come up as a rumor or … anything? — Jeff A.
Tim: The Mets, in my opinion, are thankful that Trevor Bauer choose the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2021 and do not feel the need to tempt fate once more. Since that offseason, we have discussed the shortcomings in the Mets’ organizational culture far less, and I believe Steve Cohen would rather that way. Recall that not all expenses are monetary.
(Top photo of Sean Reid-Foley: Jim Rassol / USA Today)
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