Reese Kaplan -- 5 Up and 5 Down From Port St. Lucie

It's time now that we're more than halfway through Spring training it's time for a modified top 10 list of sorts regarding folks attempting to become a part of a major league contending New York Mets for the 2024 season.  This time, however, instead of a ranking of 1-10 (or 10-1) let's take a top five good personnel signs and a bottom five bad personnel signs from folks expected to come north with the club.  Here we go...

Number 5 Positive

When the Mets obtained Tyrone Taylor along with pitcher Adrian Houser in an off-season trade, the chorus of "Who?" was nearly deafening.  Most figured it was just a case of some familiar faces for David Stearns during his Milwaukee tenure.  Instead Taylor has shown he has the defensive skills and a surprising power capability to suggest he's an ideal 4tb outfielder.

Number 4 Positive

The reaction to the Luis Severino signing was not exactly champagne glasses tinkling.  He was coming off a season with an ERA approaching 7.00 and has missed a lot of time in his career due to injuries.  It felt kind of like it was kind of like the, "We can pretend we're the Yankees" all over again.  First their manager and now one of their starting pitchers.  Much to everyone's pleasant surprise thus far Severino has pitched like an All Star and less like a washed up player whose career has come to an early end.

Number 3 Positive

What can be said about Edwin Diaz's debut?  He came in with trumpets blaring and mowed down the side as if no injury happened that wiped out 2023.  That single appearance (due to his travel south to be with his wife for the birth of their child) was enough Mets personnel, fans and media types needed to breathe a huge sigh of relief after trying out many unsuccessful relievers in his absence last season.

Number 2 Positive

While everyone is surely in awe of the home run power Francisco Alvarez can generate, it was always a question about his defensive skills and throwing arm in particular that made folks question what his success would be when he reached the majors.  His ascent was premature due to injuries last season and he certainly demonstrated the long ball swing.  What was more impressive was seeing his defense regarding framing and other parts of his game markedly improve as the season unfolded.  This year his throwing has even been on a few highlight reels.  He works extremely hard and folks are already clamoring for a long term buyout to keep him from ever getting away.

Number 1 Positive

While I'm still in the "I'll believe it when I see it" camp regarding the great success Tylor Megill has had in Florida, you can't argue with the numbers he's generated.  Adding a pitch not only has helped, but perhaps it pushed his confidence up to a corresponding new level.  Still, what happens in Florida (like a .469 hitting fringe ballplayer) isn't necessarily equivalent to what the real season results turn out to be.  Here's hoping I'm 100% wrong about Megill and he is finally ready to be a major league starting pitcher.  Of course, since I pecked out this story in his last Florida start he pitched like vintage Tylor Megill which is not a good thing at all.

Number 5 Negative

When the Mets made a relatively late signing of flamethrower Shintaro Fujinami people got kind of excited.  Guys who can reach 103 mph on the radar gun semi regularly are a rarity.  Unfortunately control has never been something he's mastered and his early work in Spring training suggests his available options to the minors will likely be put to use to enable him to pitch regularly in high pressure situations while attempting to work on attacking the strike zone more regularly.

Number 4 Negative

No one would like a repeat of 2022 Starling Marte any more than the fans, the media and Marte himself.  He always showed stellar defense, top notch speed and solid home run power.  After health issues sidelined him for much of 2023 and curtailed his output when he did play, the word everyone got from winter ball was that he was healthy and ready to go.  Thus far the numbers have not demonstrated it to be a fact and given his invisible 2023 he's not getting the same benefit of doubt that a solid hitter from last season like Francisco Lindor does.  Given how thin the Mets outfield is, the team really needs Marte to come back effectively.

Number 3 Negative

Well, the good news is that Brett Baty recently made the highlight reel for a couple of defensive gems in a game after having seen him get manhandled by the batted ball for much of 2023.  The bad news is that opposing pitchers are continuing to have their way with him.  Folks were clamoring for Justin Turner to be signed as a DH and 3rd base insurance.  Then came the sudden interest in JD Davis.  Neither happened and to hear David Stearns tell it, Brett Baty is the guy (likely through the All Star break anyway).

Number 2 Negative

While taking most of his ABs as a hitter rather than defensive player, Mark Vientos is showing some power (and a tacky bat flip on a recent home run).  The problem is that if he doesn't play the field then he'd better kick it into a much higher gear with the bat as that skill is all he'll have to display.  Thus far it feels as if their are signs of improvement but not yet an extended hot streak.

Number 1 Negative 

This position could be covered by any number of underperforming Mets players.  Luke Voit, Harrison Bader, DJ Stewart, Tomas Nido, Omar Narvaez and many others could audition but on the realistic side none of them are projected to be part of the regular group of starting players.  The uniform thread for nearly everyone in uniform is poor offense so why don't we grant returning hitting coach Eric Chavez an honorary number one for what has not yet been done.

To be truthful, all of the positives and negatives of Spring training are illusory.  We've seen hot hitters and dominant pitchers return unspectacularly to earth come April baseball.  We've also seen guys who's struggled mightily somehow put that Florida slump in the rearview mirror.  Still, when you make personnel decisions you only have career histories and recent performances as measuring sticks by which people head north or head out of town.