Reese Kaplan -- A New Beginning...Who's Hot & Who's Not?

It’s the middle of the week and the Mets achieved the do-over on Monday when they achieved their .500 record after an embarrassing 0-5 start to the 2024 season.  All of the sudden people are not convinced the entire year is wasted and that the lackluster off season of POBO David Stearns was as bad as initially feared.  As of Tuesday evening they are officially 1-0 on the new season since hitting the .500 plateau.

Now some of the things we’ve seen are likely not going to last for a full 162 game season.  Take Brett Baty, for instance.  His defense, energy, enthusiasm and thundering bat (particularly doing well against lefties) is all a fantastic sight, but no one honestly expects him to finish the year batting .330 or thereabouts.  Still, after all of the disappointment generated by the 2023 season and this year’s preseason we had not seen this kind of productivity on our forecasting radar.

Now Edwin Diaz looking virtually unhittable does not stretch anyone’s expectations very far, though seeing him again after missing all of 2023 and showing a similar level of dominance is both refreshing to see and a reaffirmation of confidence folks have in the bullpen.

It’s a bit early to make definitive proclamations about anyone, but after surprising anyone who wondered who ex Tampa Rays reliever Brooks Raley was and how well he did in New York in 2023, it would appear that other than a visible increase in the number of sliders thrown (up nearly 14% from last season), Raley is picking right up where he left off.

The power surge from NL Player of the Week Pete Alonso was also good to see as there is a hot debate among Mets fans regarding keeping him, extending him or trading him.  Success with the bat keeps all three of these positions viable, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Francisco Alvarez has also caught many by surprise with his strong offensive start, though the defense still is a work in progress.  For as much enthusiasm there is for a Pete Alonso extension, David Stearns grew up in a less financially robust organization in Milwaukee that he might put a higher priority on locking up the far less expensive Alvarez, buying out his future arbitration and free agency eligible years.

As good as the club’s ERA has been overall from its pitchers, there are as many bad outings in recent memory as good ones.  Pitchers like hitters have their ups and downs.  No one in the starting rotation has been 100% in each outing other than 2nd-time arrival Jose Butto.  Still, no one thinks at age 26 he’s morphed into an All Star. 

The last time I looked Starling Marte is hitting around .290 which is not something anyone expected to see.  Everyone had pretty much given up on the man after his injury-marred 2023 season which depressed the value of his hitting statistics.  Him remaining around .290 is not as far fetched as it might seem.

Then there is the totally unforeseen .300 hitting of Harrison Bader.  No one is going to mistake him for an All Star with a bat in his hand but apparently he didn’t get that memo.  The guy who routinely looks up at .240 average is making the most of his opportunities.  Maybe reuniting him with college teammate Pete Alonso helped rev him up...?

There are others whose contributions are going to change significantly.  Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo are both off to slow starts but aside from the “Naysayer” brigade, no one expects that their careers have all of the sudden plummeted.  Throw Jeff McNeil in that group as well.

The flip side are folks who had a good AB or two that makes folks thing that they are the next great thing in orange and blue.  DJ Stewart is a classic example.  The man has had a few key RBIs lately for sure but look at the batting average and he’s just upped his number to equal the Mendoza line.  Look at his career numbers and while there might be another 20 to 30 points possible based upon history, let’s not forget he’s been around quite awhile with the Orioles and then with the Mets, never having shown himself to be starter-worthy.  In fact, if and when JD Martinez is deemed ready to make it to Queens fully expect Zack Short and DJ Stewart leading the list of who must depart in order to create a Martinez roster spot. 

I won’t reiterate the assortment of relievers who have had more bad days than good ones, nor will we focus too much on the bench players like Omar Narvaez, Joey Wendle, Zack Short and Tyrone Taylor who don’t get to play nearly as much as the starters.  Still, it’s not a bad roster, though more offensive would most certainly help.

What is your biggest surprise of the young 2024 season?