Reese Kaplan -- Unexpected Mets Heroes Halfway Through 2024

Going into the 2024 season there was a lot of uncertainty on the team.  Flushing’s Finest seemed more like a toilet slogan than baseball team based upon the astonishingly bad 2023 group.  Embarking on a new club in 2024 with a new POBO and a rookie manager no one really knew what to expect.

That being said, everyone already knew what Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor were capable of doing.  Most folks were willing to accept Jose Quintana based upon previous results.  Some of the newcomer starting pitchers were entering Citifield with some black marks on their stat sheets due to injuries or poor seasons.  Edwin Diaz was back as was Adam Ottavino.  Jeff McNeil had to rebound from an uncharacteristic 2023.  Brandon Nimmo was a fan favorite.  J.D. Martinez is a stellar hitter.  Life was moderately encouraging.

Guess what?  It is the unsung heroes of 2024 that have helped propel the team to its best winning percentage since the year began.  A lot of that credit goes to even keeled manager Mendoza who probably ingratiated himself more to the fans with getting the umpire’s thumb for the first time earlier this week.

However, it is productivity where you least expected it that have helped propel the team forward this year.  Who could have foreseen Dedniel Nunez and Jose Butto becoming bullpen stalwarts whose presence on the mound filled fans with confidence instead of nausea?  Butto had shown last year solid stats as a starter but no one ever envisioned him as a relief pitcher.  Nunez wasn’t even on many folks’ prospect radar yet here he is and everyone wonders where he has been all this time.

Now everyone watched the tangible progress Francisco Alvarez made defensively last year and he demonstrated home run power that is somewhat surprising given his thick but rather short physique.  Please tell me if you had written down that by the All Star break he would be hitting well over .300 after being close to the Mendoza line last year?

Then there is newcomer Jose Iglesias who didn’t even make the team out of spring training.  Go figure.  He is a solid defender and holds a career .280 batting average yet hadn’t been able to land a major league job anywhere.  He came up when other folks were incapable of contributing and has quickly become a vital cog whether he plays 2B or 3B.  OMG!

Harrison Bader’s signing was not one anyone really understood.  We know his defense is off the charts but he’s struggled both with hitting and health.  Cynics said it was done to make Pete Alonso happy as they were longtime buddies as youth teammates.  Take a look at the stat line and Bader is not only off a two-homer game, but he’s hitting nearly .280.  Who saw that coming?

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all turns out to be someone who has rendered Mr. Baty into a Brett Who kind of question — Mark Vientos.  On his way to establishing himself as a credible if not outstanding third baseman, his bat has been incredible.  Yes, he does swing and miss a bit too much but he’s threatening the .300 level with slugging numbers among the league’s best. 

Going into 2025 the Mets have some difficult decisions to make.  Some of these players are entering free agency.  Business sense suggests the team either extend or trade away people who aren’t cemented in their future plans.  That same action needs to be considered for others not in this group but in similar contract situations. 

For now, however, we’re enjoying the success this unforeseen group has provided as the Mets move from late night TV show gag to questionable post season contender.  It’s been a long time (since 2022) when it felt very good to be a Mets fan.