Some of the players responsible for the Mets’ revitalization and surge towards the postseason were not even a part of the Opening Day roster thoughts. Some were big time contributors, some were filler-in cogs, but whatever the quantity was, the quality is what helped rookie Manager Carlos Mendoza and newly minted POBO David Stearns achieve a highly improbable dream of playing October baseball. Let’s take a look.
Luisangel Acuna was a prime chip during the 2023 sell-off of Hall of Fame bound starting pitchers. He showed remarkable speed and a strong batting average in AA. Unfortunately his 2024 season in AAA was not nearly as impressive but when summoned to help tide the team over in September when Francisco Lindor was injured, he responded in a big way with his bat, his glove and his legs. No one’s sure what his role will be in 2025 (or if he will be part of a trade to land players needed at other positions) but the brief glimpse was good.
Jose Iglesias could always hit as evidenced by his .280+ career batting average yet he was struggling to find a role on any team before accepting to start in the Mets minors. He came up relatively early and OMG was he ever a part of the club’s success. He finished the season hitting well over .300 and his energy was contagious and infected nearly everyone on the roster.
Dedniel Nunez was never much of a prospect but the newly opened pitching lab went to work on him and the 28 year old rookie put together a 2.31 ERA working effectively out of the bullpen before an injury ended his season early. He’s avoided feared surgery and the hope is he will return to solid middle innings in 2025.
Sean Reid-Foley has had his ups and downs for several years, pitching well at times but always fighting injuries. Welcome to 2024 and again Reid-Foley was nearly unhittable when he was available. You always felt confident when he entered the game. It’s hard to bank on him in 2025 given his health history but when he was available he was a key support member of the pen. Let's bring him back.
Luis Torrens came over from the Yankees and started out like a house on fire when Francisco Alvarez was injured. He remained with the club for the rest of the year and while his bat cooled off considerably he was a solid defender and likely will be coming back to serve as Alvarez’s once or twice a week relief.
Mark Vientos was even a bigger contributor than Jose Iglesias, threatening to eclipse 30 HRs and working on a 40 HR pace given the number of ABs he received once the team gave up on other third base options. His glove is nowhere near where his bat is, but he’s most certainly going to be a middle-of-the-order hitter in 2025 and beyond. Whether he plays 3rd base, 1st base or DH, the fact is he knows what to do with his bat and it's been quite awhile since the club was energized by a newcomer to the team with this kind of production -- not since ROY Pete Alonso. His departure makes Vientos that much more valuable to the club.There were others who gave bits here and there but they are no longer in the picture, leaving as free agents. I’m not counting David Peterson as he was here long before his late start to 2024. I’m also not counting the free agent pitchers who have since departed.
Is there anyone who surprised you?
3 comments:
Jesse Winker and his fire was a blessing to this team.
LA Acuna is hitting well in the early stages of winter ball.
Cautiously optimistic on Dedniel. He was huge in July and August.
David Peterson's 10-3 surprised even me.
Tyrone Taylor surprised me with his excellent defense, that might have been even better if he did not need post-season surgeries for elbow chips and a hernia.
Lots to be thankful for .
Acuna was a pleasant surprise. Although he was a great trade piece when we got him, his work in our minors system did not portray the level of play he demonstrated in his late 2024 call-up. I am hopeful that he got a boost in confidence from that stretch and will be the player everyone imagined come spring training.
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