It is an old, and very true adage that baseball teams must be strong up the middle. That means very talented defensive players manning the Catcher, Shortstop, Second Base, and center field positions. You need players that can halt the opponent’s running game and cover that big area in center field to reduce extra base hits. Do that, and it increases your chances at winning.
So are the Mets’ chances of winning in 2025 better than they were in their NLDS winning 2024 season? The jury is still out because the off-season player acquisitions have not yet come to a halt. Let’s see what the comparison looks like so far:
Shortstop: Solid as a rock in both 2024 and 2025. As I have written before, it was a tragedy that Francisco Lindor was not named a Gold Glove finalist at short because he certainly deserved it. His Outs Above Average (OAA) were among the best in the league at that position and his defensive talents were amplified by his leadership on the field. Not only was he always in the best position to make a play, but he ensured that his teammates were as well.
Catcher: Strong in 2024, better in 2025. Francisco Alvarez has shown some great ability behind the plate with a strong arm and a quick release. He had his ups and downs in 2024 due to (in my opinion) too much focus on pitch framing. His down on one knee, try not to move the glove approach caused more balls to get past him than in previous season and caused some arm-only throws that were too late. I think he learns from that and has an outstanding season in 2025. His backup Luis Torrens has shown tremendous ability behind the plate as well.
Center Field: The Tyrone Taylor/Harrison Bader combination in center last year was extremely strong on defense. Both had great speed, reaction to the batted ball, and a willingness to go all-out to make a play. Bader has always been known as a premier defensive center fielder, but his weaker bat last year caused him to become a defensive replacement rather than a full-time center fielder.
In 2025, the Mets have not renewed Bader, still have Taylor, and have brought in another defensive standout in Jose Siri. Siri could even be considered an upgrade in that position from an already strong platoon, but he has not hit well since he suffered a fractured hand at the end of the 2023 season.
He has been making some progress this winter playing for the Cibao Giants in the Dominican Winter League, so we look forward to seeing how he does in spring training.
Second Base: The combination of Jeff McNeil and Jose Iglesias was very good last year as well. Both players were very capable fielders in that position, with Iglesias proving that he still has the slick fielding instincts from past seasons. Iglesias became a free agent at the end of 2024 and has not yet been resigned.
McNeil is still in place, but there has been all sorts of speculation about how the second base position will be manned in 2025. Will McNeil regain his hitting prowess and be the full time second baseman? Will Iglesias be re-signed?
Will the Mets go with youth in that position? The youth option can be any of several players, with LuisAngel Acuna coming off a solid MLB debut, Ronny Mauricio returning from injury, Jett Williams moving through the system, and even rumors that Brett Baty has learned to play 2B. With all of those players being mentioned in some sort of trade speculation (most of it just clickbait), it is tough to project how that position will play out. We will have to wait until spring.
6 comments:
Good break down. This team is still in formation. Stearns will make wise decisions. 5 weeks to pitchers and catchers? 4 weeks until the early arrivals? Let's get the season going. After all, it IS 2025 now.
Paul you hit the nail on the head strong up the middle is imperative.
The Mets need Alonso to fill out the lineup. The question I would offer for second base is who would you rather have at second to start the year: McNeil, Acuna, Mauricio?
Hi Paul,
We are indeed strong up the middle at 2B, SS, CF. Except at catcher. If you could combine Alverez bat and Torrens glove we might be the best in the league defensively.
But as I've stated many times Alverez is a horrible receiver. His one strong attribute is his game calling, otherwise he is brutal.
Passed balls, actual missed pitchers, can't throw out base runners...that's what make a good defensive catcher.
That is a tough one. McNeil is a proven bat and had a rebound in 2H2024 to probably earn the spot (his salary is not that of a bench player).
I like Luisangel Acuna at 2nd - developing him there to play next to Lindor for the next 6 years of so would be fantastic.
And I don't know what to think of Mauricio. I suspect he has more power than Acuna, but not the defensive chops. They do have a lot of options.
And yes, I do think they need Alonso back and keep Vientos at 3rd base.
With all this depth and the prospects coming up, it seems there is a trade coming up someplace.
I am hoping you will be surprised JoeP. Alvarez has shown some strong blocking ability in the past - he lost it when they switched him to the one knee stance. I think he can get it back. He has an 83rd percentile pop time and an 88th percentile framing score according to BaseballSavant.com. They don't rate arm strength for catchers, but the eye test indicates that he would score well there too. He will do the work in the off-season and spring training. Let's see how it works out in 2025.
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