Amid high expectations after a busy offseason, the New York Mets open spring training this week. We’ll examine three things to watch at Mets spring training.
Camp will feature several new high-profile players. Justin Verlander, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is one of three new starters in the Mets rotation. Japanese star Kodai Senga and veteran Jose Quintana were signed this Winter, as well.
With the rotation and position group largely set, with a possible question mark at DH, the primary camp battles will take place for the final three spots in the bullpen.
But that doesn’t mean this will be a dull camp in Port St. Lucie.
Let’s look at three things to watch at Mets spring training.
3. How will World Baseball Classic affect the Mets?
Manager Buck Showalter made it known he’s no fan of the World Baseball Classic. And for good reason. Can’t imagine any manager or GM is thrilled to lose players for two weeks during spring training to play in a tournament without their team’s supervision.
The Mets likely will be without their entire starting infield, new starting catcher and three key relievers for the bulk of camp. Tough to build chemistry that way, nor get everyone to adapt to the new MLB rule changes. That doesn’t even scratch the surface when it comes to possible injuries by star players going all out playing for their country as opposed to tuning up in preseason exhibition games.
“You worry when guys start their clock up that quickly,” Showalter told the New York Post.
Fingers will be crossed in Port St. Lucie until the likes of Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Edwin Diaz return safe and sound once the WBC has concluded.
2. Will Starling Marte be ready for Opening Day?
Marte had core muscle surgery in December and his status for the start of spring training is in question. Whether he’ll be ready to play on Opening Day against the Miami Marlins is also unknown.
Also not known is how much – if any – the right fielder will be affected by the surgery even after he returns to the lineup. Swinging? Throwing? Running? It’s all tied to the core.
We’ll start to gets those questions answered in spring training, with the first Marte update due in the next week or so.
Marte was an All-Star last season is a hugely important piece to the lineup. Just see how the Mets crumbled down the stretch last season when he was sidelined in September. He slashed .292/.347/.468 out of the two-hole in 2022, hit 16 home runs, scored 76 runs, had 63 RBI and a 132 OPS+.
If he’s not able to go by Opening Day and starts the season on the IL, Tommy Pham would get the start in RF and perhaps Tim Locastro would make the team as a back-up outfielder.
1. Are Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty ready for The Show?
Reading the tea leaves when listening to GM Billy Eppler during the offseason, it appears the Mets would prefer catcher Francisco Alvarez and third-baseman Brett Baty to start the season in Triple-A, get needed at bats and work on their defensive play. No one, not even Eppler, refutes the likelihood that the organization’s top two prospects will each contribute to the Mets at some point in 2023.
That said, it’s going to be interesting to see how much Alvarez and Baty developed over the Winter after late-season promotions last season. Alvarez said he expects to make the team out of spring training. Baty, unbothered by New York nearly signing Carlos Correa to play his position for the next dozen years, is equally as confident.
The future will be on display in spring training. Each will play a lot, especially with catcher Omar Narvaez and third-baseman Eduardo Escobar playing in the WBC.
How quickly will the future turn into the present with Alvarez and Baty in Queens? We’ll see that begin to unfold one way or the other during spring training.
Photo: @SNY_Mets