NY Mets: Don’t expect the team to contend next year

The 2023 New York Mets have fared uncomfortably bad, ending up in fourth place in the NL East last season. After a bunch of trades at the trade deadline, such as sending star hurlers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander packing, along with aging outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha, the team opted to get younger. Here’s why it simply isn’t in the cards for the team to be front runners for making the playoffs in 2024.

The team has shocked the baseball world and fans alike last season with the horrific ending and finish. It simply was a disastrous year, with star Closer Edwin Diaz getting hurt and out for the year with an ACL tear in the World Baseball Classic before the season even began setting the tone.

Sending Canha, Pham, David Robertson, Scherzer and Verlander packing sent a clear message to the league that the team is at it’s lowest and potentially looking to make a few more deals in the winter before trying to piece back together what seems to be a contending team that can be a threat late in the postseason as well. Verlander, 40, was dealt back to the Houston Astros. Verlander showed the Mets some shades of Vintage Verlander however simply didn’t dazzle or wow the entire year consistently. Here’s a look at Verlander in a Mets uniform; he went 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA, while after being dealt back to Houston he went 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA.

Tommy Pham, 35, outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, was also one of the solid production players dealt. Pham was arguably the team’s hottest hitter at one point during the season after a rather icy start to the year, however he redeemed himself, rediscovering his swing by the month of June. His cold start allowed him 10 home runs, 36 RBIs, batting.268 with a .348 OBP in a Mets uniform, and after the trade to Arizona he hit 6 home runs and 32 RBIs with a .241 batting average and .304 OBP.

Dealing away several key pieces meant the team wants to get slightly younger, and healthier from scratch.

Enter rookies Fransisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio. All 4 baby Mets have made somewhat of a very strong case at one point in their debuts as to why they deserve to be in the team’s long term plans on the field and in the starting lineup both. Let’s take a look.

Baty, 24, has struggled both offensively and defensively but ZiPs projects his 2024 to go much better. Baty last season was downright bad, struggling to execute routine plays at third and delivering at the plate. He hit 9 home runs, 34 RBIs batting .212 with a .275 OBP. His 109 strikeouts certainly were eyebrows raising worthy and simply a cause for concern however the experts project Baty hitting 19 home runs in 2024.

While this remains hopeful, it’s never a given that the team will extend star First Baseman Pete Alonso, who is one of the National League’s best power hitters. Alonso would be so tough to replace, as his 2023 and 2019 (rookie year) was one for the ages both.

In 2019, his rookie year, Alonso wowed, hitting 53 home runs, 120 RBIs, batting .260 with a .358 OBP.

He went on to win rookie of the year that year, win the Home Run Derby title 2x and his 2023 was spectacular as well; he hit 46 home runs with 118 RBIs, batting .217 with a .318 OBP.

If the team does not extend Alonso, that would spell out major trouble, as Alonso’s hot bat contributed so much to the team and was a major part of winning many games, and even with him in the lineup the team hasn’t got the job done. Without him it would only get worse.

I think the team is reckless enough to let a player of Alonso’s caliber slip away, unfortunately. Depending on the deals made this winter, the team could very well make some better progress or regress heavily so much to the point that the expected playoff contention date, (currently 2026, as per team brass) is pushed back even further.

It’s a dire situation and the fans need not think “playoffs” until they can have a season where they win the division. Right now, it’s simply unrealistic to put such high expectations upon a team that barely can decide if they’re coming or going so to speak. The team is still a huge mess with a ton of question marks surrounding the rotation, outfield, and third base, including first base. Don’t expect the team to be great even if Alonso is extended. Rome was not built in a day, this team also needs time to develop.