Photo Credit: espn.com
Over the last few weeks, the Mets have played about half of their Spring Training games in Port St. Lucie.
There have been several key storylines for fans to watch, such as Carson Benge’s development, the final bench spot, and the remaining bullpen spots to fill.
The expectations that the Mets had entering spring training remain the same as last season: Compete for a chance to win the NL East, make the playoffs, and be a World Series contender.
There will be multiple versions of these predictions based on factors such as new injuries, setbacks, good/bad performances, and any other signings the Mets make after today.
With that said, here is my second version of the team’s 26-man roster for Opening Day.
Starting Lineup
Francisco Alvarez: C
Jorge Polanco: 1B
Marcus Semien: 2B
Francisco Lindor: SS
Bo Bichette: 3B
Juan Soto: LF
Luis Robert Jr: CF
Mike Tauchman: RF
Mark Vientos: DH
Compared to the original prediction, the starting lineup remains the same, except for the right field spot.
Originally, I had Carson Benge winning the right field job over Mike Tauchman and M.J. Melendez.
On one side, Carson Benge has definitely exceeded expectations, recording a .391 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI, and 1 SB through his first handful of games.
He’s looked calm and composed in most of his at-bats, which bodes well for Benge being MLB-ready.
However, David Stearns’ cautious and patient approach with the team’s prospects (McLean, Sproat) will likely resurface in this situation, even if it frustrates and annoys fans.
Keeping Benge in the minor leagues can give the team an extra year of control, which is something that Stearns can manipulate.
To add, Benge struggled in his short stint in Triple-A, posting a weak .178/.272/.311 line in 24 games.
In addition, Mike Tauchman has emerged as one of the hottest hitters in Spring Training (.364 BA, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI), which increases his likelihood of winning the job.
Am I rooting for Tauchman to make the team over Benge? Absolutely not.
I believe that Benge is 100% MLB-ready and deserves a shot, but it shouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities to see him begin the season in Triple-A to get consistent playing time and an extra year of club control.
Bench
Brett Baty: 2B/3B/RF
Luis Torrens: C
Tyrone Taylor: CF
Vidal Brujan: UTIL
The bench remains the exact same, due to the Mets likely beginning the season with a six-man rotation.
Baty’s role is all but guaranteed on the roster, as he is being groomed as another utility/Jeff McNeil-type of player.
Torrens will always be a reliable backup option at catcher, as he’s stepped up when Alvarez goes down with an injury and shows a good rapport with the starters.
Tyrone Taylor is a good fourth outfielder who could provide defense at the end of games, while Brujan is another player who gives the team more positional flexibility.
Starting Rotation
Freddy Peralta
Nolan McLean
Sean Manaea
Clay Holmes
David Peterson
Kodai Senga
The rotation also stays in line with the initial prediction, as every starter has appeared in at least one game so far.
Freddy Peralta and David Peterson have looked dominant, while Sean Manaea looks solid, despite his velocity being a few ticks down.
In Kodai Senga’s first appearance, he gave up two solo homers, but his fastball reached 99 MPH, which is a very encouraging sign.
Senga’s fastball velocity opens up his forkball and other breaking pitches, which could significantly help the rotation if he can regain a part of his 2023 and early-2025 form.
Nolan McLean has dealt with vertigo-like symptoms over the last few weeks, but returned to throwing a few days ago, and recently pitched against Italy in the WBC.
Photo Credit: Facebook.com
Bullpen
Tobias Myers: LR
Craig Kimbrel: MI
Huascar Brazoban: MI
Luis Garcia: MI
Brooks Raley: SU
Luke Weaver: SU
Devin Williams: CLS
Lastly, the bullpen remains exactly alike, except the addition of Brazoban and subtraction of Alzolay.
He’s made a very strong case to have a spot on the major-league roster, as he’s thrown three scoreless innings with only two baserunners given up and five strikeouts.
This comes at the expense of Alzolay, as his numbers are less dominant than Brazoban’s (2 IP, 3 H, 4.50 ERA).
My name is John Pagnotta and I live in Queens, NY. I am a freshman at St. John’s University and I am majoring in journalism. I am a huge fan of the Jets, Mets, Islanders, and Knicks. I started following sports when I was around 7 years old and I have not lost love for it ever since!
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