With the addition of Dellin Betances, most of the offseason work is already done. However, that doesn’t mean that the New York Mets aren’t going to make more moves. It’s just that the foundation of the team is already in place.
If the Mets don’t bring anyone to play center field regularly, or trade J.D. Davis, the lineup looks set. Jake Marisnick, acquired via trade this offseason, will play plenty as the superior glove and bat versus lefties. However, Brandon Nimmo will man the position most nights.
Everything may change if Yoenis Cespedes is healthy enough to play come Spring Training. For now, the Mets’ lineup looks something like this (with projected 2020 wRC+ according to Steamer):
It is unclear which batting order Carlos Beltran, the new manager, will use. However, this seems to be an adequate lineup for the Mets. As you can see, seven of the eight positions project to be above-average, and Rosario is only slightly below-average.
We know, however, that almost all of the names written above have upside for more. McNeil and Alonso just put 143 wRC+ seasons, and Rosario made strides in the second half. Cano has been a star before, and Conforto can approach 130 wRC+. Ramos, Nimmo, and Davis can also beat their projections.
Let’s see the rest of the National League East (defensive alignments, not projected lineups):
Atlanta Braves:
Washington Nationals
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins
While the division has some top players and other that are clearly above-average, Beltran’s team seems to have the deepest and strongest lineup. Of course, they are just projections, but it is an encouraging development for the playoff-hungry New York Mets.
This post was published on 2019-12-29 15:49