The New York Mets are currently without a manager, but have a very talented roster regardless. We know that Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil will have an impact. How about some players that could surprise in 2020?
Under-the-radar Mets to monitor this season
Amed Rosario
The seemingly light-hitting shortstop made significant strides in the second half. He hit .287/.323/.432 with a 100 wRC+ for the season, but after the break, he had a .319/.351/.453 (114 wRC+) line.
Amed Rosario is only 24 years old. He is athletic, speedy, and talented. In 2020, he could bat more than .290 with 15 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
Dominic Smith
Before Pete Alonso burst onto the scene, the Mets had another top first base prospect in Smith. Over the last couple of seasons, the team tried to give him looks in the outfield in the hope of increasing his versatility, but it is clear that he belongs at first.
Offensively, Smith had a fantastic .282/.355/.525 line with 11 home runs in 197 plate appearances. A .368 wOBA and a 133 wRC+ are proof that he was, comfortably, an above-average hitter. In the event of an Alonso injury, Smith could take over and cause a very good problem for the next manager.
Brandon Nimmo
Have you ever wondered what the Mets’ offense would look like with a full season of Nimmo? The outfielder is talented enough to hit .270, 20 home runs, 15 stolen bases, 100 walks and 100 runs.
He had 17 home runs in 140 games back in 2018, with 9 steals. He had that beautiful 18.1 BB% last year. It’s time to put it all together.
Rick Porcello
Porcello had a 5.52 ERA in 174.1 innings with the Red Sox last year, but it came with a 4.76 FIP. He has been a sub-4.50 ERA in the past (as recently as 2018) and even won a Cy Young in 2016.
I am not saying that he will win the Cy Young this season. But given that he is moving to the National League and out of Boston, he may very well post his first sub-4.00 ERA since 2016.
David Peterson
The left-handed pitching prospect will have six names in front of him to open the season: Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Steven Matz, Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello. However, the idea is that the Mets have him open the year in Triple-A.
After all, he mastered Double-A last season, with a 4.19 ERA and a 3.19 FIP in 24 starts and 116 innings. He holds his walks under control (2.87 BB/9) and can strike people out (9.47 K/9) but needs to prove he can handle Triple-A before being considered for a callup. We believe he will be an impact pitcher after the break for the New York Mets.