With the second-largest payroll in the league and big-time players, the New York Mets have high expectations for this MLB season. Of course, the main goal is to bring a World Series to Queens for the first time since 1986. With the addition Juan Soto, bringing back Pete Alonso, the team’s fortified lineup and their deep pitching staff, New York has a real shot to get it done this season.
Soto is obviously the main topic of discussion after he signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the team in December, the largest contract in American sports history. In his seven-year career, Soto has had four All-Star appearances, five Silver Sluggers, a batting title in 2020 and a World Series ring in 2019. But Soto is hungry for more; he wants to continue to improve his game and grow to be the best player he could be.
“[I’m] really happy for the career I’ve been having so far, but really hungry for more,” Soto said. “I want more. I want to keep winning. I want to keep feeling the same way I’ve been feeling since day one.”
What makes this Mets team stand out is their team players. Teams that win the World Series have really good players, guys with experience, youth, teamwork mentality and everything else in one. It takes more than one player to win a championship and when you take a look at New York’s roster and their farm system, they gave a great chance to go all the way.
Last season, Carlos Mendoza switched up the lineup order multiple times, switching the leadoff spot from Brandon Nimmo to Francisco Lindor, moving around Alonso and rearranging the rest of the position players/DH. They eventually found a flow that carried them all the way to the NLCS. This squad is willing to do whatever it takes to find their magic, and they have the exact kind of players to do just that.
In his first spring training at-bat with New York, Soto launched a 426-foot homerun off
Houston Astros starter Colton Gordon to the left-center wall. Soto brought a sold-out Clover Park crowd to their feet, providing fans with an unforgettable first impression of the newest addition to the Mets.
Another positive take away from the start of the Mets spring training slate has been Clay Holmes. For the first time since he was a rookie in 2018, Holmes is back in a major-league starting pitcher role. With his new team and starting in the circle, Holmes had a lot of excitement going into spring training with the Mets. Holmes has shown effectiveness on the mound with his sweeper, changeup, cutter and four-seam fastball which is an expanded version of his repertoire since the last time he was in a starting position in the majors. Mendoza resonated well with Holmes’ changeup and his sinker topped out at 97.8 mph in his first outing with New York. With some of New York’s starting pitchers being uncertain with injuries, this is a really optimistic sign.
“I think taking a few miles per hour off and a little bit better movement, [the changeup] might open the door for more outs with the cutter or the four-seam or something coming in to lefties,” said Holmes.
Pitchers Brandan Sproat and Blade Tidwell, center fielder Jose Siri and infielder Brett Baty have been delivering for New York so far in spring training games and have been notable on the roster. However, the team have seen some injuries with Luisangel Acuña, Frankie Montas and Sean Manea. It is easy to assume that the Mets pitching is in crisis mode, but they still seem to be in good shape after seeing some spring standouts in David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Tidwell and Sproat. Many of New York’s pitchers have flashed either an increase in velocity, a new weapon in their types of arsenals or a refined command. Their depth is not perfect but as long as their current group keeps putting up numbers, the Mets will be able to make it through the time where their big arms are missing.
On another note, New York drew 7,394 fans to Clover Park for their spring training opener in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Between Soto’s debut and Alonso’s return to New York, fans have a lot to be excited about and it showed in the crowd. It was the second-largest spring training opening crowd in Mets history, only trailing 2015’s opener where starting pitcher Matt Harvey returned to the mound in front of 7,444 fans.
“Winning games. That’s all you gotta do,” said Soto. “You don’t have to talk too much. You just gotta go out there and get the job done.”
With spring training in full swing, there are some very positive takeaways coming from this Mets team, from Soto to Alonso, to Lindor and the rest of the squad in Queens. It is officially March and the MLB season will commence this month. All the major league teams are either down with the Grapefruit League in Florida or with the Cactus League in Arizona preparing for the big Opening Day on March 27, and time is ticking until the first pitch.