Player Data: Age: 34 (10/9/1988), B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 118 G, 505 PA, 466 AB, .292/.347/.468, .814 OPS, 16 HR, 63 RBI, 26 BB,  97 SO, 18 SB, 9 CS
Advanced Stats: 136 wRC+, 19.2% K%, 5.1% BB%, .340 BABIP, .336 xwOBA, 3.0 fWAR, 3.8 bWAR
2022 Salary: $15.75 million

Grade: B+

2022 Review

Before the 2022 season, Starling Marte had never started an MLB game in right field. In his first season as a Met, he started 116 and was a mainstay of Mets lineups for the first five months of the season in Citi Field’s expansive right corner of the outfield.

Then on September 6, Marte was hit in the hand by a pitch in a game against the Pirates. Initial reports were optimistic, but later it would be discovered that Marte’s right middle finger was fractured. For weeks he couldn’t throw a ball or grip a bat and while Marte was sidelined, the Mets wilted down the stretch.

One has to wonder if that stretch run would have been different with Marte in the lineup. Instead of Marte’s 2022 3.8 bWAR in right field, the Mets started Tyler Naquin‘s -0.1. “What if’s” don’t do any good, but I know the Mets definitely missed Starling for the last month of the season.

Focusing on when Starling was on the field, the Mets have to be pleased with the production Marte brought to the lineup in his first year in Queens. For the second time in his eleven-year career, he was named an All-Star and was very solid as a right fielder for the first time in his career.

Time and time again, Marte’s big arm gunned down runners and held them in their tracks a few times as well. The outfield of Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Marte was a constant and welcome piece of consistency until Marte’s injury.

While Marte put up solid at-bats all year long, hitting .292/.347/.468, it does seem he lost a step as a base-stealer. Coming off a 2021 season that saw Starling lead MLB with 47 stolen bases while being caught just 5 times, Marte stole just 18 bases and was caught nine times as a Met. While he was not healthy all season long, it remains to be seen if the can be the speedster on the base paths that he was in 2021.

The other interesting note from Marte’s 2022 season is that the defensive metrics were mixed on his work in right with DRS having him at three and OAA having him at -2.

2023 Outlook

Much of Starling Marte‘s role, at least defensively, depends on what the Mets do, or don’t do, with Brandon Nimmo.

Prior to his time in Queens, Marte was almost exclusively a center fielder. With the right field alterations in Citi Field, it might make more sense to plan on Marte moving back to his old position if the team doesn’t re-sign Nimmo. Many Met fans will tell you the right field adjustments are to make room for Aaron Judge. Having Marte in center and Judge in right would make the Mets outfield one of the best in baseball.

Marte is under contract for three more seasons with the Mets, due $20.75M in each. At the conclusion of this deal, Marte will be 37 years old. It’s every Met fan’s hope that Marte can continue to post high production as he ages, and his performance in 2023 as he rebounds from injury will be indicative of whether he can keep up a high level of play or not.

In 2015, at 34 years old, Curtis Granderson had one of his best seasons and helped the Mets reach the World Series. We’ll be hoping to see history repeat itself with Marte, who will be 34 in 2023.