3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Off To Hot Start in Spring Training

Welcome to the first 3 Up, 3 Down of the 2024 season!

It has been a near-perfect start to spring training for the Mets, who are 4-1 in Grapefruit League play heading into Thursday’s game against the Astros.

Granted, results don’t really matter all that much in spring training, but performances and trends do. There have been plenty of positives for the Mets on that front.

Not everything has been great, however, and to open up the 2024 series of 3 Up, 3 Down, we’re going to dive into some positive and negative trends that have emerged after the opening five games of spring training…

3 Up

Splash Brothers

Klay Thompson is currently adjusting to a new role with the Golden State Warriors, one far removed from his glory days as one of the best shooters in the NBA. It is also a period of adjustment for Klay’s brother, Trayce Thompson, who is trying to adapt to a new team while trying to win a job in the major leagues. So far, it is going pretty damn well. Trayce, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets earlier in the offseason, has been on an absolute heater to begin spring training. He is 4-for-7 with two homers and six RBIs in three games. That’s impressive. What’s more impressive is the fact that Thompson had two hits and a grand slam earlier in the week, while both of his hits against the Cardinals clocked in at over 103 mph.

It is still incredibly likely that Thompson will begin the year in the minors, but should injuries impact the outfield early, then Thompson is putting himself right at the front of the line for a call-up to the big leagues. He may be the less famous of the Thompson brothers, but Trayce has certainly been one of the headline acts in Port St. Lucie up to this point.

Prospects Showing Out

Spring training is always fun because it gives fans a tantalizing glimpse at the stars of tomorrow. Given that the Mets are in the middle of a hard reset as they look to bolster their farm system, this year’s spring training holds a lot more importance when it comes to evaluating prospects. And it has all been pretty positive so far. Drew Gilbert has arguably been the standout prospect so far, including going 1-for-1 with two RBIs against the Marlins on Tuesday. His hitting approach at the plate caught the eye, and it is feasible to think that Gilbert could be called up to the majors later in the year.

Jett Williams flashed his speed in the win over the Cardinals on Wednesday, while Nate Lavender, Alex Ramirez and Luisangel Acuña have all impressed too. Spring training is all about seeing what you have, and the Mets must be pleased with what they’ve seen from some of their rookies so far.

Familiar Act

I’m not inside his head, but I’m pretty sure that Pete Alonso was relieved to get back to the grind of preparing and playing baseball every single day. After an offseason that featured nonstop talk about his future with the Mets, Alonso has been all about ensuring it is business as usual on the field. The slugger, who will become a free agent after this season, went 2-for-2 against the Cardinals with a double and his first home run of the spring. After recording career-lows in a number of batting categories in 2023, including a .318 on-base percentage, Alonso has been working on making adjustments in his approach at the plate, including his chase rate.

It has certainly paid off early in spring training. In attempting to become a more complete hitter, Alonso is setting himself up for a monster year and it remains to be seen whether it will be his last one in Queens.

3 Down

Pitching Curse Continues

At this point, it is probably best to just expect that a key pitcher will go down hurt in spring training for the Mets. It was Jacob deGrom in 2022. It was Edwin Díaz in 2023. And Kodai Senga continued that somewhat unfortunate tradition this year after sustaining a capsule strain in his throwing arm. By the way, file me under the banner of those who had no idea what a capsule strain even was. Anyway, Senga is unable to throw for at least three weeks after receiving an injection, but given that we’re talking about the Mets here, don’t be surprised if that timeframe proves to be optimistic at best.

Regardless of how long Senga is out, it is just a crushing blow for a team that is putting a lot of hope into a rotation full of question marks. There is a lot of boom or bust potential with that group. New ace Senga was the sure thing after a dazzling debut season in Queens, in which he went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 29 starts. Now we hope he’s back sooner rather than later. Not exactly the start to the season the Mets were hoping for.

Pitching Depth

With Senga out for at least the start of the 2024 season, the conversation around the Mets’ need for more starting pitching has ramped right back up again. The Athletic reported that the front office has kicked the tires on Michael Lorenzen, while Joel Sherman of The New York Post linked the team to top-tier free agent Jordan Montgomery. The latter would certainly raise the ceiling considerably for the starting rotation, a group that currently features more hope than sure things.

If the Mets want to compete for a playoff spot this year, then they will need more reliable pitching, and giving a three-year deal to Montgomery would be a smart move. If the team instead stands pat, and Senga’s return is delayed, then it could be a really tough start for a rotation that has a plethora of question marks surrounding it.

Lack Of Excitement 

This is more of a general observation, but a noteworthy one nonetheless. Between Senga’s injury and the constant speculation over Alonso’s future, there seems to be a real lack of excitement for the season ahead. Now, there are sections of the fanbase that have high hopes this roster will overachieve and provide a memorable season. That is certainly possible. But, personally, I think the front office has already punted on 2024, and we’re going to be in for some tough sledding from here on out.

New president of baseball operations David Stearns can preach all he wants that reaching the postseason is the aim, but actions speak louder than words. And, if you go on the actions of the front office in not pursuing more pitching depth or a potent bat to insert into the middle of the lineup, then that probably tells you the real objective for this season. Once the fun of watching prospects and obscure veterans compete for roster spots fades, then we could be in for a long year with more downs than ups.