Mets 2024 Positional Outlook: Designated Hitter

Moving forward with our series of analyzing the New York Mets’ depth and future prospects at specific positions, let’s dive into the designated hitter spot. This position has been a turnstile for the team over the past couple of years as they look for any semblance of stability. There are a number of players competing for time in the role as the 2024 season rolls around, but the Mets are looking for someone to separate themselves from the pack and earn a majority of the at-bats.

BIG LEAGUE STARTER

MARK VIENTOS

Age: 24 (12/11/1999)

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-Man Roster

MiLB Options: 1

2024 Preview

Mark Vientos had his first lengthy taste of the major leagues last year, and it’s safe to say he was a bit underwhelming. Vientos played in 65 games for the Mets in 2023, 37 of which came at the designated hitter spot, while he slashed .211/.253/.367 with a 69 wRC+ over 233 plate appearances.

Vientos has shown considerable power during his time in the bigs up to this point, however, smacking 10 home runs in his career through 274 plate appearances.

Vientos is currently tied with Francisco Lindor for the most at-bats on the team this spring with 32, meaning the Mets are staying true to their word of giving the youngster every opportunity to prove himself and take a firm hold of the designated hitter role. The team is obviously intrigued to see if the 24-year-old can improve his bat-to-ball skills and lower his strikeout rate, though so far there hasn’t been much proof his numbers are turning around as he is sporting a .206 average with eight strikeouts to his name, tied for the third-most on the team.

Still, Vientos is on pace for a better year in 2024 as Steamer projects him to record a slightly above average wRC+ of 108. We aren’t far off from him being one of the top prospects in the system and he showed why he carries that pedigree after hitting for a 143 wRC+ during 61 games with Triple-A Syracuse last season.

The DH spot is quite flexible this year with a lot of players set to swap in and out of the roll. Vientos will look to cement himself as a primary option while the Mets look to learn what kind of player he will ultimately become in 2024. 

BIG LEAGUE DEPTH

JI MAN CHOI

Age: 32 (5/19/1991)

Contract: Split

Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster

MiLB Options: n/a

2024 Preview

The good news with Ji Man Choi is that we’re just two years removed from the Tampa Bay Rays version of him that fans grew to love. In 2022, the power-hitting lefty recorded a 115 wRC+ with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs while amassing 1.2 fWAR in 113 games.

Choi only played in 39 games last season, however, suffering an Achillies strain with the Pittsburgh Pirates before dealing with a rib strain and Lisfranc fracture as a member of the San Diego Padres. As a result, he endured one of the worst campaigns of his career, hitting .163/.239/.385.

The Mets took a chance on the 32-year-old and his long track record this offseason, signing him to a split contract that would earn him up to $3.5 million. The gamble has paid off so far this spring as he is slashing .263/.440/.526, good for a .966 OPS. 

Choi’s spot on the Opening Day roster is far from secured, but he’s making as good of a case as anyone for an inclusion considering the state of flux the designated hitter spot is in for the Mets. 

UPPER-LEVEL DEPTH

LUKE VOIT

Age: 33 (2/13/1991)

Contract: Minor league

Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster

MiLB Options: n/a

2024 Preview

Entering his second year with the Mets organization, Luke Voit is still fighting to secure a roster spot with the big-league club in Queens. 

Voit’s last appearance in the show came with the Milwaukee Brewers last season where he struggled to the tune of a .221/.284/.265 slash line with a 53 wRC+ over 74 plate appearances. He was later released by the club before latching on with New York on a minor league deal last June as he spent the remainder of 2023 with Triple-A Syracuse. Voit proved to be one of the team’s best hitters, slashing .264/.415/.643 with a 157 wRC+ and 14 home runs in 37 games, though he never got the call to the big leagues despite the Mets’ incessant turmoil with their cast of designated hitters. 

This spring, however, Voit’s talents have not yet shown. In 23 plate appearances, he’s tallied just two hits and two walks to go with a team-high 10 strikeouts while sporting a .279 OPS. 

Nevertheless, Voit has showcased desirable power numbers throughout his major league career with 95 home runs, and if he can tap back into that well, he has the potential to emerge as a dangerous weapon for the middle of the order.

 

COMING SOON

RYAN CLIFFORD

Age: 20 (7/20/2003)

Contract: Minor League

Roster Status: Not on 40-man roster

MiLB Options: 3

2024 Preview

By soon, we mean pretty far off. However, Ryan Clifford is definitely a prospect to be excited about. 

MLB.com currently ranks Clifford as the Mets’ No. 4 prospect and No. 97 overall, and for good reason.

The Mets received Clifford in the Justin Verlander trade with the Houston Astros at last year’s trade deadline. Before that, Clifford was tearing up the lower levels in Houston’s farm system during the 2023 campaign, hitting for a 175 wRC+ in the Carolina League with Single-A Fayetteville before slashing .271/.356/.547 to go with 16 home runs across 58 games with High-A Asheville. 

He did struggle after landing with the Mets as he hit .188/.307/376 in 32 games with High-A Brooklyn, but his raw power numbers are something to be excited about. Clifford specializes at the first base and corner outfield positions, but he’s a potential fit in the designated hitter role as well. 

Keep an eye on the lefty slugger as he progresses this year as he could be a real threat down the line.