Every offseason, MLB Network runs their “Top 10 Right Now” series, ranking the best players in baseball at each position. Most teams would be happy to see a couple of their guys receive that recognition, but for the Mets it has become a near nightly occurrence.
For a team that is not far removed from being built solely on starting pitching, New York has built a great crop of position players that were featured prominently in MLB Network’s rankings this year.
Of course Jacob deGrom was listed as the best starting pitcher in baseball right now, but behind him, almost all of the Mets starting lineup was featured in these top 10 rankings as well.
SP Jacob deGrom, No. 1
C James McCann, No. 10
1B Pete Alonso, No. 7
2B Jeff McNeil, No. 2
SS Francisco Lindor, No. 4
LF Dominic Smith, No. 6
CF Brandon Nimmo, No. 5
RF Michael Conforto, No. 7
James McCann and Francisco Lindor are both new additions to the Mets that rank among the best at their positions, showing the great work New York has done this offseason.
Robinson Cano‘s second steroid suspension opened the door for Jeff McNeil to return to his natural position of second base, where fellow New York second baseman DJ LeMahieu is the only player ranked higher than him.
As much as we have talked about George Springer, Jackie Bradley Jr. and a plethora of trade candidates this offseason, the Mets outfield is still brimming with talent. By the virtue of their potent bats, Dominic Smith and Brandon Nimmo find themselves ranked among the best outfielders in baseball.
Looking at the No. 7 ranking for both Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto, it certainly feels like there is room for both of those budding superstars to reach even greater heights with a big 2021 campaign.
It is also no coincidence that the Mets are currently in the market both for more bullpen help and a third baseman, as they don’t have the same upper-echelon talent at those positions, which is evident with these rankings.
Still, if Opening Day were to begin tomorrow, the Mets have to be very confident with the roster they can put together. There are still moves to be made to improve, but it’s not like J.D. Davis would be featured in a top 10 list of the worst third baseman right now either.
The Mets can win a lot of games with the team they currently have, and there is no indication that they are done making additions this offseason. There are still signings to be made, and deals to be swung.
Yet the biggest takeaway that should be noted when it comes to this exercise is the importance of drafting and developing your own players. Six of the eight Mets featured in these rankings are homegrown.
Nimmo (2011), Smith (2013) and Conforto (2014), were all first round picks, while Alonso was taken in second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Ironically enough, deGrom (2010) and McNeil (2013) were ranked highest on these lists, and they were drafted in the ninth and 12th rounds respectively.
Hopefully the Mets can keep this homegrown core of players together for a long time, while building around them with pieces like Lindor and McCann to become perennial contenders.
