The regular season is fast approaching, and while players such as Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Nimmo have their names written in pen on manager Carlos Mendoza‘s lineup card, the same can’t be said for many others. Several players have made a strong impression in the race to claim the last few available Opening Day roster spots, and if they can continue to stand out in the last three weeks of Grapefruit League action, they may have the inside track on claiming one of those coveted spots.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Trayce Thompson has been a journeyman during the seven years he’s played in the majors, but in just six spring training games with the Mets, he’s making a case to lock in a more stable spot. The 32-year-old has been the Mets’ best hitter this spring, belting two homers and driving in six runs on his way to a 1.783 OBP. He got his Mets career going in much the same way he opened last year for the Dodgers, by blasting a grand slam, this one off Robert Garcia of the Nationals. His second homer was a 416-feet blast to straightaway center off of the Cardinals’ Kyle Leahy two days later.
Thompson has shown in the past that he can be a productive power hitter. He followed up that early-season grand slam last year with two more home runs that same night, and he’s hit 13 homers in two separate seasons, which isn’t a bad rate for someone who’s never exceeded 262 plate appearances. The offseason addition of Harrison Bader, plus the presence of Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, D.J. Stewart, and Tyrone Taylor, means that the Citi Field outfield is full (when healthy), but if Thompson continues to hit like this, he may leave the Mets no choice but to give him a spot.
Tylor Megill has stepped up in a big way in the wake of the news that Kodai Senga would be missing some time. Big Drip has been dominant in three spring appearances, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks in eight innings. Perhaps even more impressively, he’s struck out 13 batters in that time, giving Mets fans hope that he can not only help the team stay afloat in Senga’s absence but become more than just a fringe back-end starter.
Megill has benefited from Senga’s presence, adopting the Japanese righty’s legendary “ghost fork” pitch and rebranding it “the American spork.” The results have been no laughing matter, as he struck out three Yankees swinging with it on Tuesday. Between Senga’s injury, plus the fact that Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are no longer in town, the Mets are going to need positive contributions from Megill if they hope to make a playoff push. We don’t want to read too much into just eight spring training innings, but so far, so good.
Edwin Díaz is set to make his much-anticipated return to the closer role, but the rest of the Mets’ bullpen might actually be sneaky good. The Mets signed former Rays lefty Jake Diekman and took chances on Shintaro Fujinami and Jorge López this offseason, while also bringing back Adam Ottavino to pair with incumbents Brooks Raley and Drew Smith. The season is long, though, and teams can never have enough bullpen depth. One reliever who looks ready to step up is Sean Reid-Foley. The former Blue Jay is entering his fourth season with the Mets, and though much of his time in Flushing has been marred by injury, he looks poised to enter this season healthy and ready to contribute.
Reid-Foley has pitched three hitless innings this spring, striking out six while walking only one. Like Megill, he looked electric against the Yankees, striking out the side swinging in his one inning of work. It remains to be seen if the gambles on López and Fujinami, who had his Mets debut pushed back due to yesterday’s rainout, will pay off, but if Reid-Foley can keep doing his thing, Mets fans will be seeing lots more of him in 2024 no matter what.
