With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report on February 10, spring training is fast approaching. Among the major storylines of this year’s camp will be how players like Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia look after rough their rough 2019 campaigns. It will also be interesting to see if any minor league players, like catching prospect Ali Sanchez, will prove themselves worthy for a place on the Mets Opening Day roster.

So, let’s look at some of the team’s biggest battles this spring.

Closer 

It’s Edwin Diaz’s job to lose, but can he be trusted in 2020? Diaz produced a dreadful 5.59 ERA in 58 innings last year, costing the Mets many close games.

Still, the Mets believe Diaz will rebound from last season’s debacle. The analytics suggest that Diaz didn’t pitch as poorly as his ERA indicates. While Diaz’s 3.07 xFIP and 2.63 SIERA, are a drop-off from his dominant 2018 levels, they still show he can be a successful reliever.

The Mets are hoping that these numbers will translate into betters results for Diaz. Back in November, Brodie Van Wagenen told Mike Francesa on WFAN that “our projection systems still believe in Diaz’s talent and we know we’ve got a guy who can rebound and be an All-Star type performer for us…we expect him to get those outs in the ninth inning.”

However, if Diaz pitches poorly this spring, he may not be a lock to close.  Seth Lugo proved that he could thrive in high leverage situations, and that he could be a solid replacement for Diaz. Lugo posted a 2.70 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and 11.7 K/9 for the Mets last season. He also saved six games down the stretch, after the Mets removed Diaz from his closing duties.

The Mets also have newly signed Dellin Betances in the mix. While Betances missed almost all last year due to injuries, he been one of the game’s best relievers when healthy. He owns a career 2.36 ERA, 2.31 FIP, and 14.6 K/9 over his eight-year career. The four-time All-Star has 36 career saves.

Backup Catcher

It’s easy to see why Mets fans wanted to sign a more proven backup catcher. While Tomas Nido is solid defensively, he struggled at the plate last season with a .191/.231/.316 triple slash line and four home runs in 144 trips to the plate. Nido also hit poorly in 2018 with a .438 OPS in 90 plate appearances.

Given Nido’s struggles, Ali Sanchez could challenge him for a roster spot. Sanchez also isn’t known for his hitting – he owns a .259/.317/.331 batting line over six minor league seasons, and he hit just one home run with a .648 OPS between 92 Double-A and Triple-A games last season.But there’s no denying his ability behind the plate.

MetsMerized’s own Christopher Soto highlighted Sanchez’s defensive skills last week, observing that the 23-year-old catcher threw out 44% of base stealers last season, the fourth best mark in the Eastern League.

MetsMerized ranks him as the 20th best prospect in the Mets system, while MLB.com ranks him 17th overall. MLB.com notes that he is “an exceptional defensive catcher by all standards,” and that he has “plus-plus” arm strength.

Final Bullpen Spot

Unless the Mets acquire another reliever, Robert Gsellman is the clear favorite to win the final bullpen spot. While Gesllman had an inconsistent season in 2019 with a 4.66 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP and 8.5 K/9, he’s more proven than any of the other contenders.

Other options vying for a spot include Paul Sewald, Tyler Bashlor, and Daniel Zamora. All three of these pitchers played in the majors last season, but they produced mostly uninspiring results.

Seawald posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 19.2 innings, while Bashlor struggled with a 6.95 ERA in innings. Zamora didn’t fare much better, yielding five runs in 8.2 innings (5.19 ERA).