The second base and catcher injuries may handcuff what should be a strength of the team.
With the re-signing of Pete Alonso earlier this year, the Mets had more or less set in stone their infield alignment going into 2025: Alonso at first base, Jeff McNeil at second base, Francisco Lindor at shortstop, and Mark Vientos at third. With Francisco Alvarez ensconced behind the plate and Luis Torrens as his perfectly cromulent backup, the only real question on the roster construction side was who would be the Mets’ backup infielder or two on the 26-Man Roster.
However, as the best laid plans of mice and men typically do, things went awry. With injuries to Alvarez and McNeil, the Mets are needing to adjust their plans for the first few weeks of the season and beyond.
With McNeil likely to miss at least a week or two with an oblique strain, the second base assignment is more of a short-term problem. With Brett Baty both taking lots of reps at second and also having himself a nice spring, Baty seems likely to be the Opening Day second baseman. However, with Luisangel Acuña also on the roster, the Mets may want to have a second baseman who could adequately fill in at shortstop if need be as well. There is talk of carrying both on the Opening Day roster, but it seems silly to deny both players the ability to play every day and show what they are worth in favor of having both on the MLB roster.
If McNeil’s injury doesn’t heal properly and Jett Williams gets off to a torrid start in the minors, there is also the chance that both Acuña and Baty get sidelined for Williams. That said, the team seems to value Williams highest in terms of prospect potential, and so they’ll likely prioritize his development and everyday playing status more so than they will for either of the aforementioned second base options.
The catching situation is more serious because Alvarez’s broken hamate bone will reuqire missing significantly more time than McNeil, and also because the Mets don’t have as many viable options behind the dish. Torrens was a valuable and dependable catcher for the Mets in 2024, and in the first half was holding his own nicely at the plate as well. However, a steep offensive decline came in the second half, where his July 21 OPS of .844 cratered to .665 on the final day of the season.
With Jakson Reetz told he was not making the team, Hayden Senger seems primed to make the team as the backup catcher. Senger, drafted by the Mets in the 24th round of the 2018 draft, hit .234/.302/.664 across three levels in the minors last season.
With both the second base and catcher situations, there is every chance that in the four days between this publication and Opening Day, David Stearns brings someone in to take some of the playing time, with catcher seemingly like the more likely area of improvement.
The rest of the infield is set in stone. Francisco Lindor was the second best player in the National League in 2024 and has finally convinced Mets fans that, yes, he is a franchise-defining player after a few years of stubborn nonsense from certain corners of the fanbase. Pete Alonso is back to likely take his place as the Mets’ all-time home run leader before testing free agency again. Mark Vientos looks to continue his breakout campaign from last season.
If those three live up to their historical averages/their 2025 projections, the Mets’ infield will be a force to be reckoned with. Of all three, Lindor is the safest bet. Aside from 2021 when he got off to a slow start as a Met, he’s put up a wRC+ of at least 121 for his last three seasons, with 2024’s 137 a career high. He’s as impressive defensively as he is offensively, and should be the next Mets’ captain. You can set your watch to Lindor being awesome.
Alonso and Vientos are both somewhat question marks, but not to the point of being worrisome. Alonso’s power has never really been in question, though he’s never matched his rookie season’s 53 home runs. While Alonso has been a productive player in every big league season he’s had, his two worst full seasons came back to back in 2023 and 2024, and his skillset is one that doesn’t always age particularly well. He can still scoop quite well at first base, but his range is not very good, and he’s declined in the field as his bat has cooled off as well.
Don’t get me wrong, I still want Alonso’s bat in the lineup, especially at the reasonable price they re-signed him with. If Alonso can walk more and tighten up his defense, he would be an incredibly useful player in 2025. Even if he replicates his 2024 season, he’s still an important piece of the Mets’ lineup.
Vientos had a remarkable year in 2024, but had never really put it together before then and so, because there are hundreds of one-season wonders out there, doubt creeps in as to whether or not Vientos can replicate his success. Not only that, but with Alonso a questionable first baseman defensively, there was talk of moving Vientos, who will never be Brooks Robinson or even David Wright at third base, over to first this offseason.
While that might have been better for Vientos overall, giving him a shot to stick at third base is probably good for his confidence. Vientos has a solid arm, his best trait at third, and the one skill that’s harder to improve upon. The Mets have been working with him on his routes and, hopefully, will lead to a sturdier year at the hot corner.
With the big question mark behind the plate taken into consideration, the Mets still have a solid infield that has the potential to be one of the best in the National League if Vientos and Alonso produce as they’re expected to. There is also an interesting possibility of Baty or Acuña taking a big step forward and relegating McNeil to super-sub status, or taking some DH at-bats away from Jesse Winker.
If the Mets’ infield lives up to its potential, given the offensive improvements made in the outfield, it probably means the Mets are a top three or four offensive club in the National League, which bodes well for their playoff hopes in 2025.