Grading the Mets at every position

The Mets may be one of the most unpredictable teams in baseball right now – with plenty of upside but a considerable number of "what ifs?" that can make or tank their season. Will the rotation hold up? Can they replace Edwin Diaz? And what about all those defenders playing out of position?

Here’s how they stack up now, but make no mistake – plenty is subject to change.

CORNER INFIELDERS

It’s not their bats that are troubling – Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco are established big-league hitters who know what they're doing, and Bichette is a machine with runners in scoring position. It’s the defense. For a team so focused on “run prevention,” having two pivotal positions manned by shortstops is a gamble at best. It’s still very early, but they don’t quite look exactly as polished as you’d hope. The Mets have an insurance policy in Mark Vientos at first, but he hasn’t hit all spring. Brett Baty has had an excellent spring, but they might also need him in right. In short, you’ve got two guys at the top of the depth chart that can drive in plenty of runs, but will they be able to stop them? Polanco may be especially key, because when infielders don’t have trust in their first baseman, things get very messy, very quickly.

GRADE: B-

MIDDLE INFIELDERS

Sure, Marcus Semien doesn’t have the offensive numbers that he used to, but he’s a lockdown, Gold Glove second baseman who should jibe swimmingly with Francisco Lindor. The two of them combined for 12 outs above average last year, and were both in the 90th percentile and higher for range. Both are proven clubhouse leaders and very much the adults in the room. Additionally, Lindor is coming off a season where he slashed .267/.346/.475. That said, he’s been prone to slow starts and we’ll have to see how he comes back from hamate surgery – something that traditionally saps players’ power early in their recovery.

GRADE: A-

CATCHER

Francisco Alvarez has looked great this spring, but he still has a lot to prove. He came to Port St. Lucie slimmed down by about 10 pounds and has learned from the lessons of yesteryear. “I think it’s going to be unbelievable,” said catching coach J.P. Arencibia. “I think he’s going to have an unbelievable year — like, I think one of the best catchers in the league is what he could be.” After scrapping the old batting stance that seemed to adversely affect him in the first half of last season, Alvarez appears tuned in at the plate and behind it. He slashed .276/.360/.561 in 41 games after returning from a mid-season demotion, and that’s a good sign, too. Oh, and his backup, Luis Torrens, is simply one of the best defensive catchers in baseball.

GRADE: B+

OUTFIELD

Any outfield with Juan Soto in it is going to get high marks: Soto is gunning for an MVP, is more comfortable in his new home, doesn’t have the pressure of just having signed a $765 million contract, and is coming off a season where he hit 43 home runs with 38 stolen bases. The stolen bases were a point of focus last year, and this season, he’s looking to improve on the only other significant hole in his game – his defense. Luis Robert Jr. could be a force if he’s healthy, but that’s a big if, considering he’s coming off two injury-ravished years. The Mets, though, have a plan to spell him when they can and his backup, Tyrone Taylor, is a black hole in center. Right field should be interesting: Carson Benge has impressed so far in camp and got the call for Opening Day. 

GRADE: A

DH/BENCH

Polanco and Baty make for excellent depth pieces if they’re not in the field, but it gets a little dicey after that, especially considering how much Vientos has struggled. After that, you’re looking at guys like Taylor and maybe Jared Young, who certainly have a place on the team but aren't exactly intimidating opposing pitchers. All of this turns if Vientos puts it together. He struggled last year and has had a difficult spring, amassing only one hit going into the final week of camp.

GRADE: C

ROTATION

Pretty surprising, isn’t it? You can’t put too much stock in spring training results, but you have to be impressed with Kodai Senga’s huge velocity jump – he’s hitting the high 90s now – and general demeanor. “You see a Kodai Senga in the clubhouse smiling,” Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s just a healthy player that’s able to do a lot of different things. It affects the personality. It’s definitely a different version of his personality this year.” If the Mets can get 2023 Senga, Freddy Peralta, and a Nolan McLean similar to the one they saw last year, this rotation can be a force. David Peterson is working on ways to stave off the fatigue that plagued him in the second half and Clay Holmes, coming off an excellent performance in the World Baseball Classic, will have the benefit of already having a full season as a starter. The downtick in Sean Manaea’s velocity is troubling, though if he can still find a way to get hitters out using his tweaked pitch mix and deceptive delivery, he could function in a piggyback role.

GRADE: A-

BULLPEN

This one’s going to be interesting. If the Mets can get the prime version of Devin Williams, they can be dangerous. Luke Weaver had a mercurial season last year, so they need the best version of him, too. But even without Diaz, the back end could be formidable. Brooks Raley’s contributions coming off Tommy John surgery were downright heroic last year, and lest anyone forget, A.J. Minter was a beat before his season-ending lat injury. The addition of a true longman in Tobias Myers could be big in helping spell the rotation, too.

GRADE: B

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.