Following the most exciting offseason in Mets history, expectations are sky high. With a deep lineup and two of the best pitchers of our generation on the mound, this feels like it has to be the Mets window for a World Series.
While it is easy to get excited about the Justin Verlander’s and the Kodai Senga’s of this offseason, a World Series win doesn’t come easy. That’s why the Mets desperately are going to need the services of the smaller name acquisitions to make a deep playoff run. Which ones are the most essential to finally bringing a trophy back to Queens?
Omar Narvaez, Catcher
The James McCann era is finally over. After a swing and miss by the front office that resulted in many more swings and misses at the plate, the Mets finally moved on from McCann this offseason. In his place, they signed Narvaez on a one year deal with $8 million with a $7 million player option for 2024. His numbers from last year were nothing short of abhorrent; with a .597 OPS and only 17 extra base hits, Narvaez was easily one of the worst hitting catchers in 2022. However, he is only one season removed from an All-Star berth in 2021 and has overall been a very serviceable hitter throughout his career, on top of being in the 89th percentile in framing via Baseball Savant. Tomas Nido cannot be the everyday catcher and Francisco Alvarez isn’t quite ready defensively yet, so Narvaez figures to be the Opening Day catcher for the Mets. If he manages to regain some of his 2021 form, the Mets will have some pop at the bottom of their lineup that has been lacking these past few years.
Jose Quintana, Starting Pitcher
Quintana’s story is almost opposite of Narvaez; after an up and down start to his career, he had a fantastic finish to his 2022 after being traded to the Cardinals. With St. Louis, Quintana put up a 2.01 ERA with only eight home runs allowed all season. What the Mets truly need from Quintana this season, above all else, is durability. He made 32 starts last season, and figures to slot into the #4 role on the Mets staff this year. With Verlander and Max Scherzer approaching 40 and Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker out of town, Quintana is going to be needed to be that “inning eater” for the regular season to get through those tough summer months.
David Robertson, Relief Pitcher
A pitcher as good as Robertson flying under the radar really tells the story of how successful this offseason was. A popular 2022 trade target amongst Mets fans, Robertson figures to slide into that 8th inning role between Adam Ottavino and Edwin Diaz, or even taking over save opportunities when Diaz needs a rest. Robertson carried a 2.40 ERA in 2022 with 20 saves, making a positive impact during the Phillies run to the World Series last season. Where Robertson struggles is with his command; he is in the 1st percentile of BB%, which can be a death sentence for a relief pitcher. However, he makes up for it with his 90th percentile K%. Having him lock up the 8th inning will be essential in the gritty nature of playoff baseball.
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