Opening Day is a little over two weeks away and the Mets’ roster competitions are in full swing during spring training down in Port St. Lucie, FL.
Injuries to Kodai Senga and Max Kranick have created more openings at the bottom of the rotation while bullpen and utility roles are still up for grabs.
Entering the fourth week of spring training, here are a few players who have been trending up and some who have been going in the wrong direction.
Who’s hot?
Jose Iglesias, SS: Iglesias has shown from the start of his Mets tenure this spring that it is MLB-worthy. The 34-year-old veteran is capable of providing flashy defense up the middle, particularly at shortstop behind Francisco Lindor. His bast has been working just fine, as well. In eight games, he’s batting .316 with a double, triple, and two RBI.
Tyrone Taylor, OF: Utility outfield positions are ripe for the taking, especially in the corners behind Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte. Like Iglesias, Taylor is batting .316 this spring with a .381 on-base percentage, a stolen base, one RBI, and two runs scored.
Francisco Alvarez, C: Consistency was difficult to find for the Mets’ young catcher of the future in his first full season last year. He’s been hot to start the spring, hitting three home runs with five RBI in his first 16 at-bats. His arm has been on full display, two, most notably when he threw out two would-be St. Louis Cardinal base-stealers on Saturday.
Tylor Megill, SP: Working in his new American Spork gradually, Megill has once again offered the early promise of bringing something invaluable to the Mets’ rotation. Now, can he stick with it? The 28-year-old righty has a 1.13 ERA in eight innings pitched with 13 strikeouts compared to just two walks. His display has made him a no-brainer for the bottom of the rotation come Opening Day.
Adrian Houser, SP: Following a rocky start to his Mets tenure, Houser showed up on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers by pitching 3.1 scoreless, hitless innings while striking out five. He managed to do all that on just 37 pitches — 27 of which were strikes. It goes against his game a bit considering he does not strike out batters at such a high clip, but that was an important outing for him.
Jose Butto, SP: He finished strong down the stretch last season to stake his initial claim for a spot on the big-league roster in 2024. Now, Butto is only strengthening his case. In six innings across three appearances, he’s allowed one run (1.50 ERA) on seven hits with six strikeouts and zero walks.
Ji Man Choi, 1B: Choi’s hot start to life with the Mets sets him up well for a role in Queens or a more prominent job elsewhere. Regardless, he should be in the DH conversation right now. He’s 5-for-14 (.357) with one home run, two RBI and four walks.
Who’s not?
Luke Voit, 1B: Uncertainty at the designated hitter spot offered a prime chance for Voit to snag a spot on the big club this year, but the spring has not been kind to him. In 19 at-bats, he’s batting .053 with seven strikeouts.
DJ Stewart, OF: The Mets’ most pleasant surprise during an otherwise gloomy second half last season has started slow down in Port St. Lucie, which won’t help his chances of securing regular time as a corner-outfield depth piece or DH option. Stewart is 3-for-20 (.150) with five strikeouts.
Mark Vientos, DH/3B: David Stearns’ decision not to go out and spend on a designated hitter has gifted Vientos with a prime opportunity to run away with the job in 2024. He has not done much to suggest that will happen, though, as he’s batting .214 with two solo home runs and eight strikeouts across 28 at-bats.
Shintaro Fujinami, RP: He needed just 10 pitches to get through a clean inning in his Mets debut last week, but the cracks started to show on Sunday. In front of a bad defense, Fujinami allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with one strikeout and one walk in two-thirds of an inning. He is tabbed as a high-upside pitcher, but he posted a 7.18 ERA last season a slow start in Queens will not do him any favors.
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