Another Mets season is upon us, which means it’s time to dust off the old scorebook, brace ourselves for bullpen meltdowns, and pray that you are not the number 15,001 fan on Juan Soto bobblehead day. But hope springs eternal in Queens (or at least until mid-May), so we’ve gathered our staff to tackle the five biggest questions heading into 2025.
1. Which Met is the most crucial to the team’s success in 2025?
Mark Rosenman:
Trying to pick the one Met who is most crucial to the team's success in 2025 is like trying to pick the most important ingredient in a pizza. Sure, the sauce is vital, but if you forget the cheese, congratulations—you've just made tomato bread.
Obviously, Juan Soto is the centerpiece of this team. He’s a hitting savant, a human on-base machine, and if the Mets ever get stranded on a deserted island, he’s the guy I want figuring out how to turn coconuts into runs. Francisco Lindor? Same deal—he’s as steady as they come. You know what you're getting with him: gold glove defense, leadership, and a smile that could probably power Citi Field if the lights ever go out.
But the guy who is most crucial? Mark Vientos.
Last year, he finally delivered on all that power potential, and now the Mets need him to do it again. He has to be the guy who protects Soto and Alonso in the lineup, the difference between a terrifying middle of the order and one that pitchers can navigate with a little well-placed nibbling. If Vientos turns into that guy, the Mets’ offense becomes lethal. If he doesn’t? Well, let's just say we’ve seen enough "bases loaded, one out, inning-ending double plays" to last a lifetime.
You could make a strong case for one of the pitchers—Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Sean Manaea—because without solid starting pitching, this whole operation collapses faster than a Mets division lead in late August. But with arms like Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell waiting in the wings, the Mets at least have reinforcements.
Vientos, though? No safety net. He’s got to mash, or this offense might be missing that extra gear. No pressure, kid—just the weight of an entire franchise on your shoulders.
Howie Karpin:
Juan Soto will be a crucial factor in the Mets chances of having a successful season but it would be a shock if the $765 million dollar man doesn’t produce his usual great season at the plate.
With that in mind, Pete Alonso could be deemed the most crucial.
Even though he signed a two year deal, Alonso is essentially playing for his next contract. Alonso is earning $30 million dollars this season with a $24 million dollar option for 2026. If he elects to exercise that option, that would likely have meant that the Mets first-baseman had another down season.
Rebounding with a more Alonso-like season would not only enhance the Mets chances of winning, it would increase his value on the free agent market. An Alonso-like season would put pressure on the Mets to re-sign him but we all know David Stearns does not favor signing a player who’s over 30 to a multi year deal. Alonso will turn 31 after this season and would not have the qualifying offer hanging over his head as it did in limiting his market this past off season.
With Alonso batting behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, he will be counted on to cash in on the likely RBI opportunities that will be presented to him. If Alonso is producing in the three hole, Lindor could still be a stolen base factor because opposing pitchers would not “intentionally” walk Soto to pitch to the Mets first-baseman. Soto will get his walks as that has been his track record but that shouldn’t nullify Lindor’s ability to be a stolen base threat and Alonso will go a long way towards keeping that threat.
Mike Phillips:
This is an obvious one but the guy most crucial to the Mets’ 2025 success is Soto. The Mets won 89 games and reached the NLCS without Soto, who got the largest contract in American professional sports to bring the team to the next level. While Soto can’t pitch, he is an MVP caliber hitter that has a chance to be the team’s top position player ever by the time his contract is over. If Soto delivers numbers close to what he did for the Yankees last year, the Mets will go a long way.
Joe LoVerde:
If this season is going to be successful — and successful means going to the playoffs — the Mets will need a big and complete season from Brandon Nimmo.
They are counting on Nimmo to play just about every day in left field. He will bat in the middle of the lineup, so he will be counted on to drive in runs. Neither will happen if he doesn’t stay healthy, which I see as a big question mark. But even if he can keep that plantar fasciitis under control and avoid other injuries, what type of offensive player will he be?
Will he be the high-on-base guy who draws a lot of walks and sprays the ball around, which is the Nimmo I like? Will he sacrifice average for power in an effort to be a big RBI guy? Or will he struggle, the way he did the second half of last season?
Fortunately, this team is deep enough in the outfield to spell Nimmo if he can’t stay healthy, between Marte, Winker and even Jeff McNeil. But a healthy, consistent Nimmo will make a huge difference in the middle of that lineup, which is going to need a decent amount of runs to win consistently since I’m not convinced the pitching is strong enough to regularly win low-scoring games.
John Coppinger:
There was recently a poll asking which team had the better lineup: 2006 or 2025. These polls are a little ridiculous because they usually include one team whose season is in the history books and one team who hasn’t taken an at-bat yet. But the clear answer to that, right now, is the 2006 team because that lineup was the deepest the Mets have ever had.
The 2025 team is more top heavy than deep, but that could change with a bounce back season from Francisco Alvarez, thus making him the critical piece of this lineup. If one of the top five falters, the other four can pick him up. But for the 2025 lineup to truly succeed as a lineup that the rest of the league truly feared, they’ll have to be as deep as that 2006 team was. Alvarez coming back from his injury and producing more towards the way he did in 2023 will be the difference between not only 2006 and 2025, but a division title and a dogfight for the last wild card spot.
Also lest we forget: While the Mets finished last season 16 games over .500, with Alvarez in the lineup the Mets were 65-35, speaking to his presence behind the plate more than his bat. So they’ll need him to produce, but being healthy enough to catch in itself is a big plus.
Matthew Silverman:
Edwin Diaz is the one I think will help most to get the Mets to the next level in October. Now that the Mets reached the postseason in 2024, fans will expect them to surpass that step this year (and every year thereafter). If the Mets are to knock off the Dodgers in October they will have to have Diaz performing at an all-time level. He wasn’t perfect last fall, but he was good enough and showed plenty of guts and guile. He was frightening in that eighth inning of game 161 in Atlanta, but he got through the ninth without a run while we were all hiding behind the couch at home. Nor was he stellar against the Phillies (as a 16.20 ERA will tell you), but he did get the last out to clinch the series. In six innings against the Brewers and Dodgers he didn’t allow a run while earning a win and a save. Relief pitching is about getting the job done through 10-pitch outings and days when you don’t have it. Gaudy save totals and style points don’t matter if your team doesn’t win. He took the unnecessarily harsh 10-game suspension like a man and posted a 1.13 ERA in July. August was off for him, but when the Mets needed Diaz most he notched a sub-2.00 ERA in the final month and did not allow a home run. Sound the trumpets!
The setup guys, whoever they wind up being after the trade deadline, must be outstanding if the Mets are going to go far. Starters have become secondary in the Fall Tournament that MLB has given us. Starters keep you in the game. The pen wins it. You’re not knocking off the Dodgers and–God help us–an unnamed American League team without a great bullpen that tosses up zero after zero night after night.
A.J. Carter:
We know this team will hit – or at least, we believe it will – but what will determine how far they go is how much they get from their starting pitching. They need an ace, and a sub-ace: pitchers who can be counted on in big-game situations. So to me, the player (or players) most crucial to the Mets’ success is either Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea.
On paper, Senga is the ace, based on what he showed two years ago, before he got hurt. He needs to return to that form and accept the pressure of being THE GUY who gets the ball when a win is desperately needed. That means 1) taking the mound every time it’s his turn; 2) giving the team some length almost every start and 3) embracing his role so he makes those around him better, too..
As for Manaea, he has to show that last year’s Chris Sale video-fueled epiphany was no fluke. Get healthy, get back in the rotation and pitch like it is still 2024.
Shai Kushner:
It’s not surprising to see multiple answers to this question. As we saw last year, even though the Mets had an obvious team MVP in Lindor, it still required contributions from everyone just to get to the postseason. So identifying someone as most crucial should not suggest that the others aren’t crucial.
Still, like Joe LoVerde wrote, I’m going to have to go with Brandon Nimmo here. Within reason, the Mets know what they’re going to get from Soto, Lindor, and even Alonso. It looks like Nimmo will be the Mets cleanup hitter, at least some of the time. He’s only batted fourth in the starting lineup in 14 of 559 career starts. It’s no longer just about getting on base for him, it’s a potentially significantly different role, and a key one at that.
When discussing the Mets lineup, Nimmo is often a forgotten piece. Historically, he has shown the ability and the work ethic to adapt to the needs of the game around him. If he can stay healthy, and settle into this role, the Mets deep lineup will be formidable.
2. What player will be the biggest surprise of the season?
Mark Rosenman:
Another brutally tough question. And when faced with a tough question, you really have two choices—you can ask Alexa, or you can ask Siri. Since I love my iPhone (and since Alexa once played "Achy Breaky Heart" when I asked for sports trivia), I’m rolling with Siri.
Now, I realize picking a guy who hit .187 last year and then followed that up with a scorching .214 in spring training might seem insane. But hey, if I wanted to play it safe, I’d be talking about the latest season of American Idol. My pick for the biggest surprise of the season? Jose Siri.
Yes, he strikes out a lot. Yes, his chase rate is so high that sometimes it looks like he's just playing fetch with the pitcher. But the guy is an elite defender, he’s got ridiculous power, and I think this is the year he makes The Leap. Am I expecting him to suddenly turn into a batting title contender? No. But I do think he cuts down on the whiffs, gets that average into the .238-.244 range, and—here’s the big one—launches 18-22 home runs from the nine-hole. If I’m predicting a guy to hit 30 points higher than his career average, he has to be my pick for biggest surprise.
But my 1A pick? Clay Holmes.
I think he’s going to be an All-Star. I think he’s going to be a stud starter. And I think the biggest surprise with Holmes won’t just be how dominant he is—it’ll be how deep he goes into games. The expectation was that he’d be a five-inning guy, a “get through the lineup twice and call it a day” starter. Instead, I think he turns into a guy who gives you six to seven strong innings and leaves Mets fans wondering, “Wait, did we actually get this right?”
So there you have it—Siri shocks the world at the plate, Holmes becomes a workhorse, and Alexa still refuses to acknowledge that the Mets exist.
Howie Karpin:
David Peterson is ready to take a big step forward as potentially the #2 or even the ace of the staff.
The 29-year old lefthander was a big reason that the Mets were able to advance in the playoffs last season and that experience will serve him well going into 2025. Peterson made Pete Alonso’s memorable game three home run against Milwaukee stand up by getting the save. He also came up big against the Phillies in game 4 of the NLDS by nullifying a rally that kept the deficit at 1-0 to set up Francisco Lindor’s grand slam.
Sean Manaea and newly signed Frankie Montas will not start the season on time and Kodai Senga is coming off an injury plagued season. The Mets cannot afford to get off to a slow start and expect to rebound with the same kind of surge they made in 2024.
Manaea was successful last season thanks to changing his arm angle but could that have been a factor in him suffering an oblique injury in spring training? His health could become an issue.
Despite his outstanding spring, Holmes is still a question mark as he is trying to make the conversion back to being a starting pitcher. Command will be Holmes’ biggest hurdle (153 walks in 337.1 IP), although the Mets claim he has the stuff to get out of trouble as long as he has a solid defense behind him.
At best, Montas is a #3 starter who benefitted from pitching six seasons at the Oakland Coliseum with all that foul territory.
Griffin Canning has looked good in the spring and may benefit from a change in scenery but he led the American League by giving up 99 earned runs last season.
Tylor Megill has been an enigma so far in his career and Paul Blackburn does not really impress anyone.
Peterson has shown progress and I think he takes another step forward in 2025.
Joe LoVerde:
I expect Griffin Canning to surpass expectations. He’s always had the ability, and the early reviews of working with Jeremy Hefner and the vaunted “pitching lab” are pretty good.
He has looked far more impressive than the guy with the 4-plus ERA he was for the Angels, finishing the Grapefruit League season with a 1.88 ERA. He will prove to be much more than the back-of-the-rotation guy he’s been penciled in as. I look for Canning to be this year’s Luis Severino.
Mike Phillips:
The big surprise for the Mets is that they were right about the idea of turning Clay Holmes into a starting pitcher. While former Met Seth Lugo set a strong precedent for this idea in San Diego and Kansas City, he had at least had starting experience before shifting to the bullpen, while Holmes hadn’t started a game since his time in the minor leagues.
The team’s pitching lab has given some good ideas to Holmes, who earned his Opening Day start with a dominant spring training. While the inning total won’t be the highest, Holmes ends up receiving down-ballot Cy Young votes.
I expect Griffin Canning to surpass expectations. He’s always had the ability, and the early reviews of working with Jeremy Hefner and the vaunted “pitching lab” are pretty good.
He has looked far more impressive than the guy with the 4-plus ERA he was for the Angels, finishing the Grapefruit League season with a 1.88 ERA. He will prove to be much more than the back-of-the-rotation guy he’s been penciled in as. I look for Canning to be this year’s Luis Severino.
John Coppinger:
Since everyone is on the Clay Holmes bandwagon (including myself), I’ll go with a different surprise, only because it seems that the baseball world, along with half of the Mets fan base, has totally forgotten that Kodai Senga is on the team. Last season’s injury woes and subsequent use as an opener in the 2024 playoffs to unsavory results seem to have completely wiped out his stellar 2023. He’s coming into the season as the fifth starter, and it looks like he’s going to have a lot to prove. If/when the Mets go to a six man rotation this season, it will keep Senga fresh through the grind of 162, and I think everyone will see terrific results as he reminds everyone who he is and why he’s here.
Matthew Silverman:
I hope Bret Baty has that kind of breakout season that Mark Vientos had last year. Since he homered in his first major league at bat in 2022, Mets fans have been waiting and hoping for him to put it all together. Injuries have hurt him and he looked good coming into 2024 and then… yikes. He’s gotten another chance, and probably his last as a Met. Can he play second base? Can he hit enough to justify 400 at bats in a platoon? Will he push Jeff McNeil to another team or get pushed out himself (again)? He has a sweet swing and seems like the kind of genuine player fans want to root for. Hopefully this time he sticks. If not, there are other faces in the minors the Mets can try or trade to find the magic to get the Mets to the next level.
A.J. Carter:
I’m in on Brett Baty, too. I know that raking the ball in spring training is not a predictor of regular-season performance, but I think the big difference between this year and last is maturity. Losing his roster spot to Mark Vientos last year seems to have been a come-toJesus gut punch. He appears to have figured out what he needs to do to stick, starting with learning a new position to be more versatile. And I like players who seize on the opportunity someone else’s injury provides to prove their worth.
I also remain skeptical that Jeff McNeil will ever return to his pre-shift ban form (and value), and if Baty gets off to a hot start, I think we will start hearing the McNeil-on-the-trading-block rumors. If Baty can play an acceptable second base, and if he hits, I think we may finally see what the scouts did when they recommended making him the team’s first draft choice in 2019.
If not, there’s always Luisangel Acuna waiting in the wings…….
Shai Kushner:
I think the biggest surprise is that Pete Alonso will return to form. I realize that expecting someone to do exactly what he’s done before shouldn’t be considered a surprise. Still, with signs pointing to Alonso’s career taking a downturn, so much so that the Mets seemed hesitant to invest in him long term, it would be understandable if expectations were tempered. Additionally, last season, a contract year in which he had the opportunity to make a statement and then cash in on it, Alonso fell somewhat short of his goals. Now, I’d be lying if I said I know what motivated a player, or more importantly, how a player turns motivation into success. So while I want to believe that Alonso comes in with a renewed focus, that would just be me projecting that on him. What I do know is that this will probably be the best lineup Alonso’s been a part of during his Mets tenure, and he’ll be in a great spot to take advantage of it. And I expect that he will.
3. What is the Mets’ biggest strength—and biggest weakness—heading into the season?
Mark Rosenman:
Yet another tough question. Who made this question up? Oh, wait, I did. Well, that’s what I get for not thinking ahead.
Let’s start with the Mets' biggest strength, and frankly, it’s a no-brainer. When healthy, I think they might have the best 1-9 lineup they’ve had in a long, long, long time. We’re talking about an offense that can beat you in a dozen different ways—whether it’s pounding the ball out of the park, stringing together some sneaky singles, or forcing pitchers into fits of existential despair. They’ll score a ton of runs. And the bench? Stronger than a double shot of espresso. So for me, without a doubt, the Mets' biggest strength heading into the season is their offense.
A close second? The depth of their relief pitching. It’s not just what they have at the major league level; it's also what’s lurking in the minors. You’ve got Sproat and Tidwell—two stud starting pitching prospects—and a bullpen that could rival a Swiss Army knife for versatility.
Now, onto their biggest weakness. A lot of people would say starting pitching or bullpen, and to that, I say pfft. They’ve got that covered, especially with Jeremy Hefner leading the charge like some kind of pitching whisperer. The real problem? Stealing bases.
I know, I know, it's 2025, and we're all supposed to be obsessed with launch angles and exit velocities, but stealing bases is still a thing—especially when you’re trying to manufacture runs. With Marte and Nimmo nursing some bad wheels, that leaves you with Soto, Lindor, and maybe Siri as your base-stealing threats. I’d love to see them run more, but right now, it feels like they’re more likely to steal your lunch than a base. And in a tight game, when you're one stolen base away from setting up the go-ahead run, that’s going to cost them.
Additionally, they don’t have a lot of baserunners who can go first to third on a single. So, to sum it up: The Mets will score in bunches, and they’ll shut down opposing offenses, but don’t ask them to steal you a game with their speed.
Howie Karpin:
The Mets biggest strength is their offense which could cover up a number of flaws with their ability to score runs. To me, their biggest weakness is their bullpen, especially if Edwin Diaz is not right.
Relievers can be up and down. One year good, one year bad.
Can a bullpen of Reed Garrett, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek be counted on to be a reliable one. With all the free agent bullpen arms that were out there, Stearns big acquisition was A.J. Minter.
This cast of characters has a lot to prove.
Mike Phillips:
The strength of the Mets is their lineup, especially when Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil are back off the IL. Few lineups in the league are as deep as the Mets’, which makes them a very difficult out for opposing pitchers to deal with.
The big concern remains the starting rotation, which is beginning the season testing its depth with Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning starting two of the first three games of the season. With uncertain innings projections from Holmes and Senga, plus the existing injuries to Montas and Manaea, this unit could be the reason the Mets don’t win the division.
Joe LoVerde:
That the Mets have professional hitters up and down the the lineup will be their biggest strength. Look for Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto to repeat their solid years of 2024, Pete Alonso to bounce back with huge power numbers, and Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos to hit around .270 with long-ball proclivity. If Jeff McNeil rebounds, that gives you a .300 hitter in the 6 hole once he returns from injury. Starling Marte and Jesse Winker will undoubtedly produce while sharing the DH spot. I expect the thump to return to Francisco Alvarez’s bat once he is healthy enough to play, his sophomore slump behind him, and whatever offense you get from the Jose Siri/Tryone Taylor centerfield combo will be a bonus.
I worry about the pitching. I’m not confident in the starting pitching’s ability to go long in games, which means the bullpen — though improved — may find itself overworked again early. I also worry about Sean Manaea staying healthy. He copied Chris Sale’s arm angle, which led to his late-season success in 2024. Let’s hope that arm angle through a full season doesn’t result in duplicating Sale’s injury history. Will his right oblique strain this spring prove to be a blip or turn into something chronic?
John Coppinger:
The Mets came into camp with lots of question marks surrounding the starting rotation. The same questions surrounded them at the start of last season, but Mets starters were a respectable 14th in baseball in total WAR at 2.7, which is very respectable. So for me, I don’t worry about the starters because they’re going to be fine commiserate to what MLB clubs expect out of starting pitchers now as opposed to prior seasons, and they’ll also be fine because of what I feel is the club’s biggest strength heading into this season: the pitching lab.
The biggest weakness by default is the bullpen, who finished 27th in the league in total WAR at -5.2, but that’s mainly because of Edwin Diaz’s struggles coming back from injury and some early season meltdowns by the likes of Jorge “Worst F******g team in the MLB” Lopez. But with Diaz two seasons removed from that injury now, he should be able to find himself, and with the addition of A.J. Minter, the ‘pen seems a little less volatile and a little more stable than it did at the start of 2024. This is where the biggest strength has a chance to eliminate the biggest weakness as the season goes along.
Matthew Silverman:
The team’s biggest strength is that they have had a taste of success. That’s nothing to take for granted in Metsland. The Braves may have been missing their best starting pitcher and best pitcher, but the Mets went into Atlanta for a pressure-packed makeup doubleheader and won what was–for my money–the most significant regular season game in team history against the team that has been their biggest National League nemesis. (FYI, my previous choice was 1999’s game 162/one-game playoff when MLB still allowed those.) Then they knocked off the Brewers, who were playing at home and had just beaten the Mets two-of-three a couple of days earlier in Milwaukee. The team followed that by beating a Philadelphia team that seemed pretty sure they’d knock us off. (An SRO “seat” for the NLDS clincher is my fondest moment to date at Citi Field.) The Mets went toe-to-toe with a stacked Dodgers lineup that never swung at a ball and their pitching staff stymied the Mets; at least the Mets got the series back to L.A. (Something another team whose name I forget could not manage.) They then snagged Juan Soto from the Yankees, an unprecedented move in their 62 seasons sharing the city. That’s something no Mets fan really thought was going to happen. He brings an added swagger and Soto may have found his own new level of confidence, given that he now knows where he will be for the rest of his career (ideally) after being passed around from D.C. to San Diego to the Bronx before the age of 26. If the Mets are still the “little brother” in town, they are now the lil’ bro who bought mom a house.
The team’s biggest weakness is location, location, location. The National League East looks as formidable as any in baseball. The next few months will tell if that’s the case. And if they snag a postseason spot–these aren’t as hard to come by as the 1980s Mets will tell you–they’ll have to face the Phillies, the Braves, or the Dodgers–perhaps all three. And then who knows which American League team will run the gauntlet to still be playing by Halloween. If you are too young to have seen The Big Red Machine of the 1970s, which is still the last NL team to win consecutive World Series, today’s Dodgers have that look right now–except their pitching (and pockets) go much deeper than Cincinnati’s ever did. It’s guaranteed that if the Mets get to the promised land in 2025, or sometime this decade, they will most definitely have earned it.
A.J. Carter:
Their biggest strength – hitting prowess aside – is veteran leadership that will help them navigate the ups and downs of a 162-game season. The group of Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and, I think, Juan Soto will maintain the even keel in the clubhouse so they can persevere in the face of the figurative curve balls we know crop up from time to time. The team can get by without long winning streaks, but they can’t let setbacks snowball and dig themselves a losing-streak-fueled hole from which it will be hard to recover. I think they have the players who will provide that.
The biggest weakness? Defense. Juan Soto is a minus-defender. Mark Vientos is a little more than adequate. Pete Alonso makes occasional good plays but doesn’t have great range. We don’t know how Brett Baty will be as a defender, and even at his best, Jeff McNeil also has limited range. Francisco Alvarez has had trouble throwing runners out. Without true strikeout pitchers in the starting rotation, defense takes on a more important role, and this is where the Mets fall short. They may have to score a few bushels more runs to make up for the ones the defense allows.
Shai Kushner:
The Mets biggest strength this year will be their depth. Last season, as great as Francisco Lindor was (and he really was), he also got hurt at an extremely inopportune time. The Mets were able to plug Luisangel Acuna in his place, and they didn’t miss a beat. This is just one example of a non-regular contributing to their success. Sometimes, there were streaks, like Tyrone Taylor who got hot at just the right time last September. Other times, they were just some key moments, like clutch hits from Harrison Bader, or Jake Diekman’s near-miraculous 9th inning against the Yankees in the Bronx. Or, of course, Jose Iglesias, a career part-time player, who was part rock star, part Disney movie, and fully vital to the Mets run last season.
And while most of those players I just mentioned will not be on the Mets Opening Day roster, or with the Mets at all, they’ve been replaced by others who will be up to the task. The aforementioned Bretty Baty, Jose Siri, as well as Luis Torrens (another unsung hero from last season), as well as most of the Mets pitchers, will take advantage of their opportunities to impact, taking some of the pressure off the big name players that draw the fans to the ballpark.
The Mets biggest weakness will be their starting pitching. Now, I honestly don’t think it’s as much of a concern as others may expect. It’s a similar vibe to last season when the starting rotation consisted of different types of reclamation projects. We’ve got a reliever-turned-starter, a ace-like pitcher who was limited to 5 innings in the regular season due to two brutal, unrelated, injuries, a couple of pitchers who were once highly touted, then just touted, and now are out to prove that their best days are somehow still ahead of them. And David Peterson, who looks like he finally has a shot to be a regular starter on day 1. This is without even mentioning Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn, who are both hurt, and would be question marks even if they were healthy.
So it’s understandable that this is a position of concern for a team with high expectations. Then again, among the many lessons learned last season, is that the Mets front office and coaching staff often knows things and sees things that the fans don’t. If anyone can get the best out of this staff, it’s them.
4. What is a realistic expectation for this team: playoff contender or another year of frustration?
Mark Rosenman:
Realistic expectations for this team? Please. This is baseball—have we learned anything about expectations and reality? If we had, we’d all be taking bets on how many games it’ll take for the Mets to go from “World Series favorites” to “Sorry, folks, the game’s been rained out.”
That said, I’m 100% convinced this is a playoff team. I think they’ll contend for the division title, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they’re in the hunt deep into September. But looking beyond that on opening day? Well, that’s asking a bit much. Come July, this team will likely look different, and so will a lot of others.
Am I ready to say they’ll beat the Dodgers in the NLCS? Not yet. Let’s pump the brakes on that one. But to keep it simple: my realistic expectation is that this team will be a contender, and it’s going to be a fun year. As for the frustration? Let’s save that for some other area of life—like trying to program the DVR or figuring out how to open the new iPhone without calling the 800-number for help.
Howie Karpin:
Thanks to Steve Cohen, the Mets have entered the world of high expectations.
Cohen wants his team to be a consistent playoff entrant, something that has eluded the franchise throughout its history.
It’s not exactly “World Series or bust,” but anything less than a playoff spot would be a huge disappointment.
Mike Phillips:
The realistic expectation for this team is a playoff contender. The vast majority of the team that went to the NLCS is back with the additions of Juan Soto and (presumably) a full season of Kodai Senga, who gave them just 5.1 regular season innings and a few brief appearances in the postseason.
Assuming good health, which is no guarantee given the Mets had four players on the projected Opening Day roster hit the IL in the span of three weeks, the floor is a return to the Wild Card round.
Joe LoVerde:
It’s so tough to be unbiased about this. The Phillies have the best pitching in the division, but their key players are getting older and are edging past their prime. The Mets basically have last year’s lineup and added Juan Soto to it, so the potential is there for them to play at least as well as they did after June of last year, when they were the best team in baseball.
They’ll fight it out with the Phillies for first but will eke out the regular season title at the wire — thanks to a trading deadline pickup of an ace pitcher by David Stearns. The Braves won’t be as good as many think.
John Coppinger:
If a team can’t be considered a legitimate playoff contender after signing Juan Soto, then that team should cease to exist. In seven seasons, Soto has already been to three LCS, two World Series, and has won one title. (And those numbers probably go up if Washington wasn’t in a perpetual rebuild.) Soto added to a team that was two wins away from a World Series with much of the same team coming back has to be considered not only a playoff contender, but a division title contender and maybe even a World Series contender. Getting by the Dodgers would be a challenge, but Soto’s 1.084 OPS in last year’s Series tells you that he can perform against that juggernaut when the lights are brightest.
Matthew Silverman:
The most realistic expectation is that social media will howl after every loss and celebrate each win like the team will never lose again. Fans are fickle–and demanding, and impatient, and sometimes react like they have never seen a game before–but the players should feel that the goals set for them are attainable. With so many playoff rounds and games, anything can happen in October. If they could go, in the words of legendary announcer Gary Cohen, “from 0-5 to OMG,” and then pull off a couple of serious playoff upsets and push powerhouse L.A. to six games in the NLCS, then they can handle the expectations and the pressure. The Mets’ motto should be World Series or bust. This team can spend like the big boys. We can only hope they can play like them, too. The fans, fickle or no, are loyal. The team is in it for the long haul.
A.J. Carter:
Realistic expectation? A repeat of last year, facing the Dodgers in the NLCS. Doesn’t mean it will happen, but it’s not unreasonable to expect. Whether they beat the Dodgers and make it to the World Series will depend on so many factors we haven’t seen, starting with the effect of injuries (on both squads). As we saw this week with Mookie Betts, a mystery illness can cause a star to lose 25 pounds and be sidelined. The Dodgers have a wealth of starting pitching – until multiple starters go down. Players can be hurt in taxicab accidents or trimming hedges at home. And maybe a player not on the Day 1 roster – are you listening, Brandon Sprout?– will come along and fire up a team when we least expect it, whether it be from the minor leagues or a deadline deal. All we can ask is that they’re in it a the end, and I think they will be.
Shai Kushner:
As cliche as it is, a baseball season is long and anything can happen. So it’s hard to make accurate predictions in late March for something that’s going to unfold over the course of 7 (hopefully) months.
That said, even though I do go into almost every season with some optimism, I’m especially excited for what this season can be. Between the magic from last year and the addition of Juan Soto and some other solid pieces, I do expect this team to make it to the postseason. And I haven’t felt that way on Opening Day since…let me check my notes…2023. Yikes. Ignore that.
5. Who will be the Mets’ MVP when the season is over?
Mark Rosenman:
Wow, who would’ve thought answering five questions would be this exhausting? These are tough! This question is giving me a 1988 flashback—that year the Mets won 100 games and had three players in the top 10 MVP vote-getters: Strawberry (2nd), McReynolds (3rd), and David Cone (10th). Will we see three Mets in the top 10 this year? Doubtful, but I think two are pretty much a lock: Soto and Lindor. Not that it matters much, because Shohei Ohtani already cleared space on his trophy shelf for another MVP.
But back to the actual question: who will be the Mets’ MVP? I’m going with Francisco Lindor. Why? Because the man is a machine. I’m calling it now—he’s putting up another 30-30 season, playing gold glove defense, being the team leader, and showing up every single game. And not just showing up to punch the clock, mind you—he’s out there playing with a joy and enthusiasm that spreads through the whole team. If you could bottle that energy and sell it, you'd make a fortune.
So, yeah, while Ohtani’s off doing Ohtani things, Lindor’s the Mets’ MVP. And I’m sure somewhere in Queens, he’s smiling just thinking about it.
Howie Karpin:
I think it will be Juan Soto.
The newest Met is in his prime and his track record suggests that his first full season with a new team usually means a big year.
In his first full year with San Diego in 2023, Soto slashed .275/.410/.519 with an OPS of .930, while he led the Majors with 132 walks.
Last season, his first and only one with the Yankees, Soto had arguably his best overall season hitting in front of Aaron Judge. Soto slashed .288/.419/.569 with a career high 41 home runs, 109 RBI and an OPS of .989.
Soto seems to use his first year with a team as a motivating factor. He could become the first Met to claim the National League MVP award.
Mike Phillips:
The obvious answer is the easy one once again. Lindor will finish the year with strong numbers but his history of slow starts will lead to some early frustration from the fan base. The Mets’ MVP will be Soto, whose presence as a slugger in his prime lengthens the whole lineup while forcing opposing pitchers to attack the Mets’ lineup differently. Soto posts similar numbers to what he did in the Bronx and is a strong contender for NL MVP honors.
Joe LoVerde:
It’s hard to go against Francisco Lindor, but I think Juan Soto will be their most valuable when all is said and done. He is a special talent and, although I do have high expectations for a number of the regulars, there are no doubts about what they will get from Soto: a guy who will consistently get on base, hit for average and hit 30-odd home runs. He’ll set the table, but drive in runs, too. The Mets will get what they paid for in the $765 million man.
Soto also seems like a worker and can see him stepping up his game defensively and as a baserunner. He will be THE difference-maker for this team, their most reliable player over 162 games.
John Coppinger:
I’m not going to stray from the pack on this one. The team MVP is Francisco Lindor, as much for his leadership as for his production. He may not have been the MVP last season, but he had an MVP worthy season, which is all that matters in our Ohtani Era. But all the other things he does in terms of helping to develop other players, whether it be a quick conversation in the on-deck circle or his work with Mark Vientos and Brett Baty in the off season in Puerto Rico, might be the driving force in terms of this team not only succeeding, but succeeding under pressure after slow starts from himself and the overall team.
It’s funny how we like to say “it takes a special player to play in New York”, but nobody really gives Lindor the credit he deserves for putting all of this together while playing in New York. There have been players that we have expected this from and wanted this from who have never delivered. Yet we have one underneath our noses and while he gets an extraordinary amount of credit for his on field performance, he doesn’t get nearly enough credit as not only a leader, but a leader in the most scrutinized baseball market in America. Putting a C on his chest might bring him some of that justice. But true leaders don’t need extra letters. They just lead. And that’s why Lindor will always be the lynchpin of the success of this generation of Mets.
Matthew Silverman:
You could argue that Jose Iglesias was as valuable as anyone the Mets had last year in the field, at the plate (.337!), and at the mic (we all know the song by now), but if you didn’t say the team MVP was Francisco Lindor, you’d be wrong. The team showed Amazin’ resilience last September when Lindor went down at the worst possible time. The team held its own and when Lindor returned he lifted the Mets onto his bad back and hit home runs that were the difference in securing a postseason berth and a spot in the NLCS. He did it while playing superb defense and taking his leadership role to a new level. He should be team captain, but on a team with so many stars, it might be better just to have all 26 men say, “I’m the captain now.”
Or the MVP could be someone who pitched last year like he wants to be the ace: David Peterson. He took a major step in that direction in 2024 after he spent the first two months on the disabled list. How he does not get the Opening Day start tomorrow is a little weird. I’m sure there’s some next level thinking or something I missed that explains why the team is going with a pitcher who hasn’t started a game in seven years while Peterson isn’t pitching until Monday. Maybe that answer will be revealed to me tomorrow. The short answer is Peterson is a big boy now and it doesn’t matter who starts the opener, as long as the Mets win. Hopefully there’ll be plenty of wins to go ‘round for the lefty and for the Metsies.
A.J. Carter:
If the MVP isn’t Juan Soto, Steve Cohen better start looking at how he can void Soto’s contract.
Shai Kushner:
I really hope the Mets MVP is Juan Soto. The Mets didn’t bring him in just to be a part of this, he is meant to be the centerpiece, and I expect he’ll feel right at home in that role.
No Mets season preview would be complete without the obligatory NL East predictions—because nothing says "we definitely know what we're talking about" like trying to forecast a division where chaos reigns. So, here’s how the staff of KinersKorner.com sees the NL East shaking out in 2025. Will the Braves run away with it again? Will the Phillies’ payroll finally buy them a ticket to October glory? Will the Mets surprise us all—or just themselves? And let’s not forget the Marlins and Nationals, who will either be scrappy underdogs or glorified batting practice, depending on the week. Buckle up, folks, because if history has taught us anything, it’s that these predictions will be about as accurate as a weather forecast for Opening Day at Citi Field.
So, there you have it, folks. We’ve broken down the Mets like an overworked grounds crew rolling up the tarp in a downpour. Will Soto mash? Will the bullpen hold? Will Edwin Díaz send us diving behind the couch again? Only time—and a whole lot of Tums—will tell. But one thing’s for sure: it won’t be boring. We’ll be here watching, writing, debating launch angles, and reminiscing about the days when pitchers actually finished what they started. So keep your scorebooks handy, your remote within throwing distance, and your expectations set somewhere between "parade down Broadway" and "therapy by July." Let’s play ball.
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