New York Mets’ 2023 Season In Review: Offense

Now that the 2023 season is over for the New York Mets, we will spend the next several weeks taking a look at the big picture. This deep dive will be broken down into phases every weekday, beginning today with a look at the Mets’ offense.

While the offense was a problem for the New York Mets late last season, it wasn’t as big an issue in 2023. The integration of several young players helped spark more power from the lineup, but injury woes did plague key players throughout the season. As part of our ongoing Season in Review series, we’ll go position by position to discuss the Mets’ offense and see what worked in 2023 and what needs improvement in 2024.

Catcher

The Mets’ initial plan of a platoon between Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido went awry when Narvaez got hurt in the first week of the season. The injury forced the Mets to recall Francisco Alvarez and he quickly grabbed a hold of the primary catching duties, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 63 runs to lock himself in as the long-term answer behind the plate. Narvaez never really got going as the backup, hitting just .211 with two home runs and seven RBIs, while Nido struggled so mightily behind the plate that he was waived when Narvaez returned from the IL. The position is theoretically locked in for 2024 with Alvarez starting and Narvaez serving as his backup, although the Mets would love a way to move on from Narvaez’s $7 million salary if they could.

Grade: B

First Base

Pete Alonso was healthy outside of a ten-day trip to the injured list for a hand injury and continued his prolific slugging, swatting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs to lead the team in both categories. Batting average was an issue for Alonso, who hit just .217 on the year, and he returned early from the hand injury with a power outage for a month. New President of Baseball Operations David Stearns indicated that Alonso is going to be the Opening Day first baseman, which makes a ton of sense, although he didn’t elaborate on any immediate plans to discuss a contract extension with the pending free agent.

Grade: A-

Second Base

Jeff McNeil started the year as the second baseman and had a tough time, failing to build on his batting title winning performance from 2022 by hitting just .270 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs. It took a late-season surge for McNeil to raise his average that high, and he did end up shifting to the outfield late in the year to accommodate rookie Ronny Mauricio, who showed flashes of brilliance in his brief big-league tenure. Mauricio hit .248 with two homers and nine RBIs in September but did strike out 31 times in 101 at bats. McNeil figures to enter the offseason as a starter but could move into a super-utility role if the Mets want to give Mauricio a dedicated position in 2024.

Grade: B-

Shortstop

Francisco Lindor had a stellar year, joining the 30/30 club for the first time and finishing two RBIs shy of 100. While things were tough for Lindor early on, his production really picked up after the birth of his second child in mid-June. The Mets have nothing to worry about at shortstop as Lindor is locked up long-term.

Grade: A+

Third Base

Eduardo Escobar began the year as the starter at third base and failed to build off his strong finish to 2022, quickly losing the starting job to Brett Baty. The Mets saw Baty get out of the gate quick, leading to a trade of Escobar to the Los Angeles Angels in June, but he fell into a deep slump leading to a demotion to the minors in August. Danny Mendick, Jonathan Arauz and Luis Guillorme also saw time at third before Baty returned in September, where he looked a bit better. The Mets will have to consider their options at the position this winter as Baty didn’t do enough to lock himself in as an uncontested starter.

Grade: D

Outfield

The highlight of the outfield was Brandon Nimmo, who led the team with a .274 batting average while setting a career-high in home runs with 24. A shift towards more of a power approach unlocked more offensive potential for Nimmo, who also stayed healthy for the second straight year. Health was not something that worked out for Starling Marte, who never looked right after double groin surgery in the offseason and hit just .248 with five home runs and 28 RBIs before being landing back on the injured list in August with more groin issues. Mark Canha lost his job to Tommy Pham by June, with Pham being a very productive hitter, before both were traded at the deadline. The surprise of the outfield was D.J. Stewart, who had a brilliant August to make himself a consideration for a bench role in 2024. Rafael Ortega and Abraham Almonte also got largely forgettable reps in the outfield while Tim Locastro offered speed but not much else.

Grade: C

Designated Hitter

The Mets stuck with Daniel Vogelbach as their primary DH after cutting Darin Ruf in spring training to the point of insanity as manager Buck Showalter remained incredibly patient with him despite little production outside of walks. Vogelbach stayed in the primary DH role until September, when the Mets finally gave Mark Vientos an extended run at the position. Vientos looked better with regular at bats, hitting nine home runs and driving in 22 runs, but this is another area where the Mets will look to make an upgrade in the offseason.

Grade: D

Check back tomorrow as our Season in Review series continues with a look at the Mets’ starting pitching!