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Each year, MLB Network’s The Shredder posts the Top 10 players at each position right now. Well, it just so happens New York Mets’ current centerfielder, Brandon Nimmo, ranks at No. 5 for 2021. The Shredder takes into account the success from the year before, even a shortened season, and anticipates the ceiling for each player. Evidently, the Mets have taken top 10 spots on lists for most positions except the bullpen and third base categories. What does that tell us?
It is no secret the Kings of Queens have the untapped potential to be a prevalent force in the National League, if not all of baseball. Since 2012, several homegrown talents have advanced to the pinnacle of their careers. Nine years later, the Mets have two Rookie of the Year winners in Jacob deGrom and Pete Alonso and two Cy Young Awards belonging to deGrom, and that’s just the start.
DeGrom remains at the top of the leaderboards as the best pitcher in baseball, and rightly so. He was the only pitcher to surpass 100 strikeouts a year ago in the regular season and has a lifetime ERA of 2.61. Already a three time All-Star with a taste of the postseason, there is no challenge too overwhelming for the 32 year-old. There is not much to explain here; deGrom is under team control until at least 2022, and his contract is flexible for both him and the Mets. Expect him to make another case for Cy Young candidacy.
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Pete Alonso did not have a great sophomore year. The Mets’ first baseman surprisingly struggled against left handed pitching, but he started to come back around in September, bashing 10 of his 16 home runs. Many Mets fans refuse to believe 2019 was a fluke. His play at first base has exceeded anyone’s expectations, and in a full season, he will pose a viable threat in the middle of the lineup with the protection of Michael Conforto and newly acquired phenom Francisco Lindor around him. He ranks as the seventh best first baseman in MLB, but his status as a rising star is conceivable in this young power hitter.
The night before last, Conforto was presented with the Thurman Munson Award, given to players who excel on the field, and community spirit off the field. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, there is no timetable for when the Mets will decide to extend Conforto, and he does not want it to get in the way of this season. However, that does not nullify the success Conforto has generated since his debut in 2015. If there is any sure defensive outfielder on this team, it is him. Conforto has a lifetime .989 fielding percentage and ranks third among active right fielders for defensive runs saved. An unusal shoulder injury shortened his 2017 season, but, when healthy, Conforto may be one of the best gap-to-gap left handed hitters in all of baseball. He ranked seventh in batting average in 2020 and, dating back to 2015, had a .333 batting average with two home runs in the World Series. As you can see, he is built for prime-time.
You would not think it, but Dominic Smith, drafted as a first baseman and soon replaced by Pete Alonso after a rather piteous rookie season, positions himself as the sixth best left fielder in the league. The inability for MLB and the MLBPA to compromise a solution to the 2021 season has left the Mets in limbo. All signs are insinuating no universal DH, so that puts the Mets in a position to throw Dom Smith in left field just to get his bat in the lineup. Smith ranked in the top five in almost every offensive category in 2020 besides batting average, where he still posted a whopping .316. Perhaps the only thing keeping him in the lineup right now is the lack of outfield depth that the Mets have yet to address this offseason. However, how do they not let the guy who stole the hearts of Mets fans in the final month of the 2019 season not play every day? A superstar who has proven he can contribute to the team’s success? A man who shed tears in a gut wrenching interview with SNY’s Steve Gelbs over racial inequality? A heart of gold can be the heart and soul of any team, and that can go a long way for a team’s clubhouse.
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Who knew when Jeff McNeil was called up, he could one day be battling for a batting title. He is one of the hardest batters to strike out, or even get out for that matter. He has struck out just 123 times in over 1, 000 plate appearances, and through his first three seasons in the big leagues, McNeil was primarily used as a plug and play guy. Most of his starts came as a left fielder, but he has spent time at second, third, and right field. Following the suspension of Robinson Cano, McNeil can find his niche at second base in the 2021 campaign in hopes that he can continue his offensive success, all while developing good chemistry with Francisco Lindor. McNeil falls into the two spot on the Shredder only behind cross-town rival keystone, D.J. Lemahieu.
The aforementioned Francisco Lindor also reaches the top ten in shortstops at number four. The Mets gave up their ninth and tenth rated prospects to acquire Lindor from the Indians on January 7. The perennial superstar has made the All-Star squad in all but his rookie season, where he only played 99 games. The dual threat has every reason to be placed atop of this list. It is inevitable he will not be the only one smiling this season in the orange and blue if he can raise the bar for himself and his new teammates this season. It will be interesting to see how he handles the New York atmosphere, but do not be surprised if the Mets get a playoff berth on his behalf.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61745667/1026583334.jpg.0.jpg?strip=all "Mets Season Review: Nimmo Was An Offensive Star")
If you thought the Mets lost a monumental opportunity to get J.T. Realmuto, think again. Steve Cohen and the Mets are playing chess, not checkers. They went with free agent James McCann, one of their first moves of the offseason, to fill the catching hole. He may not have the pop or the speed that Realmuto possesses, but it is hard to find a two-way catcher in this league, and the Mets have struggled mightily with keeping runners from advancing. His veteran leadership will be a breath of fresh air for this rotation and the back end of the lineup. He pulls in as the tenth best catcher in baseball.
Be Somebody Who Is Very Difficult To Replace
So now we arrive at our last Met to seize a top 10 spot. Brandon Nimmo fell into a lull after his eruptive second half in 2018. In the final 55 games, he had a slash line of .279/.446/.471 with an OPS of .917. Throughout his career, Nimmo has found a way to get on base by any means. In two of the last three seasons, he ranks in the top 10 in on base percentage, hit by pitch, and walks. His outfield play has been weary at times, so it is a little surprising to see the Shredder to honor him with a spot in the top 10 centerfielders at number five. The first round pick out of Wyoming is going to be Mets’ biggest sleeper in 2021.
With most of the heavyweights off the board for outfielders in free agency, the Mets should turn their heads to third base and the bullpen. They have done a miraculous job addressing depth in the rotation and front end of the ‘pen and possibly utility roles. Where the Mets are at right now with their outfield, there is no question that it is not the best defensive trio in baseball. That should not deter Luis Rojas and company to shy away from starting Nimmo, Conforto, and Smith 140 plus games, even if they have to play their respective positions. Jackie Bradley Jr. is a recurring name being spread in rumors amongst the front office and reporters alike. However, he could be just another Jake Marisnick: an above average defender with acute batting progression. That is not enough to bench Nimmo and fill that centerfield spot on a daily basis. From what we saw last year, Nimmo appeared in 55 games for the Mets, to Marisnick’s 16. If the Mets were to sign Bradley Jr., he needs to have a substantial case to start over the homegrown veteran.
Nimmo will be a table setter at the top of the lineup for guys like McNeil, Lindor and Conforto, all who have hit for .270 or better at least once in their careers. When struggling, he can still get on base at the bottom of the lineup, or even provide some late game heroics with guys on base. He has that knack for ensuing clutch moments down the stretch. His patience at the plate is unprecedented, which gives him the
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22396037/1228218605.jpg?strip=all "Mets 2021 Season Preview: Brandon Nimmo")
The View From Behind The Backstop: Brandon Nimmo
So now we arrive at our last Met to seize a top 10 spot. Brandon Nimmo fell into a lull after his eruptive second half in 2018. In the final 55 games, he had a slash line of .279/.446/.471 with an OPS of .917. Throughout his career, Nimmo has found a way to get on base by any means. In two of the last three seasons, he ranks in the top 10 in on base percentage, hit by pitch, and walks. His outfield play has been weary at times, so it is a little surprising to see the Shredder to honor him with a spot in the top 10 centerfielders at number five. The first round pick out of Wyoming is going to be Mets’ biggest sleeper in 2021.
With most of the heavyweights off the board for outfielders in free agency, the Mets should turn their heads to third base and the bullpen. They have done a miraculous job addressing depth in the rotation and front end of the ‘pen and possibly utility roles. Where the Mets are at right now with their outfield, there is no question that it is not the best defensive trio in baseball. That should not deter Luis Rojas and company to shy away from starting Nimmo, Conforto, and Smith 140 plus games, even if they have to play their respective positions. Jackie Bradley Jr. is a recurring name being spread in rumors amongst the front office and reporters alike. However, he could be just another Jake Marisnick: an above average defender with acute batting progression. That is not enough to bench Nimmo and fill that centerfield spot on a daily basis. From what we saw last year, Nimmo appeared in 55 games for the Mets, to Marisnick’s 16. If the Mets were to sign Bradley Jr., he needs to have a substantial case to start over the homegrown veteran.
Nimmo will be a table setter at the top of the lineup for guys like McNeil, Lindor and Conforto, all who have hit for .270 or better at least once in their careers. When struggling, he can still get on base at the bottom of the lineup, or even provide some late game heroics with guys on base. He has that knack for ensuing clutch moments down the stretch. His patience at the plate is unprecedented, which gives him the
