Fans are concerned about some players who are currently on the 2024 roster because the New York Mets were not immune to injuries during the 2023 season. Even though we can always hope for the best, the majority of Mets supporters are ready for anything can go wrong.
There are valid worries about whether we can anticipate the kind of impact on the field that we are used to seeing from each of these players, both from the team from the previous season and an addition this offseason. The Mets might be in better shape than we realize if all three of these players remain healthy for the duration of the 162-game season.
1) Starling Marte
Outfielder Starling Marte is the most obvious player on the Mets’ current roster with serious doubts about him. Marte, who is currently 35 years old, is coming off a 2023 season marred by injuries, which even resulted in his withdrawal from the World Baseball Classic in the spring. With only 86 games played and numerous career-low numbers, the Mets are hoping that Marte will have a successful season.
Marte has been taking part in Winter Ball in his home Dominican Republic in an effort to increase his workload prior to the start of Spring Training the following month. It’s almost necessary to state that Sterling Marte’s health and output in 2024 will play a big role in the Mets’ success this season.
Marte was a huge part of the Mets’ success back in 2022 and the offense never really gelled in 2023 with him in and out of the lineup at various points of the season. While we shouldn’t expect an All-Star season out of Marte, if he can get back to his previous form and play anywhere between 140-150 games this season, the Mets offense will be in great shape.
2) Luis Severino
Luis Severino, a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, was one of the first players the Mets signed this winter, agreeing to a $13 million, one-year contract. Over his time with the Yankees, Severino, 29, has had a mixed bag of results, but when healthy, he has unquestionably demonstrated his ability to be a top-tier starting pitcher.
However, injuries have prevented Severino from playing to his full potential. In 2020, he had a Tommy John procedure in addition to dealing with shoulder and lat injuries. Severino had a 6.65 ERA last season and was shut down in September due to an oblique strain.
If pitching coach Jeremy Hefner can work some magic with Luis Severino’s mechanics on the mound and if Severino is able to make close to 30 starts, something he hasn’t done since 2018, then Severino is the kind of high-upside, low-risk signing that could pay off for the Mets. That is a very big if.
Luis Severino, if healthy, has a chance to make a big splash the following offseason if he can replicate his 2022 form. The Mets starting rotation could really use some consistency behind ace Kodai Senga this season. The health of the former cross-town rival is a major factor in the success of the Mets starting pitching staff, despite the opposition of many fans.
3) Edwin Diaz
Every Mets supporter is aware of what transpired to our star closer during the World Baseball Classic the previous season, and as we look ahead to 2024, we are all aware that, for the time being, that incident is not worth reliving. However, it will be important to keep an eye on Diaz’s health as the season progresses and as he advances this spring.
After undergoing surgery to repair his torn patellar tendon last season, Diaz was expected to play in some games, but that didn’t work out. He did an amazing job recovering from the injury. Conversely, Edwin Diaz might not be the focus of more eyes than any other pitcher when catchers and pitchers report.
Following surgery for a serious knee injury, it will be interesting to see how at ease Diaz looks on the mound early in Spring Training when he returns to action. The Mets will be counting heavily on Diaz in a bullpen that has just been rebuilt, and this year’s team will be in serious trouble if Diaz’s performance declines early on because of any aftereffects from the surgery or his injury.
The Mets will be counting heavily on each of these players to play to the best of their abilities and hope that their health holds up for the duration of the season. The Mets will have a much better chance of making the playoffs in 2024 if all three players can maintain their current level of health than they did in the previous campaign.