Let the games begin: 4 things to watch as Mets begin spring training schedule

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The finishing touches were being put on Clover Park on Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the Mets' first spring training game.

It was baseball eve.

In center field, a crane was being used to peel back an old advertisement on the right side of the scoreboard. The floors in the entrance to the suite level were uncovered. The paint jobs were finally dry.

The Mets, meanwhile, were preparing to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the teams' first spring training action at 1:10 p.m. Saturday here in Port St. Lucie.

"Being here for 10 days, it almost feels we’ve been here for a couple of weeks now," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "The fact that we get to play games and see the guys in action is exciting. For me, I don’t put too much into it. At the end of the day, it’s about the players, about them being healthy and getting their at-bats, getting their work in."

With Kodai Senga's injury, a handful of positional battles expected to play out, and a strong collection of prospects, here are the four things to watch as games begin.

Who will win Mets' final rotation spot?

After announcing that Senga would be shut down with a moderate strain to his right posterior capsule in his shoulder, questions immediately arose about who would be the next man up.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns provided a clue by calling Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto the "right grouping" of potential candidates, given their major league experience.

This will lead Mets fans to keep a close watch on that trio this spring. Megill will take the ball in the spring opener on Saturday as the one of the most-ready options coming into camp, and he'll be looking to maintain his velocity and work in his new splitter.

Lucchesi has lost considerable weight entering camp in an effort to up his velocity after averaging around 90 mph with his fastball last season.

At 25, Butto is the youngest option. He pitched to a 3.64 ERA across nine outings, including seven starts, last season. In September, he delivered three quality outing in his last five starts.

Will Brett Baty and Mark Vientos take a step forward?

The Mets front office could have added another bat or veteran presence to occupy third base this winter, but Stearns wants to see what he has in his youth during his first season leading the Mets' baseball operations staff.

That means the focus sharpens on Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, who will likely split the third-base duties, in their sophomore seasons.

"We'll make sure that they're getting their game action," Mendoza said. "We’re not going to play them too many games in a row out of the gate. It's important to continue that build-up. But yeah, probably 50-50 (split), I don’t know, but they'll get their fair chance at the position."

Both players are looking to make substantial improvements at the big-league level after mastering Triple-A pitching. Baty posted a .598 OPS with nine home runs, 34 RBI and 41 runs in 108 games last season, while making 10 errors in 101 games.

Vientos, who also figures to be part of the DH discussion, had an .620 OPS with nine home runs, 22 RBI and 19 runs in 65 games. He only appeared in 19 games at third base in 2023.

The duo will be looking to inspire confidence in their play as they potentially step into larger roles in 2024.

What does the workload look like for Edwin Diaz and Starling Marte?

Edwin Diaz is back dialing it up this spring and threw his second live batting practice session against the top of the Mets' lineup Friday afternoon.

While a fastball in the mid- to high-90s and his nasty slider continued to flummox his teammates, Diaz will not be entering out of the bullpen right away. The 29-year-old closer, who is returning from a torn patellar tendon in his knee, still needs to work fielding practice into his regimen before he can get in games.

The Mets will also be looking for Starling Marte to produce as he did in his first season here in 2022. Last season, he played in just 86 games while returning from double groin surgery. Mendoza labeled Marte "a full-go" this spring and was encouraged by the outfielder's play in the Dominican Winter League. The Mets right fielder should be seen in early March.

Which Mets prospect makes the biggest impression?

Over the next few seasons, the Mets will be banking on their new generation of talent to help fill in the gaps on the big-league roster, especially after last season's blockbuster trades of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

There are a few notable inclusions in this season's spring camp. In the infield, Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña have been getting meaningful reps at shortstop. Williams only played six games at Double-A last season but earned Mets Minor League Player of the Year honors with a .263/.425/.451 slash line, while Acuña produced a .769 OPS and 57 stolen bases exclusively in Double-A.

Outfielder Drew Gilbert posted an .868 OPS with a18 home runs, 59 RBI and 79 runs across two levels, including Double-A Binghamton.

Those three position players will get their opportunity to make an impression this spring.

The same can be said about starting pitchers Mike Vasil, Christian Scott and Dominic Leone. While Stearns says he believes they can benefit from "increased minor league experience," all three improved their stature in the organization in 2023 and can continue to raise their stock this spring.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: 4 things to watch as spring training games begin