Starling Marte appears healthy, continues to hit in winter ball
The outfielder has been playing well in the Dominican Winter League so far this winter
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
Starling Marte picked up another two hits and is batting .367 over eight games in winter ball
Manager Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns traveled to the Dominican Republic to visit the outfielder (SNY)
If the Mets are going to be successful in 2024 they will need 2022 Starling Marte… ✍️
Perhaps it is no coincidence the Mets were successful in 2022 when Starling Marte was healthy, and they struggled in 2023 when Marte was both injured and not performing. He was also not 100% in the playoffs in 2022 and of course the Mets suffered an early exit after losing to the Padres.
When the outfielder was playing like an All-Star in 2022, the lineup was completely transformed and the top of the lineup was a potent threat. In addition to Marte, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso were a tough combination for opposing pitchers to face and put pressure on them right away. Marte gave the team options since he was a powerful yet contact-centric right-handed bat who was aggressive on the base paths.
When he got injured, the Mets started to struggle, lost the division, and then were eliminated.
During that offseason, he underwent double-groin surgery and was never the same player in 2023. He played in just 86 games and missed the final two months of the season. He hit .248/.301/.324 with five home runs and 28 RBIs which was a far cry from the season prior when he hit .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs. His OPS dropped to .625 which was way down from .814 in 2022.
He did, however, manage to steal more bases in 2023 where he swiped 24 bags compared with 18 the previous season. But he admitted to struggle with the recovery from that off-season surgery throughout the year, and his performance reflected that struggle.
So as Marte goes so do the Mets?
It’s a bit more complicated than that of course and they certainly have other issues, but Marte’s production from 2022 was hard to replace. He lengthens the lineup and sets the table for Lindor and Alonso. With the addition of Harrison Bader, the Mets might be more successful if Marte serves as their DH because his defense is in the decline, although that might be partially attributed to his groin injury.
Still, he is 35-years-old and the team will need to find a way to keep him healthy and productive if they want to find their way back into contention. Marte playing well in winter ball is certainly a promising first step, but it is still just the first step on a very long road through the major league season.
Hot Stove 🔥
The Angels are interested in utilityman Enrique Hernández (Athletic)
The Blue Jays are reportedly monitoring the market for Blake Snell (USA Today)
The Yankees and Rangers are considered to be the frontrunners to sign reliever Héctor Neris (MLB.com)