After an active season that created the largest payroll in MLB history, the New York Mets won just 75 games. While there were positives from 2023, the reality was that 2023 ended far differently than what was expected from the team in Queens. Here’s our recap of the Mets’ 2023 season.
Related: How the Diamondbacks Made the 2023 World Series
The Offensive Numbers
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 717 | 20th |
| Home Runs | 215 | 10th |
| OPS | .723 | 18th |
| Whiff% | 24.6% | 10th |
| Hard Hit% | 40.1% | 16th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.20 | 13th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.45 | 22nd |
| Strikeouts | 1,398 | 16th |
| Whiff% | 26.2% | 11th |
| Chase% | 27.6% | 23rd |
The Good
The Mets finished in the top ten in home runs in 2023 thanks to three of the game’s best at the dish.
First baseman Pete Alonso belted 46 home runs and finished second in the Majors in RBI (118). Shortstop Francisco Lindor hit .254/.336/.470 and posted a 30-30 campaign for the first time in his MLB career.
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo proved to be incredibly valuable to the Mets over the past three seasons and he did not disappoint just months after he received an eight-year extension to remain in Queens.
Nimmo set career-highs in games played (152), home runs (24), and extra-base hits (60) and yet again proved to be a force atop the Mets lineup thanks to his ability to draw walks.
On the pitching side of things, no Met shined brighter than Kodai Senga. The 30-year-old was highly regarded in free agency last winter thanks to the “ghost fork,” and it didn’t disappoint. Senga struck out 202 over 166.1 IP in his first MLB season and posted the fifth-best ERA (2.98) in the league. That forkball, by the way, had a Whiff% rate of 59.5% this season.
The Mets also received sound results from David Robertson, Brooks Raley, and Adam Ottavino out of the bullpen, as well as strong late-season performances from starters Joey Lucchesi and Tylor Megill.
The Bad
In 2022, the Mets ranked among the top six in both runs scored (772) and OPS (.744). While the dropoff between 2022 and 2023 can’t be blamed on Alonso, Nimmo, or Lindor, it was largely due to some down years from a couple of veterans, injuries, and growing pains from the team’s youngsters.
Starling Marte played just 86 games and hit .248/.301/.324 with little power. Jeff McNeil got hot over the final two months but did not replicate his 2022 campaign. Third baseman Brett Baty hit just .212/.275/.323, while Francisco Alvarez — who did have a solid season for the most part — hit just .167/.265/.318 over the final two months.
Then, there were the injuries. Starters Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Jose Quintana all missed time in 2023, while closer Edwin Diaz missed all of 2023 thanks to a torn patellar tendon suffered during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Even though the Mets were in a playoff spot at the start of June, poor stretches in June and July led to New York to take a different approach at the Trade Deadline.
The Mets opted to deal then-closer David Robertson to the Marlins, then further tore it down with trades that sent Max Scherzer (Rangers), Justin Verlander (Astros), Tommy Pham (Diamondbacks), and Mark Canha (Brewers) elsewhere.
What to Look For in 2024
The Mets built themselves an intriguing young nucleus, one that includes Alvarez, Baty, and the bevy of prospects added at the Trade Deadline. However, much work is to be done in order to get the Mets back to playoff contention.
New York took care of part of that when ownership hired David Stearns to lead baseball operations, but the Mets still need a manager to replace Buck Showalter. And, the Mets must also navigate what will be a very interesting offseason.
The Mets have been heavily linked to both superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto has dominated in Japan and at 25 years of age, makes a ton of sense for a Mets team that doesn’t have a lot of near-MLB-ready pitching talent in the Minors.
Then, there’s Pete Alonso. Alonso is one year away from free agency and will ask for a hefty sum. The first baseman is a homegrown slugger with plus-plus power that’s hard to find, but it will be interesting to see how much the Mets would be willing to offer Alonso.