The New York Mets were left for dead in May but have surged back to snatch the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League as Major League Baseball pauses for its All-Star break.
As the win-loss column dictated, the roster itself experienced quite the gamut of ebbs and flows throughout the first three-and-a-half months of the 2024 season, but a strong finish makes this a report card that most Mets won’t mind showing off.
2024 New York Mets mid-season grades
Francisco Alvarez, A: The Mets’ catcher appeared to be the missing link of a winning puzzle because when he plays, the positive results roll in. The Mets are 30-11 in the last 41 games he has played in dating back to April 4 — a number that was limited due to a thumb injury. Despite being just 22 years old, he has developed into a glue guy in the clubhouse who is loved by the pitchers he works with (they have a 3.42 ERA when he’s behind the plate). His bat has come around, too, after returning from the IL, as he’s batting .296 with an .844 OPS.
Pete Alonso, B-: The slugging first baseman trudged through his fair share of slumps including a 2-for-36 stretch in early May. His numbers are healing with an average that has gotten back up to .240, but this is just the second time in a full 162-game season that Alonso hits the break with fewer than 20 home runs. Perhaps that seems like a big deal because of the high standards he has built, but a .772 OPS leaves plenty to be desired.
Jeff McNeil, D+: The 2022 season in which McNeil won a batting title feels like a decade ago as the second baseman continues to find any sort of consistency at the plate. He is batting a paltry .216 with a .591 OPS, which is on pace for obvious career worsts.
Francisco Lindor, A-: One of baseball’s very best shortstops overcame another slow start to a season to become one of the National League’s top players over the last two months of the season. Much of that has to do with his move to the lead-off spot. Over his last 47 games, he is slashing .307/.387/.560 (.947 OPS) with 10 home runs and 29 RBI to pair with his expected sterling defense.
Mark Vientos, A-: The young third baseman had every reason to get down after the Mets acquired JD Martinez late in the spring, which prompted yet another demotion to Triple-A. But Vientos kept at it and when he was called back up to the bigs, he ran with it. Showing above-average power, the 21-year-old is batting .291 with an .896 OPS, 12 home runs, and 33 RBI in 51 games. That’s a 162-game pace of 38 home runs and 104 RBI.
Brandon Nimmo, A: No longer are we talking about Brandon Nimmo the lead-off man. Instead, we are talking about Brandon Nimmo the offensive threat. After posting a career-high 24 homers and 68 RBI last year, Nimmo is on pace to shatter those bests thanks to a torrid 24-game stretch in which he batted .344 with a 1.140 OPS, nine home runs, and 30 RBI. He has 16 home runs and 63 RBI already this season, doing most of his damage out of the No. 2 spot of the lineup.
Harrison Bader, B: For the most part, Bader has done the one thing that was most important to him when he signed with the Mets over the winter: Stay healthy. He has appeared in 84 games and the production has followed, batting .273 with eight home runs and 36 RBI. More importantly, he has been rock solid as expected out in center field.
Starling Marte, B-: A healthy Marte produced as expected, batting .278 with a .745 OPS, but the injury bug has cropped up again. After being limited to just 86 games last year, Marte landed on the IL with a bone bruise in his right knee.
JD Martinez, B-: He signed late, encountered a back issue, and then ramped up to speed but once he got there, the veteran designated hitter has looked like the usual JD Martinez we all know, especially from May 30 to June 23 when he batted .317 with a 1.052 OPS, six home runs, and 21 RBI. He has slowed down since then, though, batting .180 over the final three weeks of the first half.
Jose Iglesias, A: The veteran utility infielder has been a sparkplug of the Mets and the face of their rallying cry with his hit song, ‘OMG.’ But what should be highlighted is the fact that he has been incredibly reliable, providing smooth, rock-solid defense, which has always been his calling card. His bat, though, has been even better. He’s batting .380 with a .999 OPS in 30 games.
Tyrone Taylor, C: The reserve outfielder started hot but has cooled down significantly since, batting .185 since May 16.
DJ Stewart, D-: One of last year’s pleasant surprises amidst a disappointing season has not been able to replicate his successes in 2024. Stewart is batting just .173 in 65 games with a .635 OPS which is 205 points lower than the mark he put up last year.
Luis Torrens, B+: With Tomas Nido and Omar Narvaez proving ineffective in Francisco Alvarez’s absence, Torrens was a vital stopgap until the starting backstop returned. Torrens is now a more-than-serviceable backup catcher, batting .283 with an .881 OPS, three home runs, and nine RBI in 18 games.
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