Sunday was a day of highs and lows in Mets world. The Mets announced before the game that Francisco Alvarez needed surgery in his hand would be out for at least 6-8 weeks. Every spring training game now is even more important from a catching perspective as the Mets try to figure out who is next up on the depth chart. As of writing, the Mets have not signed anyone, and there is only one catcher, Luis Torrens, on the 40-man roster. There is now an open competition between Jakson Reetz, Hayden Senger and Chris Williams who are all still in the Major League camp (Kevin Parada was cut about a week or so ago).
The highs yesterday all came from the game. Clay Holmes got stretched out to 67 pitches, shutout the Nations over 3 2/3 innings. Jakson Reetz hit a grand slam. Mark Vientos hit his first home run of the spring. The Mets look to keep the on field success going tonight as they search for their third win in a row.
Three Things To Watch For:
- Griffin Canning. Canning is competing for the last spot in the rotation or to be the sixth starter if the Mets decide to roll with six after the first two weeks of the season. In 1 2/3 innings this spring, he has allowed two hits and a walk but no runs while striking out two batters. Canning was raving about the pitching lab when he signed with the Mets. At the end of 2024 he added a sweeper and he is also tinkering with a new sinker. We are watching today specifically for these pitches and how hitters handle them.
- Starling Marte. Marte makes his spring debut as the DH this evening! With the signing of Juan Soto, Marte will be in a DH platoon with Jesse Winker, with both players finding time in the field depending on whether Brandon Nimmo is playing in center or in a corner spot. There was some chatter about trading Marte throughout the off-season and it’s still a possibility.
- Luis Torrens. Given the news over the weekend about Alvarez, Luis Torrens becomes that much more important for the Mets in 2025. He had to do this last season to when Alvarez missed serious time after a ligament surgery. In 2024 he hit .229/.292/.373 with an 89 OPS+ and a 0.7 bWAR. If he can hit near a league average OPS+, the Mets should be able to tread water until Alvarez comes back.
Let’s Go Mets!
