Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor lead Mets infield

Although the Mets are entering 2024 with new faces on their roster, it appears the infield is largely the same as in recent seasons. This is certainly not bad news for a club that has one of the best cores in the infield.

This group starts with the obvious cornerstones: Alonso at first base and Lindor at shortstop. These two players played 635 games out of a possible 648 games over the last two campaigns, resulting in 98% of games played. If no injuries occur, there is no reason to think that they will not be able to continue playing at their peak every day.

Uncertainty begins after Alonso and Lindor. McNeil, one of the most important pieces in the team’s offense, will begin the season as the starting second baseman. But the Queens team enters spring training with bigger questions on the outfield than the infield, meaning McNeil will likely play multiple positions. With Ronnie Mauricio out for the season, McNeil currently looks better at second base, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has said the same thing publicly. But just one injury can change everything.

On the other hand, problems also arise at third base. The Mets did not strengthen the position in the offseason, leaving Batty, Mark Vientos, and Joey Wendle as their main options. In an ideal world for the organization, Batty would take over the position. But despite seeing plenty of chances last season, he hasn’t achieved it, leaving Vientos open to taking advantage and earning more playing time. The veteran Wendell, signed as a free agent, looks best as a utility player. No matter what happens with the youngsters, he will see action at the hot corner.

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There is room for both players on the roster. Wendle figures to be the main backup at second base, third base, and shortstop, while Vientos could see a lot of time at third base and as a designated hitter (also at first base in case something happens with Alonso). Others will compete for spots, but if the Mets move forward with a traditional five-man bench, only two backup infielders will be part of the club.

One of Stearns’ first moves as New York executive was to claim Short off waivers, who brings speed, good plate discipline and defensive versatility to the roster. The Mets then gave Wendle a guaranteed contract, limiting Short’s path to a roster spot somewhat. Short will spend training trying to prove that he is worthy anyway.

Similarly, Bannon can play infield. He has shown more thunderous ability than Short in the minor leagues, where he will likely start the season.

The Mets raised eyebrows in the industry when they managed to acquire top 100 prospect Acuña from the Rangers for Max Scherzer at last year’s trade deadline. After spending almost all of last season in Double-A, Acuña could see most of 2024 at Triple-A Syracuse, where he can expect a call up to MLB at any time. This is the same situation Mauricio faced in 2023, but a torn tendon in his right knee will force the Dominican to wait until 2025 for the opportunity to return to the majors.

Williams is a shortstop and outfielder who won’t make an impact until 2025, but could become one of baseball’s top prospects over that period. He moved up to the Double-A level last year and is currently the organization’s highest-rated prospect on the top 100 list.

Others in the system – including Colin Hawk, a first-round pick in the MLB draft, and Mexican Marco Vargas, acquired in a trade – are a long way from the big team and have a lot to prove before making their debut.