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New York Mets 2016 Opening Day Roster Preview

By Stephen Conway

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First Base:

Lucas Duda has this position locked up. Duda has nine home runs and 25 RBI’s to go along with a .275 batting average. New York wanted to make sure Duda could replicate his remarkable 2014 season before they offered him a contract, and he did. The price tag will probably be higher now, assuming Duda continues to perform, but New York gets a solid power hitting first baseman for years to come.

Second Base:

May 6, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets second baseman

Dilson Herrera

(2) hits an RBI single against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Murphy’s ride in New York will come to a close after the 2015 season. One of New York most consistent hitters over the past few years. All indications are that New York will not re-sign the second baseman. Murphy’s achilles heal has been his fielding, which has been an issue over the years. The future at second base is Dilson Herrera. Herrera, working back from an injury, is a fine-tuned fielder with a solid bat.

Shortstop:

At this position, its a toss up. While Wilmer Flores has been producing with his bat, his defense is suspect, and his average has dipped under .250. This is not Flores’ natural position, but Ruben Tejada’s inconsistent play catapulted Flores to be the opening day shortstop. If Tejada continues to prove that he’s worthy of a second look, he can potentially regain his starting spot. If David Wright can no longer play baseball, Flores could move to third, which would allow Tejada to play at short. However, my pick is Matt Reynolds. Reynolds is hitting .292 in Triple-A, but had a great spring training. He’s a reliable fielder, and a solid, consistent bat. He’s also versatile. Reynolds at short with Flores at third is not a bad left side of the infield. If Wright is able to return, then you have a three-way competition at short.

Mar 24, 2015; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets shortstop Matt Reynolds (55) is late with the tag as Houston Astros right fielder

George Springer

(4) steals second base at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Third Base:

We’ve basically discussed. Unless Alderson makes a move to acquire a proven third baseman or shortstop before the trade deadline or during the off-season, its either Wright’s spot or competition between Flores and others.

Catcher:

While Kevin Plawecki has done a nice job in Travis d’Arnaud’s absence, it’s d’Arnaud’s spot to lose. d’Arnaud was hitting .317 before he went down with an injury, and was beginning to look like the prospect everyone thought he was. Anthony Recker is a reliable back-up, but I see this shaping up as d’Arnaud starting with Plawecki getting platoon duty.

Outfield:

Another toss-up, much like short and third. Juan Lagares is the center fielder of the future. The Michael Cuddyer experiment has not worked out thus far. And unfortunately, neither has the Curtis Granderson one. Both players will still be under contract after the 2015 season. Depending upon how these two finish out the season, New York may be in play to sign or trade for a big time outfielder, the one they’ve been searching for for the past few years. A couple names to watch out for from the farm system: Jayce Boyd, Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Cesar Puello.

The future most certainly looks bright for New York. If their pitching continues to be healthy, and their young position players can develop into consistent offensive weapons, 2016 looks like a very promising year for Terry Collins and the Mets.

Next: Where do the Mets rank in our Power Rankings?

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