3 Up, 3 Down: Early Spring Training Review

Welcome to the first 3 Up, 3 Down of the 2025 MLB season!

As is the case for players during this time of year, we’re going to ramp up over the coming weeks before returning for each series throughout the regular season.

Until then, in the first spring training edition, we’re going to take a look at the good and the bad from the opening 10 Grapefruit League games for the New York Mets.

With the Mets having had their first off day of spring on Wednesday, now seems a good time to take stock of everything we’ve seen so far. And, while you can’t get too caught up in anything that happens during this time of year, we have witnessed some notable trends that are worth paying attention to.

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in…

3 UP

LEAVING AN IMPRESSION

The only real roster spot competition up for grabs coming into camp was the battle for the backup infielder job. With Nick Madrigal suffering a season-ending injury, that opened up the door for a number of other contenders for the role. Well, 10 games in, the job is Brett Baty‘s to lose. The third baseman has come out swinging this spring. Baty is off to a red-hot start, hitting .444/.500/.833/.1.333. He also has two doubles, two homers, two walks and three RBIs in 20 plate appearances. Talk about making a mark.

Granted, Baty still has much to prove, especially at the major league level. We still need to see if Baty can consistently put it together on the biggest stage. However, his spring exploits so far have been nothing short of encouraging. If he can keep this up, then a spot on the Opening Day roster will be his. Furthermore, with Jeff McNeil struggling, maybe a more sizable opportunity at second base will open up for Baty.

POWER SURGE?

Now feels like the right time to remind you that it is foolish to overreact to anything you see in spring training. Good or bad. So, on that note, let’s not kid ourselves that Jose Siri is about to turn into the second coming of Pete Alonso. But, on the flip-side, it is okay to be encouraged by Siri’s ceiling. The outfielder has three hits so far this spring – all home runs – to go along with three walks and seven RBIs. He’s also hitting .250/.438/.1.000/.1.438. Talk about an eye-opening slash line.

At this point, it is important to note that Siri has also struck out four times in 12 spring training at-bats. It is also worth remembering that Siri has shown in previous years that he can hit for power. He’s also shown he can be incredibly streaky. But, if he can harness the power he’s shown so far in spring and make contact consistently, that would provide a huge boost to the bottom of the lineup in 2025. There is no denying Siri’s ceiling. And, if he can pair consistent power with Gold Glove-caliber defense and excellent baserunning ability, then the Mets may just well have a multi-dimensional threat on their hands.

SMOOTH TRANSITION 

There are still a ton of question marks hovering over the starting rotation for the Mets. However, we are starting to get a positive answer to one of those many questions. While only spring training, Clay Holmes has looked dominant in his two starts so far. He has tossed six scoreless innings with five strikeouts, one walk and one hit allowed. That’s dominant. Holmes has been using all four of his pitches, with his new four-seamer and changeup both having the potential to be dangerous weapons against opposing hitters. Again, it is early but, so far, Holmes’ transition to a starter has gone swimmingly and he’s been one of the standouts of spring to date. If he continues on this trajectory, he will add some much-needed stability to a rotation that has a lot of boom or bust potential.

3 DOWN

ROTATION BODY BLOWS

On the subject of the starting rotation, an already weak point of the roster was further ailed when both Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea went down early in spring. Montas will likely miss months with a lat strain. The outlook on Manaea is brighter, but he will still miss the start of the regular season with an oblique strain. Losing both starters acted as a wrecking ball smashing through the Mets’ pitching plans. Manaea emerged as a legit ace in 2024, and he was poised to lead the rotation once again. Montas, while very much a wild card, figured to at least offer some stability and some potential upside behind Manaea. Losing both puts an already fragile starting rotation in an even tougher spot as we edge closer to Opening Day.

CAN THE REAL MCNEIL PLEASE STAND UP

Jeff McNeil endured a turbulent 2024 season. He looked all but done after an awful first half of the season, only to engineer a stunning turnaround after the All-Star break. However, the veteran has looked lost at the plate again to start spring training. He went 0-for-3 against the Cardinals on Tuesday. As a result, he’s now hitting .211 to go along with three strikeouts. Again, there is still plenty of time to turn things around. But, if McNeil gets off to a slow start in the regular season, that may allow the likes of Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña to get more playing time at second base. And, if his spring struggles do indeed carry over into the regular season, it may be time to seriously wonder about the veteran’s future in Queens.

WRITING ON THE WALL? 

One Met who may well be coming to the end is Starling Marte. The outfielder has struggled to even take batting practice this spring, let alone get on the field for a Grapefruit League game. Only projected to be a bit-part player anyway, it may be time to move on from Marte. His body continues to break down, and his production has diminished year-on-year. The fact that he is still struggling with the same knee injury from last year is also somewhat concerning. With the Royals still reportedly interested in a trade, now could be the time to cut ties with Marte, who may not have a whole lot left to offer in 2025.

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