Mets Voted as NL’s Most Improved Team in The Athletic’s Survey

Industry experts voted the Mets most improved in the National League, the top storyline to watch this spring and shared mixed opinions on the Freddy Peralta trade, according to an annual survey done by Jayson Stark of The Athletic that was published Friday.

Stark, who has done this exercise for 20 years, however, wrote that the Mets getting the nod for most improved was the “strangest ‘victory’ in survey history.” It was odd because of feedback and other seemingly conflicting survey results:

• “Not sure it’s better, but it really is different,” an American League executive told Stark of the Mets’ new look. “And I think they needed it.”
• An NL executive said at least, “they are taking sort of the opposite approach of the Phillies (not standing pat) … Did (the Mets) get better overall on paper? Probably not, but they restructured the roster in such a way that I believe they will be contenders while also addressing the clubhouse.”
• One voter included the Mets on their “least improved” list because, he said, “just about every move they’ve made” made them worse at positions all over the field.
• Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz got votes in the best free agent category and Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien earned nods for “best subtraction.”

Following New York in the balloting for most improved were the Dodgers, Cubs, Pirates, Braves and Giants.

The survey ranked the best free agent signings in this order: Alonso, Díaz, Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and Framber Valdez. On the flip side, the worst FA signings were: Dylan Cease, Tucker, Alonso, Bichette, Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco.

Stark asked for the best trades, and the Peralta deal drew varied opinions. The Mets’ end of the deal was named second best (First was the Mariners getting Brendan Donovan). But fourth on the best trade list was “loved both ends of the Peralta trade” and seventh on the board was “Milwaukee’s haul for Peralta.”

The Peralta deal “works for both sides,” a rival NL executive told Stark. “The Mets are trying to get to the next level. The Brewers just keep doing their thing, trading guys while they have high value and acquiring players who fit their development and can impact their major-league club soon.”

Someone voted in the best trade category for “all Mets trades that eliminated the negative culture,” which Stark deduced to be the deals that sent Brandon Nimmo to Texas and Jeff McNeil to the A’s.

In “rookies to watch this spring,” Nolan McLean was fourth behind Konnor Griffin (Pirates), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) and JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals).

The Mets, tabbed the top “storyline to watch this spring,” were followed in that category by the Tigers, Pirates, Dodgers and Giants.

In the American League, the Orioles (who added Alonso, Taylor Ward, Andrew Kittredge, Ryan Helsley, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt) were voted most improved, followed by the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners, Tigers and White Sox.

The survey was of 36 active and retired executives, managers, coaches and scouts.

The post Mets Voted as NL’s Most Improved Team in The Athletic’s Survey appeared first on Metsmerized Online.