These key players have Mets fans ready to get hurt again

Inside every Mets fan, there are two wolves. One, the eternal optimist, believing against all reason that this will be the year that will make decades of heartache worth it. The other knows deep down that baseball is life, and life is pain.

After a tumultuous offseason that saw fan favorites Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil leave town for various reasons, hope springs eternal once again, as it always does, on Opening Day. This roster has been remade in president of baseball operations David Stearns' image, and Mets fans are going to have to get used to it.

Despite the loss of such dynamic players, the Mets are pegged by most to be a top contender this year. PECOTA projections have them narrowly winning the NL East over the Braves, with only the Dodgers, Mariners and Cubs ending the season with more wins. Of the 30 MLB analysts, writers and editors that ESPN polled, 16 picked the Mets to win the division, and only one of those 30 said they'd miss the playoffs.

For whatever reason, the Mets have been an incredible Opening Day team. They have a 41-24 record all time in their first game of the season, better than any other franchise, but they'll face the toughest of tests when they take on reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes this time around.

Regardless of what happens against the hard-throwing Pirates righty, there will still be 161 games to go when Thursday's festivities are over. I'd tell Mets fans not to get too high or too low based on one result, but as one myself, I know that's impossible.

Everyone that bleeds blue and orange is ready to get hurt again, and these are the players who will ultimately decide which wolf wins out. Is this the year, or is more pain in store?

Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean may not be the Mets' Opening Day starter (that honor belongs to new arrival Freddy Peralta), but it's not an exaggeration to say that he's the most important player to take the mound for the Mets since Jacob deGrom left town. The 24-year-old has absolutely filthy stuff, including a mid-90s sinker that saws off right-handed batters, a devastating curve and a sweeper from hell with more break than most people could achieve with a wiffleball.

McLean started the final of the World Baseball Classic just 10 days ago and held his own, so he's no stranger to big expectations. Mets fans have anointed highly touted pitchers before, though, with mixed results. Things turned out great for deGrom, but success was fleeting for his rotation mates Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard. Mets fans of a certain age will unfortunately remember "Generation K" and how none of the trio of Bill Pulsipher, Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson panned out in the slightest, at least in New York.

McLean represents hope for the future, but he also has the stuff to carry the Mets right now. If he pitches at a Cy Young level, it could vault this team into the World Series. If he falters, their ceiling will be considerably lower.

Bo Bichette

Losing Pete Alonso sucks. There's just not much other way to put it. This lineup will miss his power, and the fans will miss his LFGM attitude. They say time heals all wounds, but that's not always true. Scoring a ton of runs, however, does. That's where Bo Bichette comes in.

Bichette isn't going to take over for Alonso at first base, but he'll be tasked with replacing as much of his offensive production as possible. He hit .311 last year for the Blue Jays, and his high contact rate should pair beautifully with Juan Soto's astronomical on-base percentage ahead of him.

If Bichette is on the field, he's going to produce, but that's no guarantee. He missed the end of the regular season and most of the playoffs last year with a PCL sprain, and in 2024 a calf strain limited him to just 81 games. He's also playing third base for the first time in his career since Francisco Lindor is already entrenched at short.

Bichette already endeared himself to Mets fans by leaving the Phillies at the altar to sign in Flushing, but to stay in their good graces, he'll need to produce.

Kodai Senga

Kodai Senga had a phenomenal debut season with the Mets in 2023. That feels like a long time ago though, because since then, he just hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to be the ace the Mets need him to be.

Senga missed the first half of the 2024 season with a shoulder strain, then strained his calf in his first start back, causing him to be out until the playoffs. He came back with a vengeance last year, pitching to a 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts before a hamstring strain put him on the shelf for a month. When he came back, he just wasn't the same. His velocity was down, and his ERA the rest of the way was nearly 6.00. Things got so bad that he was demoted to the minors in September.

Most Mets fans would have been happy trading Senga for peanuts this offseason, but the team kept him, and he looked great in spring training. Just when we think we're out, he pulls us back in. Let's hope it's for real this time.

Luis Robert Jr.

The Mets traded Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers for Marcus Semien this offseason. Acquiring the All-Star second baseman made Luisangel Acuna expendable, and so he was sent to the White Sox for Luis Robert Jr.

Robert has spent his entire six-year career with the White Sox, a reality that has become increasingly depressing for all involved. The Mets are hoping a change of scenery is just what he needs to regain his old form, as he slugged 38 homers and 36 doubles in 2023, but only hit 28 and 31, respectively, in the two years since.

The Mets have had minimal production from center field in recent times, so whatever Robert can give them should be an improvement. The power is a question mark, but at the very least, he should provide them with a reliable glove, and some speed, as he stole a career-high 33 bases last year.

The Mets more or less know what they'll get from Semien and Bichette. Robert is the one new addition with a wide range of potential outcomes.

Carson Benge

Given the way MLB teams are incentivized to keep top prospects in the minors to start the season so as to keep control over them for an extra year, it's fairly rare these days to see a rookie make his debut on Opening Day. That's exactly what Carson Benge will do though after his impressive spring training, and not only that, he'll get the start in right field.

Benge is a five-tool player that Mets fans are rightfully excited about. He posted an .857 OPS as he rapidly ascended the minors last year, and this spring, he showed an ability to hit to all fields while tying for the team lead in hits. He's also a stone-cold lock to make the Citi Field crowd jump out of their seats multiple times this season with his cannon of an arm.

Playing in the crucible of New York isn't easy for established veterans, and we've all seen just how tough it can be for young players. The Mets have a loaded lineup, so hopefully Benge doesn't put too much pressure on himself as he embarks on his big league career. If he can quickly find his footing and develop on the fly, it would make this easily one of the deepest lineups in baseball.

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