Spring training is finally here, and it's safe to say New York Mets fans are over the moon right now. Juan Soto has officially reported to Port St. Lucie, and he looks as awesome as expected in his new team's gear.
Juan Soto has arrived at @Mets camp 😎 pic.twitter.com/ImZdjBIpN4
— MLB (@MLB) February 16, 2025
While most of the attention will obviously go in Soto's direction, his spot on the team's Opening Day roster is obviously entrenched - he will be the team's Opening Day right fielder.
Most of this Mets roster is solidified, but there are some position battles for New York fans to keep a watchful eye on (while, of course, enjoying watching Soto dominate at the plate).
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4) The final bullpen spot will come down to whether the Mets prioritize talent or depth
When deciding on an Opening Day roster, the ideal scenario would be for teams to carry the best 26 players. As much of a no-brainer as that might seem to be, it isn't that simple. Roster construction in MLB is really tough, and a lot of times teams prioritize flexibility over talent.
For example, most of the Mets bullpen is set into stone. Edwin Diaz will be the team's unquestioned closer, with free agent acquisitions A.J. Minter and Ryne Stanek being his primary set-up men. Jose Butto will hope to follow up his breakout year as a multi-inning reliever out of the 'pen. Those four are locked into the bullpen, with three spots only potentially being up for grabs.
In an ideal world, two of those three spots would be occupied by Reed Garrett and Dedniel Nunez, two important pieces of the 2024 bullpen. Those two players, however, have options, allowing the Mets to send them down to the minor leagues without risking losing them to waivers. Guys like Danny Young, Sean Reid-Foley, Griffin Canning, and Paul Blackburn do not.
Garrett, considering how vital he was to the bullpen last season, will probably make the team, but the last two spots are up for grabs. The sixth spot will likely be held by whoever loses out on the final starting pitching vacancy, leaving the last two spots up to Young, Reid-Foley, and Nunez.
Nunez being out of options is likely to begin the year in Triple-A. As of right now, I'd probably take Young over Reid-Foley in the bullpen just to get the second left-handed option, but it really can go either way.
Bullpen battle winner: Danny Young over Sean Reid-Foley and Dedniel Nunez
3) Jose Iglesias likely departure leaves the Mets without a clear-cut backup infielder
Soon after re-signing Pete Alonso, David Stearns revealed that the Jose Iglesias era in Queens is probably over. Iglesias played a massive role in getting the Mets to the postseason both on and off the field, but the Mets, somewhat understandably, are valuing flexibility over bringing the fan favorite back - at least for now.
Assuming Iglesias does end up elsewhere, that leaves the Mets without a clear backup infielder and three possible options to replace Iglesias on the roster. The presumptive favorite for that spot is Ronald Acuña Jr.'s brother, Luisangel Acuña played well in his brief 14-game sample down the stretch this past season, and would offer the Mets the more speed and overall upside off the bench than his competitors, but also has the least amount of experience.
The other young player gunning for that spot is Brett Baty, an infielder who at one point was considered one of the best prospects in the sport but has been unable to find his footing at the MLB level. Baty offers the most offensive upside of the trio, but he's played very little second base, little to no first base, and no shortstop whatsoever. His lack of defensive versatility probably makes him a longshot.
Nick Madrigal, the veteran of this trio, was at one point an exciting player for the Chicago White Sox, but he has struggled to stay healthy and productive in recent years. He's a solid defender and has good bat-to-ball skills, much like Iglesias, but his lack of experience at shortstop could prove to be costly.
In the end, Acuña's upside and ability to play shortstop will likely earn him the roster spot, even if he's better served as an everyday player in the minor leagues.
Bench battle winner: Luisangel Acuña over Nick Madrigal and Brett Baty
2) The Mets have two viable starting center fielders on their roster
The first major move made by the Mets this offseason saw them acquire Jose Siri. No, he isn't Juan Soto, but he's an upgrade over Harrison Bader who was New York's center fielder for much of the 2025 campaign. Siri figures to play often, but Tyrone Taylor is still in Flushing. Who starts in center field could easily come down to who has the better spring training.
Siri offers the most upside between the two. His defense is as good as it gets in center field, and offers blazing speed as well. What makes Siri particularly interesting is that he's got power. He hit 25 home runs in 2023 and 18 in 2024 for the Tampa Bay Rays. For reference, Taylor has hit 48 home runs in parts of six MLB seasons. The problem, though, is that Siri offers little else offensively other than power, as his putrid .187/.255/.366 slash line from 2024 proves.
Taylor doesn't have as much upside as Siri, but his floor is much higher. He's not going to hit 25 home runs, but also won't hit under .200. Taylor's strikeout rate from this past season (23.2 percent) blows Siri (37.2 percent) out of the park as well. His defense isn't as good as Siri's, but it's still quite good at all three outfield positions.
Chances are, these two will both play a ton in the early going until one severely outplays the other. For now, I'll say Taylor will win the starting nod because the Mets know what they have with him - he was, after all, their starter for most of their postseason games. Again, though, Siri is going to play a lot.
Center field battle winner: Tyrone Taylor over Jose Siri
1) The final starting rotation spot is wide open
Most of the Mets rotation is set, assuming everyone can find a way to stay healthy in spring training. Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga will lead what should be a solid rotation in 2025, followed by, in any particular order, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Frankie Montas. There's no superstars in this rotation, but the Mets should have five solid arms to turn to. The only spot up for grabs is the sixth and final rotation spot, which the Mets will use primarily to keep Senga, a pitcher used to working with an extra day of rest, on the field.
There are likely three candidates for this sixth spot. Tylor Megill is the one Mets fans are most familiar with, but considering the fact that he's got a minor league option, he's likely headed to Triple-A. That leaves us with a battle between Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning for that final spot.
Since the Mets chose to tender a contract to Blackburn and gave Canning an MLB deal as a free agent, chances are, they'll both make the Opening Day roster with one of them in the rotation and one of them in the bullpen. The only question is who will earn that sixth starter spot. This really could go either way, but should have one simple answer.
Blackburn, a pitcher who has just four relief appearances in parts of eight MLB seasons, profiles as a pitcher who'd only really succeed in the rotation. He does not strike many batters out and gives up a good amount of hits, leaving him vulnerable in a relief role. Canning, on the other hand, has a strikeout rate (22.2 percent) almost five percent higher than Blackburn (17.8 percent), giving him a bit more upside coming out of the bullpen, even with his lack of experience in relief.
Canning is coming off a season which saw him lead the AL in earned runs allowed. Perhaps a change of scenery from the Los Angeles Angels and a change of role from starter to reliever can help him break out ever so slightly. Clearly, the Mets liked something they saw in him enough to sign him. This could come down to who pitches better in the spring, but if they're mostly comparable, I'd give the starting nod to Blackburn and stick Canning in the bullpen.