Starling Marte Ready For Regular Season
Starling Marte. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO
Time to get ready for the Marte Party!
Sunday afternoon was the final tune up in the Mets spring season, as the team prepares to begin another season of baseball on March 30th. One of those people who got the most out of their final few reps is Mets outfielder Starling Marte. Yesterday, Marte had a strong showing, contributing directly to two out of three runs scored by the Mets, by going 3-for-3, with two doubles, while driving in a run and scoring a run himself, in the Mets 3-3 tie against the Miami Marlins.
Starling Marte gets the Mets on the board with an RBI double pic.twitter.com/MnqrP2POxA
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2023
Marte’s success in spring training has been a pleasant development for the Mets, as he concludes with a fantastic slash line of .344/.361/.535, earning him a solid .924 OPS. Based on his performance in the spring, he appears to be fully healed and ready to compete in the upcoming regular season. Last season, Starling Marte played in 118 games for the Mets and displayed impressive stats in what was a stellar first season in NY, boasting a slash line of .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs, 63 RBI, and 76 runs.
As he prepares for his second season of a lucrative four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets, the 34-year-old outfielder revealed that he had been experiencing leg pain for much of the 2022 season. Despite the discomfort, Marte opted to play through the pain during the final stretch of the season. Marte was hit by a pitch in early September against the Pittsburgh Pirates that forced him to miss most of the month.
Marte was able to come back before the Mets Wild Card series versus San Diego, but was clearly not 100 percent. Additionally, in examining him, doctors discovered a slight separation in the tendons connecting the groin muscles, Further examination revealed potential wear on both sides, leading to surgery being performed on both groin muscles on November 1. There were legitimate concerns that Marte would not be ready for spring training and at worst, opening day.
After a slight delay at the start of spring due to lingering concerns of his surgery in November, Marte finally saw game action in the middle of March. During the Mets’ 10-4 exhibition loss to the Rays, he was hit in the left ear flap by a fastball from Rays pitcher Elvin Rodriguez that was clocked at 93 mph. Despite the severity of the impact, Marte was able to leave the field unaided. Following the incident, initial tests for a concussion returned negative, and Buck Showalter, the team’s manager, reported that Marte was fully coherent during conversations.
After the dust settled though and Marte was able to shake off the cobwebs, it looks as if he is ready for the upcoming season, as evident by his performance this spring as well as yesterday’s final tune up. The Mets cause for caution seems to have been the right move with Marte’s progression, as there hasn’t been a delay or set back since, all but earmarking him for Opening Day. Earlier in the spring, Marte played a full nine innings in right field for the first time, which may have convinced manager Buck Showalter that he is ready for the upcoming season. Showalter emphasized the importance of the final week and noted that Marte knows how crucial it is to be fully prepared and ready. Despite his decline in stolen bases last season, Marte still considers it a critical part of his game.
“I just kind of listened to what the trainers told me, what to do with my recovery, and I just followed it,” Marte said Saturday at Clover Park through an interpreter. “I feel my speed is good. I have stolen a couple of bases here so I feel like the operation, it helped, it worked and it feels good.”
The New York Mets will heavily rely on Marte this season, given his importance to the team’s success. Marte possesses strong plate discipline and is one of the team’s most consistent players when it comes to getting on base. If he can return to his previous base-stealing form, it would be a significant advantage and added boost for both him and the Mets this season.
As an experienced outfielder with exceptional speed and base-stealing abilities, Marte is a versatile player who can play a steady right field or center field in a pinch, as needed, making him a valuable asset to the Mets. A healthy Starling Marte will mean the world for this Mets club in 2023.
The post Starling Marte Ready For Regular Season first appeared on Metsmerized Online.