Mets Fighting For Roster Spots In 2024

While the expectations for the 2024 Mets are not as hefty as they were for 2022 or 2023, they plan on competing, and for good reason. Much of the core remains with a plethora of youth on the way in the minor leagues. However, where there is an immediate glaring concern, and has been for some time, has been in the pitching department. What was once a flourishing faction with homegrown products like Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard has now become a big question mark.

The Mets most likely won’t be going after the big-ticket names like Aaron Nola or Julio Urías, although they reportedly will make a swing for generational superstar Shohei Ohtani. Contract-friendly pitchers such as Michael Lorenzen or Jordan Montgomery feel like foreseeable options with plenty of upside. With Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana the only locks in the rotation and Edwin Díaz, Brooks Raley, and most likely Adam Ottavino for the bullpen, there’s work to be done. Those empty spots can come from candidates within the organization.

Many Mets want to put the 2023 season behind them but it’s not a lost cause for a select few. The last weeks of summer and much of September will serve as an audition for a group of pitchers who will be fighting for a spot on the 2024 roster. Their performance over how many games they play might just be the deciding factor in what’s in store for them.

DAVID PETERSON

Since his debut in 2020, David Peterson has always been viewed as part of the solution to the Mets’ pitching woes, but it’s been an up-and-down journey for him so far in Queens. The former first-rounder had a brilliant year in 2022, pitching to a 3.83 ERA in 28 games with 126 strikeouts and 50 runs allowed in 105 innings. It’s been the opposite this year, with control being the crux of Peterson’s struggles. His strikeout rate is down from 27.8% to 24.2% and the long ball has given him problems as well. He’s allowed 11 home runs this year in just 20 games, compared to 11 home runs in 28 games last year.

Peterson is one of, if not, the first man up internally for the Mets. His last starts of 2023 will be a deciding factor in what his role is in 2024: starter, reliever (where he’s had some success this year), or depth.

Tylor Megill feels that today's start was a step in the right direction pic.twitter.com/YT1f7y4snI

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 16, 2023

TYLOR MEGILL

Like Peterson, Tylor Megill is one of the first names to come to mind when thinking about possible rotation solutions for 2024. However, his 2023 has been a similar story to Peterson’s. After a great showcase in 2022, he too has struggled with his command this year along with velocity. He’s pitching to a 5.53 ERA in 18 games with 69 strikeouts and 53 runs allowed in 86 innings. Megill has spent a majority of the season in Triple-A Syracuse where he has struggled mightily at times as well, but since his call-up in early August, his velocity has trickled back up.

For his final starts, it’s important to look at his stamina deep into games. He tends to start well, but after the first time around the batting order, he can’t work himself out of the jam. His ERA is 5.14 the first go around, but after, it stands at 7.44.

DREW SMITH

Acquired in the 2017 trade that sent Lucas Duda to the Rays, Drew Smith has been a fixture in the bullpen since his debut in 2018. After missing all of 2019 from Tommy John surgery, the right-hander is 11-10 in 155 games with a lifetime 3.48 ERA and 167 strikeouts.

He’s struggled in the 2023 campaign, posting a 4.20 ERA in 45 games, and has allowed 24 runs, 19 of them earned. His 10.7% walk rate and .237 BAA are both elevated compared to the past two seasons. However, his 2.8% home run rate and 41.9% hard-hit rate are down, showing he has improved in keeping the ball in the park. Control has been an issue for Smith and much of the pitching staff this season and it’s something to keep an eye on as the season ends.

JOEY LUCCHESI

If the Mets are looking to cut payroll for next season, Joey Lucchesi would be a fine option as their fifth starter heading into the 2024 season. The left-hander hasn’t pitched all that much for New York due to Tommy John surgery in 2022, but he’s been serviceable in his limited action, pitching to a 4.07 ERA in 14 total starts with the Mets.

Lucchesi has one year left of arbitration, likely resulting in a one-year contract under $5 million. That financial flexibility could be used to go after a higher-tier starting pitcher and allows the Mets to replace his roster spot with one of their younger starting pitchers in the minors without taking a big hit to their payroll. Lucchesi looked sharp in his start against the Cardinals on Friday and could earn himself a rotation spot in the last quarter of the season.

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