New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

After a season that fell short of expectations, the New York Mets are reportedly open to tinkering with the lineup, including potentially moving outfielder Brandon Nimmo down from the leadoff spot. The lefty had a bit of a power surge last season, smacking a career-high 24 home runs. If he can maintain that power he could provide some protection in the lineup for Pete Alonso, but it's uncertain who would fill the void at the top if they were to make the change, although they do have three intriguing options in Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, and Starling Marte. The case could be made, however, that each of them has their own issues that render them not viable at the top of the order. Regardless, the former first-round draft pick should continue to be an on-base machine, with a career .380 OBP. Being at the top of the lineup would provide him more at-bats and would boost his run totals, but he'd presumably be in line for more RBI opportunities if moved down. He doesn't steal many bases, so the move might be a wash for fantasy purposes. As it stands, the 30-year-old is going off draft boards around pick 189, but RotoBaller ranks him higher, at 174 overall.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez went 2-for-2 on Friday in a 3-1 Grapefruit League win over the Miami Marlins. The backstop also recorded an RBI and two runs scored. It was the second straight game with a home run for Alvarez and third of the spring. He's off to a nice start, going 5-for-14 (.357) with a double, three home runs, five RBI, and five runs scored. He's also walked more than he's struck out, with four and two respectively. He always had strong walk rates in the minors prior to the 8.0% he posted in 2023, so expect a bounce in OBP this season and his power should once again be one of the best at the position.

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso blasted his second home run of the spring on Friday in a 3-1 Grapefruit League victory over the Miami Marlins. It was the only hit of the day for the 3x All-Star, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. The two-time HR Derby champ is now 6-for-19 (.316) in Grapefruit League action with all six of his hits going for extra bases. Alonso has two home runs and four doubles to go along with three walks (.409 OBP), two RBI, and three runs scored. Looks like the former second-round draft pick will have another productive season at the plate and will justify his ADP of 27 overall.

The Miami Marlins and free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez are in discussions as the slugger lingers on the open market. The Marlins lost their primary designated hitter from last season Jorge Soler to the San Francisco Giants in free agency, so a fit with Martinez makes sense. However, the club could also go with a rotating DH combo of Josh Bell and Jake Burger as Martinez is reportedly seeking a two-year deal. The veteran is coming off of a massive season with the Dodgers in which he hit .271 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI despite appearing in just 113 games a season ago. Despite his utility-only eligibility and his unsure landing spot in free agency, Martinez still makes sense for fantasy managers around his 235.2 ADP.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez showed more of his prodigious power on Thursday as he clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning of his team's 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals. The long ball was the sophomore's second of the spring after he flashed some notable power as a rookie in 2023. Alvarez hit 25 homers a season ago, second-best among all big league catchers behind the Mariners' Cal Raleigh (30). At the same time, he hit just .209 and struck out in 26% of his plate appearances but the power display continued a trend from his minor-league career. ATC projects 24 more homers from the 22-year-old in the 2024 season with an increased .228 average, making him one of the top-rated backstops in fantasy drafts this spring.