New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (groin) is hitting second and playing right field on Wednesday in his first winter ball game for the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic. It was another injury-filled year for Marte in 2023, but it's a good sign that he's already playing in games this offseason. The 35-year-old outfielder was a pretty big risk in fantasy leagues in 2023 while coming off double-groin surgery. The two-time All-Star ended up playing in only 86 games while hitting .248 (78-for-315) with only five home runs and 28 RBI, although he did steal 24 bases in 341 plate appearances. Marte could bounce back with better health in 2024, but he'll remain a pretty big injury risk and it remains to be seen how much he'll keep running as he tries to stay on the field late in his career.

New York Mets rookie infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) underwent surgery to fix a torn ACL in his right knee on Wednesday and is expected to be out anywhere from eight to 12 months. Mauricio suffered the serious injury while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The promising 22-year-old will now be forced to miss most of the 2024 season. He was slated to open spring training competing with Brett Baty and Mark Vientos for the starting role at the hot corner, but that job will now likely go to Baty to start the season. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can ignore Mauricio in spring drafts, but he should be stashed in dynasty/keeper formats. The Dominican switch-hitter batted .248 (25-for-101) with two home runs, nine RBI and seven stolen bases in his major-league debut in 26 games.

New York Mets rookie infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) will have surgery to fix a torn ACL in his knee shortly after New Year's Day, according to a league source. The 22-year-old is in good spirits after injuring his right knee on Dec. 10 while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. He was expected to be heavily in the mix for the job at third base after making his MLB debut in 2023. Now that Mauricio will miss a good chunk of the 2024 season, left-handed batters Brett Baty and Joey Wendle will be the primary options competing at the hot corner in spring training. The Mets could look for another right-handed-hitting option at the position that offers good defense at an affordable price. Giovanni Urshela has attracted interest from both the Mets and New York Yankees.

After missing significant time in 2023, New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte (groin) is likely to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic after New Year's Day, according to people briefed on the matter. However, nothing has been firmly established regarding Marte's offseason plans, and it's unclear how much action he'll see if he actually plays. He's entering the third year of a four-year deal with the Mets worth $78 million. The 35-year-old veteran hasn't played winter ball since between the 2017 and 2018 seasons after missing time in '17 due to a suspension. Marte was limited to 86 games in 2023 due to various injuries and hit .248/.301/.324 with five home runs and 24 stolen bases in 341 plate appearances. He was a pretty big fantasy risk coming off double-groin surgery in 2022. Marte appears to be in a better spot heading into the 2024 season and should bounce back offensively, but at his age, the injury concerns aren't going to go away.