New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

It sounds like New York Mets infielders Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna will both make the Opening Day roster out of camp and platoon at second base until Jeff McNeil (oblique) is able to return. Given his experience and the fact that he hits from the left side, Baty figures to open the year on the strong side of a platoon at the keystone in Queens with Acuna. The 25-year-old has deserved playing time to open the season, as he's currently hitting .343 (12-for-35) with two home runs and three doubles in Grapefruit League action. The former 12th overall pick in 2019 has yet to find much success at the big-league level in three seasons, though, hitting .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers and 55 RBI in 169 games. Acuna, 23, has hit just .226 in spring training, although he did go 12-for-39 (.308) with three homers and six RBI in his first 14 big-league games in 2024.

Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports that Oakland Athletics pitcher Luis Severino will toe the rubber for the team on Opening Day. It comes as little surprise, considering the 31-year-old is the most qualified of his rotation-mates to do so. Severino pitched a full workload last season for the first time since 2018 -- the last time he threw more than 102 innings in a campaign. He was solid for the New York Mets -- if unspectacular -- notching an 8.0 K/9 and 3.91 ERA in 182 innings -- right in line with his xERA of 3.88. Oakland's rotation contains a few new, interesting arms in 2025, including Severino and former Tampa Bay Rays starter Jeffrey Springs. Only time will tell if it helps them improve from the third-worst record in the American League in 2024 (69-93).

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (knee) will start in the outfield in Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Nimmo, who has been dealing with a lingering knee issue, looks to get a few innings of work in today to make sure he's ready to go for Opening Day. This is an encouraging sign for Nimmo and his fantasy managers, as reports a few days ago suggested he might get some time as the designated hitter but was unsure if he would be ready for the outfield. Nimmo is coming off a below-average season for his standards, holding a .224/.327/.399 slash line. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his knee until Opening Day, but be optimistic about him playing outfield today.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that infield prospect Ronny Mauricio (knee) will not play in a Grapefruit League game before spring training comes to a close. The skipper also said he "misspoke" earlier this spring when he said that Mauricio would probably play by mid-March. The 23-year-old had surgery to fix a torn ACL in December of 2023 and was unable to play at all last year after he had another surgery last August. He remains the recovery process and will get a delayed start to the 2025 campaign. When Mauricio is finally cleared to play in games, he'll most likely start in the minor leagues. While Mauricio was hitting the ball as hard as anyone in Triple-A before his injury in 2023, he's only a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues. Until the young infielder can show better discipline at the plate, he'll be a boom/bust fantasy infielder.

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, free agent relief pitcher Brooks Raley (elbow) is drawing interest from several clubs on the market. Raley underwent Tommy John surgery last May but is expected to be cleared to pitch later in the season. Ragazzo noted that several teams are interested in signing the southpaw to a one-year deal with an option for the 2026 season. Last season, Raley logged just seven innings of work before being shut down. In 2023, the 36-year-old tossed 54 2/3 innings with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He tallied three saves with 25 holds. He generated an elite 29.2 percent hard-hit rate with a .321 xSLG. If he were to find a suitor for the 2025 campaign, fantasy managers should expect him to operate in a high-leverage role and be a viable target in leagues that reward holds.