New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (foot) said his left foot is feeling good and that he's running at 91 percent, according to Newsday's Tim Healey. Nimmo said last month that his left foot was still bothering him and that he dealt with plantar fasciitis for much of the 2024 season. However, the 31-year-old is apparently doing better now and is planning on having a normal spring training. He did hit just .224 (128-for-571) with a .727 OPS in 151 games in 2024, but Nimmo was still able to hit 23 home runs, 88 runs scored and set new career-highs with 90 RBI and 15 stolen bases. If he's past his foot injury in 2025, Nimmo could bounce back in a Mets lineup that is even better now with the addition of superstar outfielder Juan Soto. RotoBaller's No. 40-ranked fantasy outfielder is most useful for his runs scored and on-base percentage.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez revamped his swing in the offseason with help from former Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez. "He wants to be a complete hitter, not just a power hitter," manager Carlos Mendoza said. Alvarez hit 25 homers as a rookie in 2023, but he hit just 11 last year in 342 plate appearances. He slashed .185/.237/.274 in July and August, but he rebounded with a .900 OPS and five long balls in September. In the offseason, the 23-year-old backstop said he worked on his stance, use of his hands and lower-body movements with his swing. He had a tendency to "spin out" and step towards third base with his swing as opposed to stepping back up the middle. Alvarez hopes the changes improve his plate discipline and help him hit the ball up the middle more. Using the field more could make Alvarez a nice bounce-back candidate, as will being healthier after he missed seven-plus weeks with a torn UCL in his left hand.

New York Mets right-handed reliever Dedniel Nunez (forearm), who missed all of the second half in 2024 with a strained right flexor tendon, was hitting 96 mph during a team-supervised live batting practice session in the Dominican Republic this winter. According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the Mets consider Nunez a healthy player at the start of spring training this week. The 28-year-old reliever is still a bit of a health risk entering the 2025 campaign, but he looked pretty darn good for the Mets in his MLB debut last year with a 2.31 ERA (2.22 FIP), a 0.91 WHIP, his first career save, nine holds, 48 strikeouts and only eight walks in 35 relief innings in the first half. If he can stay healthy in 2025, Nunez figures to be in line to see plenty of high-leverage work in the late innings for New York as a top setup man for closer Edwin Diaz.

Right-handed reliever Drew Smith (elbow) agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal to re-sign with the New York Mets on Wednesday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The deal includes a club option for the 2026 season. Smith continues to rehab from a hybrid internal-brace/Tommy John surgery last July. There is a chance the 31-year-old reliever could return later this year, but it's more likely the Mets are envisioning him returning to full strength in 2026. The TJ surgery he had last summer was the second such procedure of his career. The former third-round selection by the Detroit Tigers in 2015 out of Dallas Baptist University had a nice 3.06 ERA (3.56 FIP), 1.53 WHIP, two saves, 23 strikeouts and nine walks in 17 2/3 relief innings for the Mets last year before injuring his elbow. Smith can obviously be ignored in all fantasy formats in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington mentions Jared Triolo, DJ Stewart and Darick Hall as options that the Pirates will consider at first base now that Spencer Horwitz is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a wrist injury that required surgery. Those three players should see the most reps at first base in spring training with Horwitz sidelined, but Cherington also mentioned the possibility that there could be others that get work at first that aren't as familiar with the position. Cherington also said the team's focus right now is to keep left fielder Bryan Reynolds in the outfield. Triolo won a Gold Glove as a utility player in 2024 and is the most likely option to benefit the most from Horwitz's injury early in the season. However, he hit just .216/.296/.315 with nine homers and eight steals in 125 games in 2024 and probably won't move the needle much fantasy-wise, especially if he's in a platoon at first.