At this time last year, the Mets were engulfed by the expectations — the now-or-never, World Series type of forecasts — reserved for contenders. Their roster was loaded, until the trade deadline arrived and they could theoretically add. The thought of a selloff didn’t exist. The cost of these visions skyrocketed above $300 million, but that would be worth every cent if there was baseball in October and a celebration in Queens.
This year, though, will be different. When the Mets break camp and shift from Port St. Lucie to Citi Field for Opening Day, they won’t carry the same contender label. They could win 80-plus games and steal a wild-card spot. Their season could also be all but over by the July 30 trade deadline, or it could putter … and putter … and putter along on the brink of playoff contention, not quite in and not quite out and — perhaps worse than either extreme — stuck in the middle.
So instead of a World Series quest serving as the Mets’ most prominent storyline in 2024, it’ll involve a collection of prove-it players at different stages of their careers, trying to leverage this 162-game marathon into an indisputable sample to kickstart what’s next.
With eight days until Jose Quintana throws the first Mets pitch of 2024 against the Brewers, here are some of the Mets facing that reality.