ST. LOUIS — The Mets will have an established core returning in 2024 — think Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo, to name a few — and none of them have much to prove over the final six weeks in a lost season.
And then there’s the vast majority of the team.
With 23 percent of the season still remaining, there is a decent enough sample size available to give team brass a better idea of who will fit where — if anywhere — for 2024.
Who has the most to prove between now and the spring training reporting date for pitchers and catchers in Port St. Lucie?
Start with these five players:
Starling Marte
The first step for the veteran outfielder is returning to the lineup, but it’s still not clear when that might occur.
Marte was eligible for removal from the injured list Wednesday, but wasn’t deemed ready and didn’t travel with the team to St. Louis.
It’s been a nightmare season for the 34-year-old Marte, who underwent surgery on both groins last November and then slumped through the first half.
In July he was sidelined on the IL by migraine headaches and, shortly after, was diagnosed with a right groin strain.
Marte isn’t even halfway through the four-year deal worth $78 million he received from the Mets, so team officials have to figure out how he fits into the equation.
Tylor Megill
The Mets see too much talent in the right-hander to just give up on him, so he will continue to receive opportunities to find his niche.
Megill has thrown harder since he returned from Triple-A Syracuse after the trade deadline, but location and high pitch counts have been his downfall.
In his three starts since rejoining the rotation, the 28-year-old has pitched to a 7.20 ERA, but he perhaps took a baby step in his last start by limiting the Pirates to two runs over five innings.
If Megill doesn’t show anything as a starter over this final stretch, it could be time to revisit the idea of using him out of the bullpen.
Megill received a look as a reliever late last season and struggled, but giving him a fresh start in the role with a spring-training buildup might work better.
Jeff McNeil
The 2022 National League batting champion has shown improvement in August following a sluggish three-month stretch.
McNeil had an underwhelming 2021 season and followed it with his surge last year. So which player is McNeil?
At this point, it’s more the 2021 McNeil, but a strong finish could at least sway the conversation into “just a first-half slump” territory.
McNeil is probably still an everyday player given the dearth of other options, but he ranks high on the list of Mets disappointments this season.
David Peterson
The Mets will have three rotation vacancies this offseason following the trades that exported Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, and with Carlos Carrasco headed to free agency.
They almost certainly will have to sign at least two starting pitchers to compete next season, but can we be certain that number will be three?
If fewer than three, team officials will have to look from within at a group that includes Peterson, Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Mike Vasil.
The lefty Peterson has shown improvement following a first-half nosedive, but still isn’t working deep enough into starts.
He was effective as rotation depth last season, but took a step backward this year.
There is still time for him to change the narrative.
If Peterson doesn’t evolve as a starter, he has shown enough flashes as a reliever to warrant future consideration as a swingman.
Kodai Senga
The best money spent by the Mets last winter might have been the five-year contract worth $75 million for Senga, who has been the team’s top starting pitcher this season.
But the question of whether Senga is ace material for next season and beyond still hasn’t been answered (although he was sharp in manhandling the Cardinals on Saturday).
Maybe the Mets will acquire an ace in free agency over the winter, but it would be nice to know they have a fallback option if that doesn’t materialize.
Senga is getting there, but let’s see more of his work.
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