3 Mets playing their way into next year's roster plans

The New York Mets look much different today than they did on Opening Day. Plans change quickly. Soldiers fall. Heroes rise. Results surprise.

The Mets should already have their eyes on the future while trying to salvage the present. Enjoying the performances from these three Mets is a given in 2024. And the better they play, the more likely they are to stick around for the 2025 season, too.

1) Mark Vientos

Is Mark Vientos the third base solution for the Mets? Maybe not. But he sure looks like a major league hitter. Whether it’s third base, first base, the DH spot, or a combination of all of them, Vientos has already made his case to be a member of the team next year. It’s all just a matter of finding where he fits best.

Vientos has cooled off a bit but his numbers until recently were a bit unreasonable. He still carries with him a .287/.357/.517 slash line. His .874 OPS is better than any of the other regulars.

Already sixth on the roster with 5 home runs and tied for 7th on the team with 16 RBI—a total matching what Brett Baty had in significantly more playing time—Vientos has been a regular run producer for the club who doesn’t have the luxury of a large enough sample size.

There is no reason to give up on Vientos right now. The defense has been acceptable at third base. Although the Mets will lose their ability to option him to the minors next season, that’s a worthwhile risk with the way he has hammered big league pitchers.

2) Luis Torrens

Luis Torrens caught us all off guard. A seemingly temporary addition to the Mets roster when they acquired him from the New York Yankees for cash, he won the bulk of the playing time for about a week as he battled Tomas Nido to become Francisco Alvarez’s future backup. Stealing playing time away from Alvarez won’t happen, but Torrens has at least proven he might be a player the Mets should consider keeping around for next season as the second-stringer.

A 5 for 18 start to his Mets career including a 2-home run game helped Torrens win a more permanent role on the 2024 ball club. It’s tough to envision a scenario where the Mets dump him anytime soon. His arrival with the betterment of the pitching staff, particularly with the relievers refocusing, is no coincidence. His 4 base runners caught stealing in 6 attempts is a far cry from what they got from Omar Narvaez. For defensive purposes alone, it’s a major upgrade.

Something we shouldn’t overlook is Torrens’ ability to also handle other positions. Along with a few games at first base, Torrens found himself for a couple of innings at second base, third base, left field, and even two innings on the mound. Most teams have an emergency catcher. The Mets have an emergency infielder.

Ineligible for free agency until after the 2026 season, it’s an easy call for him to be the backup again next season.

3) Dedniel Nunez

If you predicted Dedniel Nunez would become a fan favorite in 2024, congratulations. You have a superpower. Not even considered a top Mets prospect or a guy many necessarily expected to see this much action in the first half of 2024 (if at all), Nunez has dug his heels in as one of the more important relievers we’ve seen this season. Able to go multiple frames at a time, he’s a stellar young man who should very much be in consideration for a role in next year’s bullpen as well as the remainder of 2024.

Nunez has now appeared in 11 games for the Mets and posted a 2.04 ERA in those 17.2 innings. He owns a 0.74 WHIP and a .161 batting average against. Oh, and he has struck out 26 batters while walking just 3.

The Mets haven’t had a reliever quite like Nunez in a while. Homegrown with a brief pit stop as a member of the San Francisco Giants organization when they took him in the Rule 5 Draft, he only returned to the Mets because of an injury. Thought of by many as just another longtime Mets minor league pitcher buried behind the restocked list of top prospects, he has defied everyone’s expectations this year.

Nunez is already an absolute for next year’s Mets roster. Building the bullpen from within is a must. We’ve seen how having non-optional veterans has been a struggle at times this year. More importantly, we want some consistency from the relief corps for more than just a season or two. Nunez is a candidate to bring this to the Mets going forward.

This article was originally published on risingapple.com as 3 Mets playing their way into next year's roster plans.