The word “letdown” doesn’t apply to the 2024 New York Mets season. On the contrary, it was far from it.
A team even the most devoted fans accepted could miss the postseason, they overachieved and stunned us with a playoff berth. Then came the incredible moments in each postseason series. Several comebacks, huge home runs, and a pair of victories away from returning to the World Series.
As a team the Mets didn’t disappoint. Several individuals, unfortunately, did. They may have been a letdown in 2024. They won’t be again in 2025.
1) Francisco Alvarez
In an alternative universe where the Mets don’t make the playoffs or even challenge for a spot, a lot of the discussion this offseason is probably about the stunted development of Francisco Alvarez. He was at one point the number one prospect in baseball. He has yet to break free and be that superstar player at the major league level.
A prolonged slump following a hot start and return from the IL kept Alvarez out of the spotlight as one of the key factors in turning the Mets around. So much happened this past year that if you forgot about the constant referencing to the team’s record when he started behind the plate, you’re not alone. As incredibly valuable as he was for many members of the pitching staff, the lack of production at the plate left us all wanting to see more.
There even came a time in the postseason when fans were seriously voicing their opinion that Luis Torrens should start instead. A combined 4 for 26 with one run scored and one RBI in the first two series, Alvarez was able to finally turn things around in the NLCS. Too bad many of his teammates struggled much more.
In part, Alvarez won’t let us down in 2024 because expectations for him should change. The potential remains. It just might take a little longer than expected.
2) Kodai Senga
We barely saw Kodai Senga at all in 2024. An injury in the spring followed by one start in the summer which included an early exit, Senga was a missing page in the book of the 2024 Mets. He was able to return in the postseason and his two abbreviated outings didn’t leave an encouraging feeling.
Fans shouldn’t worry nor does it seem there is any genuine concern. He could have just as easily posted Cy Young numbers in the regular season and then gone out and pitched the same dud in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. It doesn’t save him from being one of those Mets players who let us down in a major way last year.
Senga was the ace of the staff heading into the year. The rotation was purposefully built around helping him to avoid a sophomore slump. We got more of an incomplete than anything else.
Injuries are fluky and entirely unpredictable. So, too, was the decision to start him in Game 1 of the NLCS when after looking just okay in the NLDS, the Mets moved forward with treating him like there were few questions with him. We have to believe things with Senga will go much better in 2025. A horrific playoff start is not the taste we want to be left with much longer.
3) Brandon Nimmo
Quite a few other Mets players let us down. Specific moments from Pete Alonso definitely did. J.D. Martinez had a month or more where he was a disaster. Even old faithful Edwin Diaz as the closer hit multiple rocky patches. He’s the only one currently with the Mets out of those three who could be considered for this list. The fickle nature of being a closer in MLB should have us at least considering the chance he has some of those same struggles.
Meanwhile, there’s Brandon Nimmo who turned in yet another performance nobody could have predicted. Some years he hits for a low average with good OBP numbers. Some seasons the average is there and the OBP isn’t quite up to the standard he has set. An explosion of power in 2023 made him a dangerous player in a completely different way. Predict what Nimmo will do in any given season and you need to change careers and become a professional lottery player.
Nimmo had such a weird year. A career-high 90 RBI demolished his previous total of 68 from the year prior. He had only 5 fewer doubles and one less home run than the year before. What was missed were all of the singles.
Nimmo’s batting average dropped 50 points from 2023. He didn’t make up for it with an abundance of walks either. His .327 OBP was the worst of his career.
A foot injury might have been partly to blame, but Nimmo didn’t miss significant time for that or anything else. In his age 31 season, he couldn’t have possibly aged into a player resembling something closer to a guy in his mid-30s, could he?
Nimmo has been too good, too often for last year’s numbers to be any indication of what he accomplishes in 2025. One recommendation: don’t try to hit any differently because of where you are in the order. Have a leadoff hitter mentality in the middle of the lineup.