Projecting the Mets' 2025 Opening Day roster
Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez during a spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Florida, last month. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — At the outset of spring training, the Mets faced little roster uncertainty. They brought back a lot of last year’s group and signed a bunch of established free agents to guaranteed contracts.
A shade past the halfway point of camp, the Mets have . . . more uncertainty than they began with. As a result of new injuries to a few players and lingering injuries to a couple of others, the Mets have a bunch of replacement-related decisions to make.
They have until March 27 — Opening Day against the Astros in Houston — to figure it all out. On the occasion of their first day off of camp Wednesday, we projected what the 26-man roster will look like.
LINEUP (9)
1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. RF Juan Soto
3. 1B Pete Alonso
4. LF Brandon Nimmo
5. 3B Mark Vientos
6. DH Jesse Winker
7. C Francisco Alvarez
8. 2B Jeff McNeil
9. CF Jose Siri
Among first-string hitters, the Mets have few questions and fewer surprises. This should be the regular lineup, with the exception of Siri, who is due to split time with Tyrone Taylor in center.
Since Siri is a centerfielder and Taylor plays all three spots — a skill that manager Carlos Mendoza mentions often — give Siri the nod as the unofficial starter. In reality, Mendoza & Co. will alternate, often riding the hot hand.
STARTING ROTATION (5)
1. RHP Kodai Senga
2. LHP David Peterson
3. RHP Clay Holmes
4. RHP Griffin Canning
5. RHP Paul Blackburn
This group already has taken hits in the form of injuries to two of the offseason signings: Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) and Frankie Montas (right lat strain). Manaea is penciled in to return in mid-to-late April, Montas not until mid-May at the earliest.
In their place, Canning, Blackburn and Tylor Megill are competing for two slots. Megill is at a disadvantage because he can be optioned to the minors. At the beginning of a long season, the Mets, like other teams, tend to value organizational depth — keeping as many players as they can. So Canning and Blackburn, on major-league contracts, get first dibs. Having Megill standing by and ready in Triple-A for if and when the Mets need another starter is how he can best help the team early on.
The other wrinkle here: The Mets began spring training intending to deploy a six-man rotation most of the year. That is still on the table, but they need enough bodies first. Let’s see if everyone is still healthy when Manaea returns.
BENCH (4)
1. OF Tyrone Taylor
2. C Luis Torrens
3. OF/DH: Starling Marte
4. INF Brett Baty
Nick Madrigal’s season-ending shoulder injury creates an opening for a utility infielder. The Mets should see what Baty can do in a part-time role. Their other options are Luisangel Acuna, Donovan Walton and Luis De Los Santos. One question the Mets need to answer the rest of spring training is whether they are comfortable with Baty/McNeil at shortstop in a pinch.
Marte, who is slated to be the DH against lefthanded pitchers in a platoon with Winker, is iffy because of right knee problems. A bone bruise cost him much of last season, and it continued to bother him throughout the offseason and into spring training. If he can’t go at the start, the Mets can choose among a bunch of possible replacements, including out-of-options outfielders Alexander Canario and Jose Azocar.
BULLPEN (8)
1. RHP Edwin Diaz
2. RHP Ryne Stanek
3. RHP Jose Butto
4. RHP Dedniel Nunez
5. RHP Reed Garrett
6. LHP Danny Young
7. RHP Max Kranick
8. RHP Jose Urena
The uncertainty here stems from lefthander A.J. Minter (who had surgery on his left hip in August) and Nunez (who missed much of last year with a right flexor strain). Both are questionable to be ready for Opening Day, though Mets officials maintain they have time and are penciled in for the roster.
Minter, the marquee offseason bullpen addition, faced batters for the first time Sunday. Nunez, who is guaranteed a spot if healthy per Mendoza, has not faced batters at all. Estimate that the Mets go 1-for-2 to open the year; we list Nunez here, since he isn’t coming off surgery, but it may well be Minter.
In the meantime, Diaz, Stanek and Butto are locks.
In the bottom half, Garrett had a breakout performance in 2024. Young showed flashes last year and could fit even better as a second lefty (as opposed to the top/only lefty), and he cannot be optioned to the minors.
That leaves two openings and a lot of guys who might get them. Kranick, however, has impressed — and has won a lot of fans within the organization since converting to reliever last season. With the rotation featuring several names who might not pitch deep into games, keeping Kranick, who has gone as long as three innings in practice, would be wise.
And then there is Urena, signed to a minor-league deal last week (with an opt-out clause around the end of spring training). He’ll have to earn this spot, but his physical readiness shouldn’t be a question. He could serve in the swingman role the Mets haven’t really had since Trevor Williams in 2022.
Others in the picture include Huascar Brazoban, Tyler Zuber, Kevin Herget, Austin Warren and non-roster options Genesis Cabrera (opt-out on May 1), Yacksel Rios and Chris Devenski.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
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