Mets president repeats bold prediction for 2024 season

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns insisted last month the club "should be competing for a playoff spot" this year despite what many fans view as a relatively uninspiring offseason for the organization. 

Stearns repeated that confidence during a recent chat with MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post. 

"We are a playoff-caliber team," Stearns told Heyman. "I think it’s a talented group, and I think it was a talented group last year. And I think the players certainly feel the results on the field last year were not indicative of the talent in the clubhouse." 

The 2023 Mets collapsed under the weight of heavy expectations ahead of a summer fire sale that included acquiring prospects for co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. 

Following the dismissal of manager Buck Showalter, New York failed to acquire two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani or Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency. 

The franchise then spent much of the fall and winter making so-called "depth signings" to build around lineup mainstays such as shortstop Francisco Lindor and first baseman Pete Alonso.

As of Monday morning, PECOTA projections shared by Baseball Prospectus gave the Mets a 48.1 percent chance to make the playoffs. At that same time, FanGraphs listed the Amazins at 30.2 percent as it pertained to participating in the upcoming postseason tournament. 

"I’m not going to get into internal projection systems," Stearns said about such predictions. "But I’ll tell you, I feel good about our team." 

One piece of positive news for Mets fans ahead of March is that All-Star closer Edwin Diaz seems on track to be ready for Opening Day after he missed the 2023 season due to the torn patellar tendon in his right knee he suffered during the World Baseball Classic. 

"I agree with him," Diaz said about Stearns' take on a team expected by many in February to be in a position by the middle of July to possibly trade Alonso to a contender. "I think we are a really good team. Not many people think we are good. But I think we are. I think we’ve got a great bullpen this year. We improved the defense. And I think we will hit. So I think we will be playing good baseball. And our goal is to make the playoffs and get the ring this year."

Considering the Mets finished last season at 75-87, simply qualifying for one playoff series would have to be considered an improvement for a team that has repeatedly disappointed paying customers since the fall of 2022.