When the Mets were flailing in May, with their season in danger of fully spiraling out of control, a popular thing for people to do was snicker and wonder which (lone) Met could possibly merit consideration for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.
Fast-forward a month, and there are no longer any jokes to be made — not about the direction of the team, and certainly not about their candidates for the All-Star Game.
The Mets won’t have any starters on the team, since the finalists have already been determined by fan voting, but they have a handful of worthy, serious candidates.
Here are the Mets who should be under consideration to play in the All-Star Game on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Texas…
Lindor was snubbed in 2022 and 2023, and it’s fair to believe his slow start last year played a role in keeping him off the team.
Still, the fact that Geraldo Perdomo got the nod as the last shortstop reserve over Lindor in 2023 was wild.
This season, there should be no debate when it comes to Lindor’s place on the team. He has been one of the best offensive players in baseball over the last month and a half, has an overall OPS+ (118) in 2024 that is a tick better than his career OPS+, and is on track to win the Gold Glove at shortstop.
A combination of the player’s ballot and choices made by the Commissioner’s office determine the All-Star Game reserves. They can’t leave Lindor off this time.
Though he’s been one of the most valuable outfielders in baseball since entering the league, Nimmo continues to not get the respect he deserves — partly because of people obsessed over batting average.
But OPS, not batting average, is one of the best measures when it comes to offensive success. And entering play on Friday, Nimmo’s OPS is fifth-best in the National League among outfielders — behind only Jurickson Profar, Fernando Tatis Jr. (who is now on the IL and won’t be able to play in the game if chosen), Bryan Reynolds, and Teoscar Hernandez.
The fact that each team needs at least one representative might keep Nimmo off the team, but he’s deserving.
If people are going to argue that a young pitcher who has made eight big league starts should be on the team (and Paul Skenes deserving a spot is a good argument), it’s fair to argue that a young, game-changing catcher who has played only 30 games this season should also merit consideration.
Alvarez has returned from his freak thumb injury with a vengeance, and is hitting .313/.383/.521 with four homers and eight doubles over 107 plate appearances this season.
For reference, Alvarez’s .904 OPS is 74 points higher than Adley Rutschman and 103 points higher than Will Smith — the likely NL starter at catcher.
His value to the team is immeasurable, with his presence being felt at the plate, behind the plate, in the clubhouse, and by the pitchers who rave about his game-calling ability and how he manages the staff.
Vientos has been overshadowed a bit by the star power around him, but he has been absolutely mashing since replacing Brett Baty as the regular third baseman.
The 24-year-old is hitting .298/.358/.570 with nine homers and six doubles in 134 plate appearances over 35 games.
His home run rate is prodigious, and he hits the ball as hard as anyone in the game.
But like Alvarez, Vientos could be left off because he’s only played about half the season.
Severino is in the midst of a tremendous bounce back year, and is the one Mets starting pitcher who merits serious consideration.
He has a 3.29 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 90.1 innings over 15 starts, and has been very steady while the rest of the rotation has been in a bit of flux.
Severino has dominated at times, including in his last start, when he fired 6.0 shutout innings while allowing three hits, walking none, and striking out a season-high 10.
Martinez has perfectly filled the DH spot, slashing .287/.356/.503 with nine homers and 13 doubles over 52 games.
Shohei Ohtani will obviously be the starting DH for the NL, but if there’s room for another, Martinez fits the bill.
Honorable Mention
Pete Alonso and Dedniel Nunez
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