The Mets' front office has already handed down a few grades to their roster in the forms of demotions and releases.
After a month of May when the Mets notched a 9-19 record, several notable names found themselves pushed out for poor and peculiar performances: Joey Wendle, Omar Narvaez and Jorge Lopez.
Through several middling performances, the Mets find themselves digging out of a 27-35 rut. With 100 games left in the 2024 season, here are the players who have helped elevate the team and others who have fallen short. With a number of key contributors either injured or demoted, we've included position players with 20 or more games, pitchers with 10 or more appearances and starters with at least five appearances:
Mark Vientos: A
The second-year third baseman has been a revelation since landing back on the roster amid struggles elsewhere. He shown a refined approach at the plate to produce a 1.045 OPS with five home runs and 11 RBI and shown an improved glove. Now, the challenge is keeping it going.
Brandon Nimmo: B+
On the surface, a .222 batting average and .350 OBP might be troubling, but Nimmo is tied for the team lead with 31 RBI and he's in the top six percent of MLB in xOBA (.386) and walk rate (13.4).
J.D. Martinez: B+
After joining the Mets late in spring and dealing with a balky back, it took a while for Martinez to settle in. Over the last 18 games, Martinez has nine extra-base hits, including four home runs. His .792 OPS has been a welcome addition to the heart of the order
Luis Severino: B+
The Mets were hoping to tap into some of Severino's peak form and have seen shades of that this season. He's had a pair of close calls with no-hitters and has limited opponents to three earned runs or fewer in seven of his 11 starts.
Christian Scott: B+
With a schedule laden with off days, Scott was sent back to Triple-A Syracuse but it won't be long before he returns. The rookie right-hander showcased his potential in five starts, posting a 3.90 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 27⅔ innings.
Drew Smith: B+
Smith spent more than a month on the mend with shoulder inflammation, but when he's been on the mound, he's produced. Nine of his 11 outings have gone down without an earned run, and his one major hiccup came when he wasn't right physically.
Jose Butto: B
The 26-year-old was only squeezed out of the rotation due to positional depth. In his seven starts, Butto produced three quality outings and limited opponents to three earned runs or fewer in all but one start. He was able to withstand some wavering command before his demotion.
Sean Manaea: B
Manaea has largely positioned himself well with his wide repertoire. Despite often holding opponents off the scoreboard, he's only logged three quality starts without a number of deep starts. Eleven of his 23 earned runs have come in a pair of rough starts.
Reed Garrett: B
When Garrett is on, he looks unhittable. This season, he opened with 35 strikeouts in 21 innings with only one earned run allowed. That form allowed him to enter into the conversation for high-leverage innings. In his 10 most recent appearances, he's given up 10 earned runs.
Sean Reid-Foley: B
The right-hander, who has dealt with his fair share of injuries in the last two seasons, has buckled down when he's needed to this season. Despite a 1.50 WHIP, Reid-Foley has worked to a 2.16 ERA in his 17 appearances, striking out 21.
Jake Diekman: B-
Diekman boasts some of the best metrics among all Mets relievers. He's in the top five percent in MLB in expected batting average (.183) and barrel percentage (2.5). But his ERA has suffered due to the long ball. He's given up three homers in his last seven outings as his ERA has jumped from 3.07 to 4.12.
Tomas Nido: B-
Nido, who opened in Triple-A, has shown a better handle with the bat so far this season, producing three home runs, eight RBI and a .229 average. That allowed him to supplant Omar Narvaez on the roster. He's 6-for-32 in catching runners.
Francisco Lindor: B-
The habitual slow starter saw that lack of prolonged offensive production stretch into mid-May when his OPS dropped as low as .617. He's appearing to turn the corner in recent weeks, with a .343/.397/.522 slash line with two home runs, six doubles and eight RBI in 16 games.
Starling Marte: B-
Marte's return to health after last season's injury-riddled campaign has been a plus for the Mets. He's produced a .740 OPS with six home runs and 25 RBI, very nearly matching last season's production, and stealing 10 bases. He's appeared to lose a step in the outfield.
Pete Alonso: C
Alonso is still flashing the power, with 14 home runs and 31 RBI leading the Mets, but a rough stretch between April and May where Alonso was 2-for-37 forced his average down 38 points. He's been digging out of that rut but is batting .186 with runners on base.
Adam Ottavino: C
The Mets' setup man has fallen on rough times over his last 4⅓ innings when he's given up nine earned runs on 11 hits and three walks. Prior to that, Ottavino had given up six earned runs in 18⅓ innings while he struck out 26. The sweeper has not been as diabolical this season.
DJ Stewart: C
On one hand, Stewart has showcased one of the better eyes in the Mets' lineup. He boasts a 13.8 chase rate and a 16.5 walk rate, which would be near the top of MLB if he qualified. However, he's batting just .188 and the boost he's provided has been irregular.
Tyrone Taylor: C-
Taylor has been a valuable outfield piece at Mendoza's disposal, but he has largely cooled off at the plate since a strong start when he was batting .327 with two home runs, 13 RBI and five runs in his first 18 games. Since, he's only added eight runs and three RBI.
Brett Baty: D+
The Mets' Opening Day third baseman has grown leaps and bounds at third base, where he was arguably the team's best infield defender early on. Now, the offense lags behind and that led to his demotion. In 49 games, Baty slashed .225/.304/.325 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 42 strikeouts.
Adrian Houser: D+
Houser was not able to find his groove as a starter, but he's been a valuable piece in the bullpen since his move there. The contrast between the two roles is stark. He allowed 32 earned runs in 33⅔ innings as a starter. Out of the bullpen, he's given up two earned runs across 12⅓ innings.
Edwin Diaz: D
Closer's return to the ninth inning after a season-ending knee injury in 2023 has not gone quite according to plan. Diaz has blown four out of his nine save opportunities as he watched his ERA balloon to 5.40. That led to his relegation from the closer role. He's now working back from a shoulder impingement.
Jeff McNeil: D
The one-time National League batting champion has struggled mightily in his second season after securing his first payday. He's batting just .227 with an expected slugging percentage of .322. His .616 OPS is the worst among Mets starters and he's committed four errors at second base.
Incomplete: Jose Iglesias, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, Luis Torrens
