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Projecting the Mets' Opening Day 2022 lineup vs. the Nationals

andrew tredinnick, northjersey.com
·4 min read
1

Buck Showalter made it clear on Monday morning that barring any injuries the Mets roster was pretty much set.

The only lingering doubts were the status of Max Scherzer, who tweaked his hamstring late last week, and Brandon Nimmo, who was dealing with a stiff neck and missed the penultimate spring training game Monday.

Both injuries were expected to be non-serious.

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However with Opening Day on the horizon Thursday against the Nationals, both factors may come into play for how the lineup and pitching rotation is constructed for the opening four-game series.

With billionaire Steve Cohen in the fold for the second straight season, it might also be wise to follow the money when it comes to projecting the Mets' lineup most days during the 2022 season. The Mets have the second-highest payroll in Major League Baseball.

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'We've got the club set up'

New York Mets' Pete Alonso gestures at third after he hit an RBI triple during the third inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
New York Mets' Pete Alonso gestures at third after he hit an RBI triple during the third inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The Mets' front office, led by general manager Billy Eppler, committed $124.5 million to Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar over the combined length of their contracts this offseason.

Those moves were done in an effort to try and rectify for the fourth-worst offense in the MLB last season. All three should find a spot in the lineup on Opening Day.

And the Mets have a proven heart of their lineup, led by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

Lindor is looking to bounce back after a down year where he had a career-worst .230 batting average and finished with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs. Meanwhile, Alonso's .262 average was the best of his career and he collected 37 home runs and 94 RBIs.

Robinson Cano's return after a year suspension following his second positive PED test complicates things for the Mets. He has two years left on the 10-year, $240 million deal he signed in Seattle and the Mets owe him $20.25 million in each of the next two seasons.

A .360 spring batting average suggests that Cano's bat still has some promise.

Meanwhile, Tomas Nido should earn the start behind the plate after his stellar spring in which he boasted a .417 batting average in 24 at-bats.

Presuming Nimmo is healthy, he will find his spot back atop the Mets' lineup for Opening Day. Last season, he led the team with a .292 batting average and .401 on-base percentage.

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Mets' projected Opening Day lineup

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor, left, is greeted by Eduardo Escobar (10) after hitting a home run during the first inning of the team's spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
New York Mets' Francisco Lindor, left, is greeted by Eduardo Escobar (10) after hitting a home run during the first inning of the team's spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

1. Brandon Nimmo, CF

2. Starling Marte, RF

3. Francisco Lindor, SS

4. Pete Alonso, 1B

5. Eduardo Escobar, 3B

6. Robinson Cano, DH

7. Mark Canha, LF

8. Jeff McNeil, 2B

9. Tomas Nido, C

Plan B

The addition of the designated hitter spot in the National League allows Showalter to be a little more flexible with his lineup this season.

Assuming that Nimmo does not recover in time to start Opening Day, Showalter has a versatile roster that can fill in as needed.

That starts with Marte, who led the majors with 47 stolen bases last season and got on base 38.3 percent of the time between the Marlins and Athletics.

The Mets celebrate after scoring on a grand slam home run off the bat of New York Mets first baseman Dominic Smith (2) in the third inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
The Mets celebrate after scoring on a grand slam home run off the bat of New York Mets first baseman Dominic Smith (2) in the third inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.

An injury just about anywhere on the field would open the door for fan favorite Dominic Smith to crack the lineup or offseason acquisition Travis Jankowski to fill the void.

Over the course of spring training, Showalter tried out Escobar at second base, McNeil in the outfield, Cano at first base and Canha in center field.

Marte, who opened his career in left and then spent the last several seasons in center, learned the angles and positioning in right field this spring.

Expect the Mets lineup to be mixed and matched across the field this season, and this Opening Day lineup would be the first example of that.

1. Starling Marte, CF

2. Jeff McNeil, 2B

3. Francisco Lindor, SS

4. Pete Alonso, 1B

5. Eduardo Escobar, 3B

6. Robinson Cano, DH

7. Dominic Smith, LF

8. Mark Canha, RF

9. Tomas Nido, C

Andrew Tredinnick is the Mets beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Mets analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.

Email: atredinnick@gannett.com Twitter: @andrew_tred

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: Opening Day 2022 lineup projections vs. Nationals