Under-the-Radar Mets Players Ready to Impress This Spring

Spring training has begun in baseball, and the New York Mets are gearing up for what will hopefully be a successful 2015 season.

The Mets have a lot of big names on the team, such as David Wright, Curtis Granderson, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, among others. But there are some under-the-radar players and prospects that should and hopefully will get more attention in the next month.

Here are three under-the-radar Mets who are ready to have a big spring.

1. RHP Vic Black

H. RUMPH JR/Associated Press

The Mets bullpen is loaded with young depth, including Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia and Josh Edgin, along with veteran Bobby Parnell. But the one member of the Mets bullpen that may not always be included in that sentence is Vic Black.

Black had a great season last year with a 2.60 ERA in 41 appearances with 32 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched. However, Black did not really have a role in the bullpen until June, so he must be hoping a for full season this year instead of pitching for just three or four months.

Furthermore, with one of Mejia or Parnell set to start the season as the closer and Familia as the primary setup man, this would leave Black and the other relievers as middle relief options. But Black has the potential to be an elite reliever himself, so if he has a really good spring training, this could convince manager Terry Collins to give Black more opportunities in big spots.

So despite a solid breakout season for Black last year, he can build upon it this spring and have an even bigger role for the Mets this year.

2. CF Matt Den Dekker

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

One outfielder who needs a big spring to show that he can be a regular on the major league roster is Matt den Dekker.

He hit .250 in 152 at-bats with seven RBI in 2014. He struggled in June (.171 average, .464 OPS) and August (.245 average, .657 OPS), but then hit very well in September (.328 average, .858 OPS). Den Dekker's defense has never been an issue, but it's his bat that could be the difference between Triple-A and the major leagues. Consistency is key going forward.

If den Dekker hits well in the spring, he could play his way into making the major league roster, but then he will have to continue to hit well to stay on the roster. The Mets have had a weak outfield for many years and if den Dekker wants to be a part of it, he will need to prove his worth in the coming months.

3. RHP Cory Mazzoni

David Goldman/Associated Press

Although he probably won't make the major league roster on Opening Day, Cory Mazzoni is one of the more underrated Mets pitching prospects and if he does well in spring training, he could increase his general value.

With all the young crop of pitchers in the Mets' major league roster and minor league system, Mazzoni is not among the top names, although he has quite a bit of potential himself.

If the 25-year-old Mazzoni wants to make the major leagues any time soon, he will need a big spring to make it happen.

All statistics shown are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.