Mets' Breakout Players, Most Disappointing to Start 2023 Season

The New York Mets began the season with a record-setting payroll and expectations to match as they looked to avenge a Wild Card Series loss to the San Diego Padres last year following a 101-61 regular season.

With a 2-7 record through their first nine games during the month of May, they briefly dipped below .500, and while they have picked it up the last few weeks, they are still hovering around that mark and are once again chasing the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

There are more than a few individual disappointments on the roster, but there have also been some breakthroughs, most notably the rookie tandem of Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty after both highly touted prospects opened the year in the minors.

Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the biggest breakout players, as well as the most disappointing one, on the Mets roster through the first quarter of the 2023 season.

Under-the-Radar Breakout: RHP Jeff Brigham

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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: Jeff Brigham #43 of the New York Mets pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

When All-Star closer Edwin Díaz was lost for the season, it immediately made the Mets bullpen a question mark, and while David Robertson and Adam Ottavino have picked up the slack in the late innings, shifting them up the pecking order created an inevitable void in the middle innings.

That has made the early contributions of Jeff Brigham that much more valuable.

The 31-year-old was acquired from the Miami Marlins in an offseason trade, and he has a 2.93 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 with three holds in 15 appearances.

With a high-spin fastball and a terrific sweeping curveball, he has the stuff to be a consistent contributor in high-leverage situations.

Biggest Disappointment: RF Starling Marte

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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: Starling Marte #6 of the New York Mets bats against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Outfielder Starling Marte had a 131 OPS+ and 3.8 WAR in the first season of a four-year, $78 million deal with the Mets last season, earning his second career All-Star Game selection as a key piece of the team's success.

The 34-year-old has not come close to matching that level of production this year, hitting .239/.302/.303 in 170 plate appearances.

To put those numbers into perspective, his 70 OPS+ ranks 163rd among 168 qualified hitters on the year, and the Mets have moved him from the No. 2 spot in the batting order to No. 6 this month as a result of his early struggles.

He also ranks near the bottom of the leaderboard in average exit velocity (19th percentile) and hard-hit rate (18th percentile), providing little hope that a quick turnaround is forthcoming.

Biggest Breakout: C Francisco Álvarez/3B Brett Baty

AP Photo/Noah K. Murray

New York Mets' Brett Baty (22) celebrates with Francisco Alvarez (4) after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 27, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

The Mets sent top prospects Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty to the minors to start the season, but their trip back to Triple-A didn't last long.

Álvarez made his 2023 MLB debut on April 9 after veteran Omar Narváez suffered a calf strain, and after starting off slow at the plate, he is hitting .271/.364/.604 with four doubles, four home runs and nine RBI in 55 plate appearances.

Baty was recalled a few days later on April 17 for the team's 17th game of the year. He has since overtaken a struggling Eduardo Escobar as the team's primary third baseman and sports a 105 OPS+ with four doubles, four home runs and 10 RBI in 30 games.

The young tandem should be staples in the Mets lineup for the foreseeable future.