Mets' Opening Day Lineup Against the Astros: 3 Key Thoughts as the 2025 Season Kicks Off

The instant when Juan Soto placed a New York Mets hat atop his head caused the expectations for the team to soar immediately.

In spring training held in Port St. Lucie, there wasn’t any leniency provided. Soto seamlessly adapted to his new squad by hitting a home run during his initial at-bat in the Grapefruit League, which set the tone for continued offensive prowess.

A challenging division such as the National League East, which comprises Braves , Phillies And despite rising expectations for the upcoming Nationals squad, Soto continues to elevate the standard.

Begin your day with more knowledge. Receive all the essential news directly in your mailbox every morning.

"On the last day of spring training, Soto stated, 'We must always anticipate being at the pinnacle,' adding that regardless of which teams are in our division, we aim to consistently maintain a leading position,'" he emphasized.

As the Mets strive toward their first division title in ten years, below is the anticipated starting lineup along with three concluding reflections from spring training:

The expected starting lineup for the Mets on Opening Day

1. Francisco Lindor SS
2. Juan Soto RF
3. Pete Alonso 1B
4. Mark Vientos 3B
5. Brandon Nimmo LF
6. Starling Marte DH
7. Luis Torrens C
8. Brett Baty 2B
9. Jose Siri CF

Outlook: Following his quick ascent during the second month of last season, Francisco Lindor will start off leading off in 2025, with one of the most formidable batters in Major League Baseball—Soto—protecting him. Pete Alonso, aiming to break the Mets' home run record, mostly took up the third batting slot throughout spring training.

The cleanup position will vary based on matchups initially, with Nimmo and Vientos expected to alternate in that role. There will be platooning at designated hitter between Marte and Jesse Winker, as well as in center field between Siri and Tyrone Taylor.

Following injuries to Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez, the Mets experienced a loss of depth towards the end of their batting order, leaving them somewhat imbalanced as they have roughly three weeks remaining before Opening Day.

Carlos Mendoza remains tight-lipped about the competition for the last three starting positions at second base, utility infielder, and catcher. However, these roles seem set to start the season with Baty, Luisangel Acuña, and Hayden Senger occupying them respectively.

Could Juan Soto assist the Mets in making progress?

If Soto had posted those statistics last year while playing for the Mets, he would have topped almost all offensive categories, such as batting average (.282), home runs (41), runs (128), and RBIs (109).

This provides significant support for a team that lost key contributors like J.D. Martinez, Harrison Bader, and Jose Iglesias, and ended up ranking seventh in runs scored and last in OPS across Major League Baseball.

We’re in an excellent position. I believe our team has considerable talent," Soto stated. "We possess many players with a strong mix of outfielders and infielders, which makes us quite well-stocked overall. I’m eager to watch everyone step onto the field.

Soto has been an All-Star in four straight seasons and received the Silver Slugger award in the last five, but can that boost help the Mets get back to the highest level in baseball.

Working through injuries

As the Mets wrapped up their spring training session from the previous season, there was just one significant injury that caught them off guard before departing for Florida. Kodai Senga’s shoulder capsule strain sidelined him until July.

This year, the challenges have arrived in successive waves. After his initial bullpen session, Frankie Montas encountered a severe lat strain that will prevent him from starting his spring training regimen until next month. Then, in late February, another setback occurred as Sean Manaea sustained an oblique strain.

Given the two available rotational positions, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning secured their places as starters, while Paul Blackburn shifted to a relief pitching role. Among these changes, Canning emerged as perhaps the most promising prospect this spring due to his impressive performance; he maintained an ERA of 1.88 and recorded 22 strikeouts over 14⅓ innings.

For the roster, the Mets need to compensate for the losses of Francisco Alvarez (fractured left hand) and Jeff McNeil (mild oblique strain). Torrens was an obvious pick behind the plate, whereas Baty demonstrated his ability to adapt to playing on the opposite side of the infield.

Spring Stars: David Peterson, Brett Baty

At the start of training camp, an abundance of choices for outfield roles left just one spot available as a backup infield position. The player who filled this role needed to feel at ease playing in three different positions. This flexibility became crucial following McNeil's injury, allowing these duties to be more evenly distributed.

Baty had one of the top performances during the Grapefruit League in Florida, hitting an impressive line of .353/.441/.745 along with accumulating four home runs, 11 RBIs, 14 runs scored, and six doubles. As he returns to the big leagues, he carries significant self-assurance aiming to demonstrate his capability to maintain his spot at this higher level following a .633 OPS performance over 50 games last year.

For the first time in his career, David Peterson secured his place in the starting rotation as spring training began, giving him an added sense of assurance that he could make further progress in 2025.

Until Manaea came back, the only southpaw pitcher for the Mets had a record of 2-1 with an impressiveERA of 0.57 and struck out 12 batters over 15⅔ innings across four exhibitions this season.

The article initially appeared on NorthJersey.com. The Mets' anticipated starting lineup for their Opening Day game against the Astros along with 3 concluding reflections as the 2025 season kicks off.