The New York Mets had a fantastic season in 2023. After all, 101 wins and 61 losses is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Francisco Lindor returned to his Cleveland form, Edwin Diaz was the most dominant relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, Pete Alonso crushed his way to a franchise record total in RBI, and there were many more factors that led to New York’s first 100-win season in over a decade.
Despite the Amazin’s success during the 2023 campaign, it still wasn’t enough to slow down the Atlanta Braves’ charge for first place in the National League East. New York held a 10.5 game lead in the division just after the Memorial Day mark in the regular season, and Atlanta took the division away during the final matchup between the two National League titans in late September into early October. And thus, Atlanta took the division championship.
So why will New York not let this happen again in 2023? Keep reading to find out.
The New York Mets will win the National League East in 2023 due to these three key factors
1. An improved lineup
The lineup, with or without Carlos Correa, is still elite. New York all throughout 2022 had one of the best lineups in the national league. Sure, they weren’t the most powerful bunch, but key pieces that are still with the team such as Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Mark Canha provided one of the league’s best on base core. New York also ran out some thump in their lineup, in large part due to 341 million dollar man Francisco Lindor and 2019 national league rookie of the year Pete Alonso. New York’s offense is in great condition, and with or without Carlos Correa, will be one to be reckoned with in 2023.
2. A new-look rotation
New York’s pitching staff headlined by the addition of reigning Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer underwent some real reinforcements this winter. Jose Quintana and Kodai Senga bolster this rotation to one of the elite staff’s in the game with Carlos Carrasco in the backend. In 2022, the Amazin’s ace was Jacob deGrom, who only made a handful of starts. Now that New York has two aces that will likely give the club at least 25 starts each, the metropolitans have an increased chance at sustaining first place despite any charge from Atlanta or Philly.
3. A better bullpen
One of the biggest differences from the previous calendar season into 2023 is New York’s stacked set of bullpen relievers. Signing Edwin Diaz was a priority, and Adam Ottavino is back on a one year deal, with the additions of David Robertson and Brooks Raley. If Diaz has a repeat season along with Ottavino, Robertson, and Raley doing as advertised, there is no question that teams will fear New York’s bullpen tandem.
The New York Mets will look to repeat their regular season success from a season ago, while also claiming their first N.L. East championship since 2015. The offense with or without Carlos Correa, the pitching staff headlined by multiple Cy Young award winners, and the bullpen starring the most dominant reliever in the game, New York is certainly on track to take back the National League East title. And then who knows, maybe a world series championship? Time will only tell for the 2023 New York Mets.