Examining the Mets Potential Options at Second Base for 2025

The Mets will enter 2025 with one of the deepest lineups in the National League. Returning starters like Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Brandon Nimmo, and Francisco Alvarez are slotted in, and there may also be positions open for the likes of Starling Marte, Tyrone Taylor, and Jeff McNeil, depending on how things shake out in free agency.

Speaking of free agency, the Mets have the potential to walk into spring training with Juan Soto, Willy Adames, a returning Pete Alonso, or any number of other top free-agent hitters on the market to round out an already excellent group.

However, one position that remains somewhat of a mystery entering 2025 right now is second base. McNeil would likely be penciled in as a starter if the season started today, but his positional flexibility, as well as his own 2024 season, open up the potential that someone else could be manning the position for the majority of the season. Let’s examine the candidates for the Mets’ second base job next season.

Jeff McNeil

McNeil is still probably the most likely option as of today to be the Mets’ Opening Day starter at second. Despite a down season overall, McNeil had a strong second half of the season before he suffered a near season-ending injury in early September.

McNeil’s strengths and weaknesses are well known to Mets’ fans by this point. When he’s on, he’s spraying the ball to all fields and is an on-base machine. It’s easy to forget that McNeil was a batting champion just two seasons ago. However, McNeil struggled mightly for a year-and-a-half before beginning to come around post-All-Star break. By then, he had adjusted his approach to focus on hitting the ball hard and hitting for more power. His 12 home runs last season were his most since 2019, and the second-most he’s had in his career. Still, his back-to-back seasons of 97 OPS+ are concerning for a team with championship aspirations.

McNeil likely profiles much better as a platoon/utility option for the team next season. He has the ability to play both second and both corner outfield spots, and can also pinch-hit for right-handed hitters in big moments. Defensively, he is passable, posting a DRS of 1 at second base last season after a -3 mark in 2023.

However, if the Mets choose to spend big in free agency in other areas, and don’t believe their young guys are quite ready by next April, it could remain McNeil’s job, at least for the time being.

Luisangel Acuña

Luisangel Acuña was everything the Mets could have hoped for and more after he was called up late in the regular season to replace an injured Francisco Lindor in the lineup. In fact, it may not be overstating to say that Acuña saved the Mets’ season by posting a .308/.641/.966 OPS with three homers and stellar defense in the 14 games he played.

But the Mets must now determine which of Acuña’s stat lines from 2024 tells the true story. Is it the incredible run he had in the majors? Or is it the paltry .654 OPS he had in 131 games in Triple-A? The answer probably falls somewhere in between. Acuña showed that his power, speed, and defense will play in the big leagues. But it would be foolish to expect his All-Star caliber numbers from such a short sample set to play out over a full season.

So is the team willing and ready to give him a starting spot next season? If not, would they keep him on the major-league roster, even if he’s splitting time with the likes of McNeil or someone else? With the Mets’ lack of backup shortstop options currently in the organization, it feels like the answer is yes. It’s likely Acuña will have opportunities to play at the big-league level next season, but it also feels like somewhat of a stretch to assume he will be penciled in as the starting second baseman.

Ronny Mauricio

Ronny Mauricio had a decent start to his MLB career in the second-half of 2023, slashing .248/.296/.347 with two homers and seven stolen bases. His athleticism and power were on full display, but he continued to struggle with strikeouts and overall plate discipline.

Mauricio was primed to compete for a spot on the major league roster in 2024, but he tore his ACL in the offseason and missed the entire year. Now 23, 2025 will be a pivotal season in Mauricio’s development. He no longer grades out as a top prospect in the Mets’ system, but he still has shown flashes of his potential.

Mauricio can be penciled in as a wild card for the starting second base job in 2025. He mostly played second during his brief time in the big leagues, and handled the position well enough. But, coming off a serious injury, will he be able to make a big enough impression to actually win the job out of camp? The overwhelmingly likely answer is no. But Mauricio could play a factor for the Mets at some point next season.

Brett Baty

Brett Baty was given another chance to secure the third base job in 2024, but once again struggled, posting just a .633 OPS in 50 games. Everyone knows what happened after that. Mark Vientos was finally given a chance to run with the job, and became a star in the top half of the lineup, particularly shining in the Mets’ deep playoff run.

Now, the future for Baty in a Mets uniform looks grim. The only potential ways Baty sees playing time at third base next season are A). If there is a long-term injury. B). If the Mets fail to sign both Alonso and Adames, and opt to then move Vientos over to first base.

That scenario feels very unlikely. But could Baty still find a way back to the big leagues at a different position? The Mets experimented with Baty in Syracuse in 2024, playing him for 27 games at second base. Baty has plenty of athleticism and flashed a smooth glove at the hot corner, so it’s possible his skills could translate to a full-time second base job at some point in the future. But his bat will tell the story of if Baty will ever stick in the bigs.

At this point, it would be shocking if Baty is on the MLB club to start the 2025 season. It feels much more likely he serves as a trade chip either in the offseason or at some point during the season. However, if the Mets choose to ride with McNeil and/or Acuña to start the season and aren’t seeing positive results, is it possible they pull the Baty lever once more? Stranger things have happened, and he at least will now have enough reps at the position where there’s at least a possibility.

Jose Iglesias

There was no better story across baseball in 2024 than Jose Iglesias. The veteran infielder/Latin pop star didn’t even play in the big leagues in 2023, and didn’t make the Mets out of 2024 camp, making him contemplate retirement.

Instead, he bided his time with Syracuse before getting the call to the big leagues, where he became a sensation. Not only did he release a hit single that he got to perform live at Citi Field and inspired a sign that eventually made it to Cooperstown, but he also was integral to the team’s turnaround on the field. Iglesias had a career year in 2024, hitting a ridiculous .337 and playing excellent defense up the middle.

But, Iglesias is now a free agent, and is being represented by Scott Boras. If the Mets want to bring him back, they will have to compete with 29 other MLB teams, and there may be better opportunities for him elsewhere.

From the Mets’ standpoint, bringing Candelita back into the fold makes a ton of sense. Not only did he provide great vibes and excellent leadership into the locker room, he pairs nicely with McNeil as a platoon option to start the season while also having the ability to play shortstop and third base. If the Mets don’t think their young players are quite ready for an established role, it’s hard to think of a veteran that would make more sense than Iglesias.

But would he come back to the Mets if he wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot? That would likely depend on his market. If a team out there is willing to pay him a reasonable contract and give him a starting spot on the infield, it’s unlikely he would pass that up.

Jett Williams

Coming in at No. 3 in the latest ranking of the top Mets’ prospects, Jett Williams still has a bright future in Queens despite dealing with a wrist injury that limited his playing time last season.

If Williams has a strong spring, you can’t rule out the possibility of him breaking camp with the Mets next season, although it would likely only happen if the team had a quiet free agency, or there was injuries in front of him. If Williams does play in the bigs in 2025 though, what position will he play?

With Francisco Lindor blocking him at shortstop, the most natural position for Williams is likely the outfield, specifically, center field. However, he does also have some experience at second base, playing five games at the position for Binghamton in 2024, and David Stearns recently mentioned that he believes Williams can play short, the outfield, and second base all at a high-caliber level, and that team need will determine where Williams ends up.

With McNeil, Acuña, Baty, and Mauricio all in the organization though, it would be surprising to see Williams play second base next season. However, his versatility will serve him well if and when there is a need for the big-league club.

Other

As mentioned above, it feels likely the Mets’ spending in free agency will be used elsewhere besides second base, with the possible exception of Iglesias. Still, we can never be 100% sure what David Stearns and co. have in mind entering the offseason. For example, few people would have linked Adames to the Mets just a week or two ago.

So, are there any other free-agent second basemen the Mets could target? Doing so would move McNeil to a utility role, and likely make Mauricio and Baty expendable in trades (Acuña could theoretically still carve out a role as an outfielder).

There aren’t many top options available, with the best likely being Gleyber Torres, who was batting leadoff for a Yankees team that advanced to the World Series.  Beyond that, the free agents who could be an everyday starter include Ha-Seong Kim and Jorge Polanco.

Could Stearns instead swing a trade for an infielder? Anything is possible. The Rays picked up a $10.5 million club option on Brandon Lowe, for example, and they could be looking to move him for younger, cheaper players.

But none of that feels likely for the Mets. Including Iglesias in the mix, it’s almost guaranteed that the Mets’ second base reps in 2025 will go to players who were with the organization last year. Health and spring training performance will go a long way in determining who slots in. While McNeil is the odds-on favorite right now, the young players will have opportunities to make their mark, much like Vientos did this year.

 

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