Five Mets who have the most to prove for rest of 2023 season

ST. LOUIS — The Mets will have an established core returning in 2024 — think Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo, to name a few — and none of them have much t🍌o prove over the final six weeks in a lost season.

And then there’s the vast majority of the team.

🍷With 23 percent of the season still remaining, there is a decent enough sample size available to give team brass a better idea of who will fit where — if anywh𓆏ere — for 2024.

Wh⛄o has the most to pꦏrove between now and the spring training reporting date for pitchers and catchers in Port St. Lucie?

Start with these five players:

Starling Marte

The first step for 🙈the veteran outfielder is returning to the lineup, but it’s still not c🦄lear when that might occur.

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Marte was eligible for removal from the injur🔴ed ౠlist Wednesday, but wasn’t deemed ready and didn’t travel with the team to St. Louis.

It’s been a nightmare season for the 34-year-old Marte, who underwent surgery on both𒆙 groins last November and then slumped through the first half.

In July he was sidelined on the IℱL by migraine headaches and, shortly after, was diagnosed with a right groin strain.

Marte isn’t even halfway through the four-year deal worth $78 million he received from the Mets, so team officials have to figure out ෴how he fits into the equation.

Tylor Megill

The Mets see too much talent in the right-hander to just give up on him, so he will continue to ꧙receive opportunities to find his 🍸niche.

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Megill has thrown harder since he returned from Triple-A Syracuse after the trade deadline, but location and high pitch count💧s have been his downfall.

In his three starts since rejoin꧑ing the rotation, the 28-year-old hasꦍ pitched to a 7.20 ERA, but he perhaps took a baby step in his last start by limiting the Pirates to two runs over five innings.

If Megill doesn’t show anything 🌸as a starter over this final stretch, it could be time to revisit the idea of using him out of the bullpen.

Megill received a look as a reliever late 💎last season and struggled, but giving him a fresh start in ♈the role with a spring-training buildup might work better.

Jeff McNeil

The 2022 National League batt🥀ing champion has showꦡn improvement in August following a sluggish three-month stretch.

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McNeil had an underwhelming 2021 season and followed it with his surge last year. So which pl🧸ayer is McNeil?

At this point, it’s more the 2021 McNeil, but a strong 🏅finꦰish could at least sway the conversation into “just a first-half slump” territory.

McNeil is probably still an everyday player given the dearth of other ༒options, but he ranks high on 🅘the list of Mets disappointments this season.

David Peterson

T✱he Mets will have three rotation vacancies this offseason following the trades that exported Justin Verland🀅er and Max Scherzer, and with Carlos Carrasco headed to free agency.

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They almost certainly ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚwill have to sign at least two starting pitchers to compete next season, but can we be certain that number will be three?

If fewer than three, team officials will ha𝓰ve to look from within at a group that includes Peterson, Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Mike Vasil.

The lefty Peterson has shown improvement following a first-half🌠 nosedive, but still isn’t working deep enough into starts.

He was effective as rotation depth last season, but took a 🍸step backwar👍d this year.

There is still time for him ꧋to change the narrative.

If Peterson do🐭esn’t evolve as a starter, he has shown enough f𒁃lashes as a reliever to warrant future consideration as a swingman.

Kodai Senga

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Th🦩e best money spent by the Mets last winter might have been the five-year contract worth $75 million for Senga, who has been the team’s top starting pitch𓆏er this season.

But the question of whether Senga is ace material for next season and beyond still hasn’t been answered (although he was sharp in manhandling the🌜 Cardinals on Saturday).

Maybe the Mets will acquire an ace in free agency over the winter, but it would be nice to know they have 📖a fallback option if that doesn’tꦗ materialize.

Senga is getting thౠere, but let’s see more of hi💛s work.