Mets look lost more than 40 games into 2023, but these three things could get New York’s season on track

The New York Mets entered Wednesday with a 20-23 record, good for fourth place in the National League East. The Mets, whose estimated $346 million payroll is by far the largest in Major League Baseball, have had a poor May, opening with a 5-11 stretch that has seen them outscored by 27 runs. There’s more than enough daylight left for the Mets to course-correct, but to this point it’s fair to label them a disappointment. 

As of Wednesday morning, the Mets appear ready to shake up things, at least within reason. Infield prospect Mark Vientos was reportedly on his way to join the big-league club. It’s unclear how the Mets will create a spot for him on the active roster, though it should not come as a surprise if they shed an underperforming veteran. Vientos, fresh off stinging the ball on a consistent basis in Triple-A, should provide a boost. Be that as it may be, he’s only one player; the Mets need more than him alone to get right.

So, just what else has to change in order for the Mets to get back in the race? Below, CBS Sports has identified three dynamics worth paying attention to moving forward.

1. Better offense

We noted in the introduction that the Mets could get some offensive help from Vientos if he’s able to make a successful transfer to the majors. They could surely use it.

The Mets entered Wednesday ranked 21st in runs scored and 20th in home runs. They’re also 17th in steals, meaning that this is a lineup that’s blessed with neither power nor speed. They’ve given at least 80 plate appearances to 10 different players, and only two of them (Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo) have cleared a 110 OPS+. Everyone else is either just above average or well below it — the latter applies to their most-days reserves: Tommy Pham, Eduardo Escobar, and Luis Guillorme.

It’s clear that the Mets need to hit better. In particular, they need to get more production from behind the plate (easier typed than done) and in the corner outfield spots, where Starling Marte (64 OPS+) and Mark Canha (87 OPS+) have struggled. Take a look at their percentile rank in some important categories:

That’s not ideal from any corner outfielder, let alone from two who are in their mid-30s and who aren’t grading well defensively, according to ball-tracking metrics. We’re not quite two months into the season, so…