Just days into spring training, the New York Mets are already trash-talking the Los Angeles Dodgers even though the Dodgers beat them in the National League Championship Series and then went on to win the World Series.
New York catcher Francisco Alvarez, while speaking with Jon Heyman of the New York Post, shared his opinion that the Mets have a better lineup than the Dodgers. He had previously stated that the the Mets had the best roster in all of baseball.
“I think we are better than the Dodgers (lineup),” Alvarez told Heyman.
It was just a few days ago when the Mets backstop expanded on the team’s ultimate goal of winning the World Series, but things will be slightly different than before. New York added Juan Soto in free agency and re-signed Pete Alonso.
“I think it’s going to be a great lineup,” Alvarez told Ben Krimmel of SNY. “I think we are the best lineup in the whole baseball. We have Pete [Alonso], we have a little bit of everything.
“… We have hitting guys, we have power hitters. We have everything… we can fight with any team.”
Alvarez’s optimism heading into spring training is understandable, but it’s too soon to declare the Mets as the league’s top lineup before the regular season gets underway.
Even if his teammate Mark Vientos agreed.
Third baseman Mark Vientos backed him up when speaking with SNY, “I can agree with that, honestly. I think Steve [Cohen] and David [Stearns] put together a pretty good lineup.”
Is the Mets lineup actually better than the Dodgers?
The Mets top three this season will be Francisco Lindor, Soto, and Alonso.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers boast a star-studded lineup featuring MVPs Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. In 2024, Los Angeles led all MLB teams with a .781 OPS and ranked third in home runs with 233.
According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource tool, the next three Mets hitters are Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos, and Jesse Winker.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers feature Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy, and Will Smith in the heart of their lineup. Given Hernández’s power advantage over anyone in New York’s lineup, Los Angeles holds the edge in this comparison.
The Dodgers round out their lineup with Michael Conforto, Tommy Edman, and Hyeseong Kim, a trio with solid potential but lower expectations due to the strength of their top six hitters.
On the other hand, the Mets feature Álvarez, Jeff McNeil, and José Siri, known for their defensive skills.
New York’s young talent could make this a tight competition with strong second seasons, but as spring training begins, Los Angeles holds the advantage.
