Starling Marte will be 37 years old this week, but when asked a few weeks ago how he felt about being one of the elder statesmen of the Mets, he just laughed. He had both knees taped up, he was nearly three years removed from double-groin surgery and two years removed from a season where he played in pain as a result of the surgery.
Still, the outfielder looked around the clubhouse noting the players who also came from the Dominican Republic.
“We’re always happy,” Marte said. “Always.”
Marte recently played the fourth and final year of his contract. A veteran who broke into the league 14 years ago, the Mets might have a case to re-sign him once he becomes a free agent following the conclusion of the World Series.
Much has been made of his friendship with Juan Soto, and keeping your star player happy is never a bad thing, but the Mets have long seen leadership out of Marte, appreciating his work ethic and attitude, especially while working through injuries.
Marte was a useful player for the Mets in 2025, and could be next season as well if he’s willing to play the same role. In 98 games, he slashed .270/.335/.410 with nine home runs, 14 doubles and seven stolen bases, slightly out-performing his expected numbers in 98 games. His 111 OPS+ was his highest since 22, when he was a key cog for a Mets team that won 101 games.
For the first time in his career, he wasn’t playing every day, and he barely played in the outfield (65 innings). There was the knee injury that flared up again in July, raising questions about his health once again.
But after a slow start at the plate, he looked like his old self in May and June, and came through for the Mets when they needed him the most in August.
“It’s nothing difficult for me because I always stay ready,” Marte told the Daily News before the season ended. “I’m always ready for an opportunity. Always working in the cages, working in the outfield. I practice before games, and I stay ready for anything. So for me, I can DH a few days and then play center. Some people take more time to adjust to that, and sometimes it was difficult. But if I stay positive and stay working, then I stay ready for the game.”
While he downplays the adjustment period, the Mets saw a determined player who turned his season around after understanding how to better prepare for a reserve role.
“A guy that got comfortable after the first six weeks of the season and understood that he needed to have a new routine,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Not only in the training room, but on the field, with the way he was taking BP inside and outside, going through his defensive drills. And man, when you look at the season he’s having in that role, he’s been pretty good for us.”
The Mets largely went the way Marte went in 2022, and when he was injured in September, they slid. Again this season, when Marte had a good game, the Mets usually did too. He hit .292 with an .813 OPS in wins (160 plate appearances), driving in 19 runs and hitting four homers. This isn’t Marte’s team anymore, and really, it wasn’t in 2022 either — Francisco Lindor is the on-field leader, a key clubhouse leader and has been since the Mets traded for him — but he’s still a player that others respond to.
Ronny Mauricio follows him around like a puppy at times, eager to learn from someone he grew up watching in the Dominican Republic. Soto, a decade younger than Marte, came to the Mets with a deep respect for what his fellow countryman had accomplished, bonding with him during rides around Florida during spring training. Yet it’s Marte who says he’s learned from Soto this season.
“It’s pretty fun to watch him work,” Marte said. “Great guy, great player, great hitter, and he’s become a great base runner. Anytime you can be around him and watch him play, you can take a lot from that.”
While he still runs them well, his sprint speed has cratered since the groin injuries. He only attempted to steal nine times this season, and he didn’t attempt to advance at the same rate as he once did. Despite his willingness to play anywhere in the outfield, the Mets used him in there only 12 times, giving him eight starts (six in left, two in right). His arm is still strong and he wasn’t a liability in limited action, but it’s tough to know what he can give a team defensively.
Still, there might be more pros than cons in bringing Marte back as a bench bat. The Mets will ultimately be the ones to weigh the options, but given everything he brings on and off the field, he could be a good option.
