This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

This is the third in a five-part Around the Horn series looking at how the Mets stack up around the diamond. Next up: Outfielders.

Around the Horn: Catchers | Infielders

The most prominent trouble area for the Mets entering Spring Training may just be their outfield. Long gone are Mark Canha and Tommy Pham, who combined to make 114 outfield appearances before last year’s Trade Deadline. Starling Marte is a year deeper into his 30s with questionable health. Jeff McNeil is needed on the infield dirt. No notable prospects are ready quite yet. Meanwhile, the only offseason additions to this group profile as part-time players.

But this is hardly a unit bereft of talent, giving the Mets hope that their outfield can still be a source of strength throughout the upcoming season.

The starters: Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader, Starling Marte
After playing almost exclusively in center field the past three seasons, Nimmo is now primed to receive most of his reps in left. That’s because his new teammate, Bader, ranks among the finest defensive center fielders in the sport. The light-hitting Bader won’t start every day, but he should play often. And when Bader does take the field, it’s going to be in the middle of everything.

Easily the most pressing question here -- and perhaps on the entire roster -- is Marte. Never quite healthy after undergoing surgeries on both sides of his groin during the 2022-23 offseason, Marte enters his age-35 season with no guarantees that he’ll maintain his health. (He’s avoided the injured list only once over a full season in his career, way back in 2015.) Marte did look sharp in the Dominican Winter League, for what that’s worth, and the Mets will do everything possible to keep him on the field as much as possible. It wouldn’t be surprising for Marte to receive regular DH and rest days, with bench options filling in.

Given all that uncertainty, the Mets badly need a third consecutive healthy, productive season from Nimmo. He’s been as consistent as they come the past two years, with nearly identical stat lines in each of them. Since 2017, only Joey Votto, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto have posted higher on-base percentages in the National League.

The backups: Tyrone Taylor, DJ Stewart
Like Bader, Taylor is a plus defender who can play all three outfield positions; he and Stewart will serve as insurance policies for Marte in right. Stewart could also split DH duties with infielder Mark Vientos, among others, after excelling in an expanded role following the 2023 Trade Deadline. But Stewart struggled in September and will need to perform in Spring Training to assure his spot.

Taylor, who came to the Mets in the offseason trade that brought Adrian Houser from the Brewers, is coming off his worst offensive season in the big leagues.

Still, both Taylor and Stewart are already on the 40-man roster, giving them a significant advantage in any so-called camp competition. Expect both to make the team.

Also in the picture: Trayce Thompson, Taylor Kohlwey
While things can change quickly during Spring Training, the Mets don’t currently have enough roster space to carry Thompson or Kohlwey, their two Minor League outfield signings. Thompson is the more accomplished of the two, but he’s coming off a poor 2023 season. Kohlwey, who’s younger, appears ticketed for Triple-A. Both could eventually see time in the Majors if they stick around, given the lack of big league-ready prospect depth behind them.

The future: Drew Gilbert, Ryan Clifford, Jett Williams, Alex Ramírez
Neither Gilbert nor Clifford, the return pieces in last year's Justin Verlander trade, are likely to make a Major League impact this season (though Gilbert has an outside shot to debut with a strong summer at Triple-A Syracuse). Williams, who also plays shortstop, is at least a year away. Regardless, this is the most exciting group of outfield prospects the Mets have possessed in years. Gilbert (No. 53), Clifford (No. 97) and Williams (No. 45) all rank among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, and all excel in different facets of the game.

Then there is Ramírez, who struggled at High-A Brooklyn last year and must make a leap if he still hopes to carve out his place among the next generation of Mets. Without quick improvement, Ramírez risks becoming lost within the ranks of an improving farm system.