Why the Mets’ lineup suddenly looks deeper than expected — and what changed

The New York Mets have one of the most formidable lineups in baseball.

That was the plan, of course. You don't shell out as much money as the Mets do in hopes of just being average.

But it's still a crucial development early in the season. For the Mets to potentially upend the Los Angeles Dodgers, they'll have to hit from top to bottom. And right now, while not everyone has heated up yet, there are signs that these Mets will be dangerous in every spot.

Here's a quick look at how this happened and what it all means.

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How Mets changed to have a deep batting lineup

This starts with the Mets' busy offseason but doesn't finish there.

The headlines were grabbed by the acquisitions, of course.

Bo Bichette signed for $126 million. Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien came over in trades. Jorge Polanco signed as a free agent, too.

That's not all, though. 

The Mets also got significant improvement from catcher Francisco Alvarez. Once a top prospect, he scuffled so much last season that he was sent down to Triple-A. Upon his return, though, he looked like an improved player, and that has carried over into this season.

And then there was the bold move.

The Mets chose to keep top prospect Carson Benge on the Opening Day roster and start him in right field. So far, Benge looks like he belongs.

A good team doesn't become great just with outside additions. It also needs internal sources to grow, too.

So far, so good for the Mets.

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