There were reasons to believe all over the field.
No, not for this Mets season, which was long over even before the Braves officially clinched the division Wednesday night.
But the type of pitching performance that Joey Lucchesi provided and the type of at-bats that Mark Vientos and Brett Baty brought and the relentless stroke of Pete Alonso gave a peek at how 2024 can be different.
The out-of-it Mets have taken two of the first three games of the series from the very-much-in-it Diamondbacks and beat up a Cy Young candidate during a 7-1 win at Citi Field.
A ballpark of 22,026 witnessed the Mets tee off against Zac Gallen, who most recently had pitched a shutout against the Cubs and this time allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in five-plus innings, denting a case to be tabbed the league’s best pitcher.
Lucchesi, making his first MLB start in nearly a month, was far better over seven-plus innings in which he allowed one run, which was scored after he left the game in the eighth.
Officially recalled in the afternoon to ensure Kodai Senga would get an extra day of rest, Lucchesi allowed just five hits and walked three while striking out two, effectively pitching to contact and making the beginnings of an argument for a rotation spot next year.
The Mets (67-78) have received little from their option-able starting pitchers from Lucchesi to David Peterson to Tylor Megill.
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Lucchesi has been the lowest in the hierarchy among the trio and has spent most of his season with Triple-A Syracuse, but perhaps September can be when he campaigns for a more-assured gig.
The Mets’ offense contained a few pieces who tried taking the same kind of steps toward roles for next season.
Vientos stroked a two-run home run off Gallen in the sixth inning, his third homer in 10 games, a span in which the slugger has begun showing signs of breaking through with consistent playing time.
Baty, who entered in an 0-for-15 skid, slapped singles to right field and center field, encouraging before worrying.
The third baseman was removed before the start of the seventh inning with what the club called left groin soreness.
The bulk of the rest of their offense came off the bat of Alonso, who drove in one run with a single, two more with a double and whose sixth-inning comebacker — ruled an error on Arizona pitcher Andrew Saalfrank — brought home another run.
The first baseman — who is up to 108 RBIs — does not have to prove himself, but his role is also unclear with trade rumors abounding.
There is little known about the 2024 Mets, but a few squints Wednesday painted a more encouraging picture than 2023 turned out to be.
