A major publication has a bizarre take on a Miami Marlins division rival

Fangraphs expects the Miami Marlins to be better than the New York Mets in 2024. Players are picking the Miami Marlins over other teams in free agency. New Fish SS Tim Anderson for example. The Fish also just have a better roster and made the playoffs last season. That said, MLB.com had a surprisingly different take. What's behind that bizarre outlook?

MLB.com thinks that the New York Mets could be better than the Miami Marlins in 2024.

The New York Mets will be without their ace Kodai Senga for the beginning of the season. The Miami Marlins will be without ace Sandy Alcantara this entire season, so does that even things out? Not quite. The Fish have top of the rotation arms in Jesus Luzardo and Eury Perez. The Mets? Well...their next best starting pitcher is Jose Quintana.

The Mets will have closer Edwin Diaz back from injury, but he missed all of last season and was inconsistent throughout his career. In 2019 he had a 5.59 ERA, a 1.75 ERA in the shortened 2020 season, a 3.45 ERA in 2021 and finally a 1.31 ERA in is contract year in 2022.

I'm not as optimistic about Diaz in 2024 and Tanner Scott had the highest WAR among closers last season. Would it be crazy to say that Scott might be better than Diaz in 2024? Anyway, let's look at what the article in question had to say.

The article hilariously claims that the Mets will outscore a lot of teams. They mention four specific hitters... oft-injured LF Brandon Nimmo, who batted .274/.365/.450 in 2022 and 2023. That's above average production, but he's not a contact star or a power threat. 2B Jeff McNeil doesn't have power at all, and batted .270/.333/.378 last season. SS Francisco Lindor is good, but he batted .254/.336/.470 last season and has always been more of a "good" rather than "elite" player.

I'm highest on 40 homer threat 1B Pete Alonso in his contract year. I don't expect him to be on the team past the Trade Deadline however. He's a free agent at the end of the season and is yet to sign an extension. Their lineup will be significantly worse without Alonso. The comment in the article about the Miami Marlins taking a step back, is also pretty negative to just assume.

The New York Mets could be competitive this upcoming season, I just don't see how they can be better than the Miami Marlins. I predicted this for 2023 and predicting this for 2024 too.