Access the Mets beat like never before
Don’t miss Mike Puma’s text messages from Queens and beyond — he’s giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now
Starling Marte’s lineup presence is one thing, but then there’s what he means in the Mets dugout and clubhouse, at least to the team’s most visible player.
In a clubhouse loaded with veterans — a group that also includes Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso — it’s the manner in which the 36-year-old outfielder conducts his daily business that places Marte on a pedestal, from Juan Soto’s perspective.
“He’s literally the leader of this team — I feel like he’s actually the captain of this team,” Soto told The Post. “He’s bringing everybody together. He’s bringing the energy that we need. He’s a guy who h