PORT ST. LUCIE — Opportunity is knocking for the Mets. Terry Collins wants his players to smash down the door. And for the first time since he has been the Mets manager, Collins really believes the playoffs could be within reach, but first, the Battle of First Base must be won.
“We’ve all been looking forward to this year for a couple of years,’’ Collins told The Post Monday over lunch at a restaurant near the Mets spring training facility. “Our young players are starting to come around.’’
Those who don’t come around will not be handed jobs as in years past.
“We have jobs open,’’ Collins said.
Starting at first base.
That is where Ike Davis and Lucas Duda will battle it out in spring training.
“It’s wide open,’’ Collins said.
If both of those players fail, the Mets could go to Plan C, moving second baseman Daniel Murphy to first and bringing Eric Young Jr. in from the outfield to play second.
Collins promised when the full squad is here, this will be a much different camp than he has ever run before with the Mets. He hopes to get Davis 90 at-bats in spring training before deciding who will be his starting first baseman.
The Mets are hopeful Davis will not uppercut as much, that he will forget about trying to hit home runs — less loop, more contact, more backspin.
Davis, 26, hit only .205 last season with nine home runs and was demoted to the minors to try to clean up his swing. He blasted 32 home runs in 2012.
Ike’s dad, Ron, a former Yankee reliever, ripped the Mets last month for how they have handled trade rumors involving Ike, saying: “The Mets really screwed up in that situation.’’
From trade bait to key player in a matter of weeks.
“In the past you look to get him 60-70 at-bats,’’ Collins said of Davis. “Well, he’s going to get at least 90. Yeah, he might get a little tired but he’s too big a piece. We have to know what we have there.
“This is a huge spring training for us. We’ve got a lot of decisions to make. There’s going to be a lot more emphasis on at-bats and innings pitched. We’ve got to come out spring training ready to go. We can’t wait to June.’’
They can’t wait forever for Ike.
“If the two guys at first get off to a slow start, we have [Murphy] to play first base with Eric Young at second,’’ Collins said. “We have options.’’
Spring training also will be a proving ground to see whether Young can be the leadoff hitter and how the outfield will shape up, especially center field. There is a possibility Collins may go with an outfield where four players share three positions or the Mets could ship Juan Lagares to the minors.
Going into camp, Lagares is the starting center fielder.
Chris Young could be the center fielder or he could wind up in right with the other new Met Curtis Granderson in left. There is also the possibility Duda, a major defensive liability, could wind up seeing time in the outfield. He will be given innings in spring training to see if he has improved after last season’s struggles.
This much is clear. Collins is set to hit Granderson fourth behind David Wright.
Ruben Tejada is the starting shortstop. That would change if the Mets signed Stephen Drew. Collins said the time for Tejada, Davis and Duda is now.
“It’s time,’’ he said of the shortstop who was out of shape last season but has been to a Michigan boot camp twice this offseason to get into shape — finally.
“I told Tejada that I’ve seen real good players disappear and never to be heard from again,’’ Collins said of his talks with the shortstop, who is in the mix for leadoff hitter. “Guess what, the game goes on. It can end fast, that’s why you have to work at it.
“Now that these guys have been here for three years or so, it’s time.”
Collins said he will also take a long look at Wilmer Flores (at second, third and shortstop) in spring training.
“There’s a lot of potential there and this is the time to see it,’’ Collins said.
Collins said he is going with a Cardinals type plan, using young power arms in the bullpen. Bobby Parnell (neck surgery), if healthy, will be the closer.
Much-heralded Noah Syndergaard figures to start the season in the minors. Asked what chance Syndergaard has to make the club, Collins said, “slim.’’
“Scouts are saying he may have better stuff in the minors than Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler,’’ Collins said. “That’s a big statement.
“As for the additions we’ve made, I’ve heard great things about Chris Young as a guy, we just have to get him off to a better start,’’ said Collins, who has done his homework, checking in with Young’s former managers.
“We’ve been very impressed with Lagares. If we were to start today, he’d be the center fielder but if Chris Young comes along, heck, he was an All-Star center fielder three years ago. If Eric Young shows us in camp he can get on base, we have to find a spot for him, he changes our offense, as he did last summer. When he got on we scored runs. This guy creates runs. We have to get him on base more. We got to get him to layoff some pitches, we’ve got to get him to bunt.’’
If Eric Young doesn’t cut it at leadoff, the spot could fall to Chris Young or Tejada, Collins said.
Collins is going into camp with this mind-set: “We can make the playoffs. We showed in streaks last year that we can compete with anybody and that’s why it was important that we signed a couple of bats and added Bartolo Colon, especially with Matt Harvey sidelined [following Tommy John surgery].’’
As for the rotation, Jon Niese could be the Opening Day starter, but Collins may opt to go with a right-hander and said anything is possible, even the chance Zack Wheeler becomes the Opening Day starter.
Collins will cut back in spring training on the at-bats and even batting practice for Wright and Murphy to keep them fresh and try to avoid oblique injuries the Mets have had in the past.
“It’s going to be a fun spring training and it’s going to be interesting,’’ Collins said. “You are going to see some ‘B’ games. I know one thing: We’re better. I’m excited to get going.’’
And it all starts with the Battle of First Base. It’s all up to Ike.