JUPITER, Fla. — DJ Stewart has been in this position before.
He understands that the Mets have outfield depth, that they signed some and got others back, that his placement in the ongoing competition — or on the roster in general — remains in flux as spring training stretches into March.
It’s almost exactly like 2023 when he resorted to being a month-long jolt in a lost campaign.
For 30 days, DJ Stewart was a bright spot with the Mets.
He hit .329 with a 1.133 OPS from Aug. 15-Sept. 15, adding 10 homers and 23 RBIs, but his numbers plummeted after that — and Stewart finished without a hit in his final six starts.
Stewart has tried to avoid worrying about where he’ll start the season.
He’s tried to maximize every element of his skill set, mixing in reps in right field and left field with the occasional first-base work at the Mets’ complex.
And then there’s the swing — a booming, powerful one at times — that could make him an option at designated hitter.
But the Mets anticipate having a recovered Starling Marte available.
They signed Harrison Bader to serve as their center fielder, and there’s still, of course, Brandon Nimmo. Tyrone Taylor has impressed. Trayce Thompson has flashed potential.
The collection of those layers has complicated Stewart’s path to the roster ahead of the Mets’ final roster decisions.
“At the end of the day, they’re gonna make a decision that’s best for the team — whether that’s me or someone else, I’ll always be ready,” Stewart told The Post before Friday’s 3-1 win against the Marlins, in which Stewart went 0-for-4 and his spring training average dipped to .118.
While the Mets have a new manager, both of their hitting coaches — Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez — observed Stewart’s tear from the dugout on Buck Showalter’s staff.
It was one of the best stretches of his career, Stewart said, and part of that stemmed from regular at-bats. He wasn’t platooning. Right field, after the trade deadline, belonged to Stewart.
A toe tap helped unlock his swing, as Stewart said to MLB.com last month, but the 30-year-old told The Post that he stumbled upon that tweak in a drill.
One coach lofted a plyo ball, with a basketball-esque shot, toward Stewart, and he waited — and kept waiting — for it to arc toward him. A workout intended to eliminate a lunge became an indispensable part of his swing.
Stewart still might not get the chance to translate that success across a full MLB season, though.
Friday’s performance didn’t help his case. “Versatility, obviously, is important,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, and that remains Stewart’s strength.
But there’s still the looming threat that even a scorching one-month tear won’t translate to a guaranteed spot six months later.
“I don’t look at it as fourth outfield, starting outfield, anything like that,” Stewart said. “It’s just, ‘Hey, these are things that I can do,’ and if it’s something that’ll help the team win, I think that’s the best thing for me.”