The atrocious local football season is in the rear-view mirror. The Knicks remain a wasteland. So with only a month to go before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, here are five thoughts about the Mets before life begins anew in Port St. Lucie:

— If you look at one issue that torpedoed the 2019 Mets, it was the collapse of the bullpen, led by Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia. There are many ways to measure bullpen destruction — blown saves is the easiest, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Diaz blew seven saves, Seth Lugo blew five, Familia and Robert Gsellman four apiece and Tyler Bashlor three. But it was much more than blown saves that told the story of this horrid bullpen.

Mets relievers never were in command, no matter who was on the mound or who held the title of pitching coach. This group will get a new pitching coach in former Met Jeremy Hefner, and he is off to a good start. He already has visited Diaz in Puerto Rico to work on the closer’s head and mechanics. Diaz surrendered 15 home runs, and each one seemed to be more crushing than the last.

This bullpen must gain the confidence of the starters and do all this with a first-year manager, Carlos Beltran, who has never handled a bullpen. The signing of former Yankee Dellin Betances was a plus. He brings a New York approach that is lacking in this soft group. That’s the first step, but there are many more that must be taken.

— Yo and the defense. Jake Marisnick is a terrific outfielder and team player. That’s an upgrade, and he would be the perfect late-inning, comfort-zone replacement in left field if he is not needed in center, but if Yoenis Cespedes cannot function in left after his run-in with the wild boar, it will have a domino effect on the Mets’ porous defense. Too often, Mets pitchers were let down by their defense.

Keeping Michael Conforto in right will help. Robinson Cano needs to be more active at second base as he grows older, and that is quite the trick. Perhaps better defensive positioning will cover up for his loss of range. Jeff McNeil at third will be better than expected. Shortstop Amed Rosario made a huge improvement with coach Gary DiSarcina. Getting back to Yo, no matter what happens in spring training, the true test will not come until real regular-season action in left.

— Brodie Van Wagenen learned hard lessons last season as he went from agent to GM. An agent sees only the good in his players. A GM had better see the weaknesses or else he will not be a GM for long. Brodie has a bull’s-eye on him, starting the first day of spring training, not only because of what happened in the first half of last season, but because owner of the future Steve Cohen is watching closely. The Wilpons are here for five more years, but Brodie has to hope the changes he made in manager, coaching staff, players and throughout the organization pay off now. This is Brodie’s team in every way. There are no scapegoats.

— What a huge spring for Steven Matz. The lefty needs to separate himself from veteran starters whom Van Wagenen added: Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha. Mr. Cy Young Jake deGrom is Matz’s best friend on the team, and Matz needs a little of deGrom’s approach (i.e., read hitters’ swings, keep your cool) rub off on him or he could find himself in the bullpen. Noah Syndergaard has too much talent to be mediocre, and getting his issues with catcher Wilson Ramos out into the open last year was a plus because both men know they need to work better together. Thor can also take a page from deGrom’s book: Work through any obstacle.

— Can Pete Alonso duplicate his incredible Rookie of the Year season? Alonso loves to be challenged, and not having a sophomore slump is the next challenge. After watching Alonso’s worth ethic and scientific approach to hitting, as well as the raging fire of competition that burns within, here’s my thought heading into spring training:

If you don’t believe in Pete Alonso, you don’t believe in baseball.