Let’s start by conceding that Neil Walker’s power surge probably will slow down. As of Thursday morning, he’s on pace to hit 73 home runs (which would tie Barry Bonds’ all-time record), 50 more than the career high of 23 he established in 2014. Even Walker wasn’t offended when I suggested as much during our chat on Tuesday afternoon.

But Walker, at age 30, didn’t dispute the notion that he has reached a new peak professionally. At the perfect time, too — the platform year for his first foray into free agency.

“I think sitting here, six years in the big leagues, going through the ups and downs and kind of learning myself, understanding what I do well, what I don’t do so well, especially offensively — I understand that I’m a guy that tends to hit a fair amount of fly balls and kind of gets the barrel out front from both sides for the most part,” Walker said. “These last couple of years, I’ve tried to really work hard right-handed to try to simplify things and shorten things up. I feel like I’m at a good place from that side.

“But more than that, I’m trusting in what I’m doing. My focus is staying on the field, for one, and preparing. I feel like at this level, preparation is almost as important as your physical [performance].”

If he can back up those words by continuing to perform well this season, and in turn getting himself a nice contract this coming winter — you’d bet on him exceeding the three-year, $37.5 million package his Mets predecessor Daniel Murphy received from Washington, right? — then it took Walker until his 13th professional season to reach his peak. That’s pretty unusual.

Look at the first round of the 2004 draft, during which the Pirates selected Walker 11th overall, understanding that some were drafted out of college and others, like Walker, out of high school. It features guys who already got paid long ago: Justin Verlander. Homer Bailey. Jered Weaver. Phil Hughes (the Yankees’ selection). Gio Gonzalez. It includes guys who already retired: Philip Humber — the Mets’ selection — and his Rice teammates Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend. And there are guys who are still active and who made some money but are clearly approaching the end: Billy Butler. Stephen Drew.

(Actually, the first overall pick of this draft wins “Most Fascinating” honors in a landslide. Matt Bush, drafted as a shortstop by the Padres, has yet to compete in a major league game and even spent time in prison. Now he’s pitching for the Rangers’ Double-A Frisco affiliate.

Want some perspective on Walker’s deliberate path to payday? The general manager who drafted him, Pittsburgh’s Dave Littlefield, hasn’t been a GM since the Pirates dismissed him in 2007; he now works for the Tigers as their vice president of baseball development. The agent who represented him in his 2004 negotiations, Jeff Liebster, hasn’t been a baseball agent since 2006; he now works for a legal recruiting firm in Manhattan.

I spoke with both Littlefield and Liebster on Tuesday, and both praised Walker for being a level-headed young man back when he was drafted at age 18. Littlefield attributed Walker’s slow rise in the minors to position switches and injuries, most notably a left wrist injury in late 2005 that kept him out of the start of the ’06 campaign, and it appears to have been only a little less straightforward than that. Walker admittedly struggled at the Triple-A level, spending all of 2008 there and parts of 2007, 2009 and 2010 before finally sticking in the big leagues in ’10.

“I got to Triple-A [Indianapolis] at 21 and kind of stalled out for a couple of years, struggled for a couple of years,” Walker said. “And that was just, I think, adjusting to the game and to the type of game that was being played that was so similar to the big-league level. I obviously got a small taste [of the majors] in ’09. In 2010, when I was bouncing around, I started off real strong in Triple-A playing a bunch of positions. But offensively, I kind of found it. Just kind of went from there.

“Being able to struggle in Triple-A for two and a half years, whatever it was, was actually a blessing in disguise for me because I knew nothing to that point besides just going level to level to level whether it was a good year, a bad year, whatever the case was. I was moved kind of in a herd. And then struggling is the best form of learning yourself, learning the game.”

As for position switches, the Pirates drafted him as a catcher, only to switch him to third base in 2007 because they had catching prospects Ryan Doumit and Ronny Paulino whereas they didn’t think their major-league third baseman at the time would stick. He didn’t, at least not with the Pirates and not at third base. That guy’s name was Jose Bautista.

The development of 2008 top draft pick Pedro Alvarez, a third baseman, led to Walker’s final switch (for now) to second base. He looks pretty good there. He’s set to make some big bucks there, somewhere. His minor league path was slow, but since he established himself in the majors, he has been impressively consistent.

Barring an even more dramatic rise from the ashes for Bush, Walker will be the last member of the 2004 first round to get rewarded in free agency.

The Mets, having acquired Walker last December for pitcher Jon Niese, would love to enjoy a one-year fling with Walker and turn second base over to Dilson Herrera. But will Walker continue to make a case for extending this relationship, in the same way that Yoenis Cespedes extended his Flushing fling into something longer-lasting? Or in the same way that Murphy, often detested by the Mets fan base, wound up hitting his way into those fans’ hearts and generating support for a return until the Mets traded for Walker?

Here’s what we know about Walker, given his professional history: Good things come to those who wait, and work. The Mets could have another unanticipated winter drama on their hands. They’ll take it if Walker uses the rest of 2016 to prove that he is at his personal best.

Let’s catch up on Pop Quiz questions:

1) From Gary Mintz of South Huntington: In a 1961 episode of “The Twilight Zone” — titled “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” — a man (Jack Elam) is challenged by police to name the previous year’s World Series winner in order to prove he’s an Earthling. What is the man’s response?

2) From Howard Gold of Kearny, NJ: Name the former National League Rookie of the Year who shares a name with a member of the rock group Yes.

– The American Jewish Historical Society has a pop-up exhibit through July 31 called “Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American.” I checked it out last week. It’s modest — hence the term “pop-up” — but worth checking out if you’re in downtown Manhattan.

– I met Brian Biegel through “Miracle Ball,” the excellent book he wrote (and film he directed) about his search for Bobby Thomson’s 1951 “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” Now Biegel has leveraged the concept of searching for sports’ hidden treasures into a television show called “Sports Detectives.” I’ve seen the first batch of episodes — including searches for Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run ball, the United States flag that Jim Craig draped over his shoulder in the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” and Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception” ball — and they’re great.

Your Pop Quiz answers:

1) The Pirates

2) Steve Howe

If you have a tidbit that connects baseball with popular culture, please send it to me at kdavidoff@nypost.com.