Mets (ss) 14

Nationals 5

PORT ST. LUCIE – During the offseason, the Mets acquired two sure things in Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez.

But it’s three players from last year’s club who aren’t sure things who may ultimately determine how far the Mets go this year. Indeed, the Mets need positive answers to the questions regarding Victor Zambrano’s health and potential productivity, Kaz Matsui’s defensive adjustment at second base and Jose Reyes’ ability to stay on the field.

Since all three were on display yesterday and the regular season is less than a month away, here’s a look at how those three question marks are progressing:

* Zambrano: For the first time since he suffered a strained flexor muscle last August, Zambrano faced another team’s major league hitters yesterday. Healthy now, he started the Mets’ 14-5 split-squad win over the Nationals in St. Lucie but his performance was up and down.

Zambrano, the man acquired for Scott Kazmir, started off brilliantly, retiring the Nationals 1-2-3 in the first inning and ending it by striking out Terrmel Sledge on a filthy slider that swerved from outside the strike zone to the inside corner. No surprise GM Omar Minaya would later refer to Zambrano’s off-speed stuff as “really nasty.”

Zambrano allowed Nick Johnson’s double in the second but nothing else and looked to be sailing. But in the third, he allowed two runs on two singles and two walks before being pulled at his 50-pitch count.

“I feel pretty good,” said Zambrano, who allowed three hits and the two runs in 21/3innings. “My fastball had good command.”

When a scout watching yesterday’s game was asked his impressions of Zambrano’s performance, he said it was too early to tell. He’s right – there’s no questioning Zambrano’s stuff, but he still needs to show more consistency.

* Matsui: The toughest adjustment in switching from short to second may be turning the double play. At second, unlike short, the fielder is blind to the runner coming in behind him. So it was encouraging for the Mets to see Matsui help turn a twin killing yesterday.

In the third inning, with Sledge on first and one out, Jose Guillen grounded to Reyes. He got it to Matsui at second for the force, and the converted infielder fired to first to complete the inning-ending double play.

“He hung in there pretty good,” Willie Randolph said of Matsui. “He didn’t panic.”

“I didn’t feel completely relaxed,” Matsui said. “As I get more experienced, I’ll get more comfortable.”

Matsui, who for the most part has been impressive at second this spring, did have a rocky play earlier in that inning when he went the wrong way on a grounder and had the ball smack off his bare right hand (he was able to recover to get the force out). Matsui said he lost the ball in the sun but it might have been a bad hop as well.

* Reyes: After missing 109 games due to injuries last year, Reyes has been having a superb – and so far, healthy – spring. Yesterday he collected two hits, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base and is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with four steals in four games.

Still, Reyes slid head-first into second on his steal yesterday, and there is concern he may almost be playing too hard for games that don’t count. Reyes said Mike Piazza, who counseled him on being careful last spring (Reyes strained his hamstring on March 14), told him again this year, “Slow down. This is spring training.”

But Reyes’ energy and aggressiveness comes naturally, and as he said regarding the “slow down” advice, “That’s how I play the game.”

Fair point, but his history and style of play means his situation is one to continue monitoring this spring.