Buck Showalter laid awake at 1 a.m. Wednesday wondering what he was forgetting to pack in his suitcase for an 11-day trip.
If no toothpaste or too few socks is Showalter’s biggest problem to emerge during stays in Oakland, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Mets manager should count himself fortunate.
On the heels of winning series from the Marlins and Padres during a 4-2 homestand, the Mets (7-6) begin their longest road trip of the season by mileage and time — and the only one stopping in three cities — Friday against the Athletics (3-9).
They were off Thursday in California.
The first three of 10 games pit MLB’s biggest payroll ($377 million) against MLB’s smallest payroll ($77.8 million) — about the same as the salaries of Max Scherzer and Francisco Lindor combined — according to Cots Contracts.
“This is going to be a good test for us,” Pete Alonso, who leads MLB with six home runs, told The Post. “Not result-wise but for character — to see how we handle some adversity. There are a ton of external factors. This is going to be a really good marker for where we’re at. I feel like if we play good team ball out there, that’s going to really set the tone for the rest of the year.”
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When Mets owner Steve Cohen, speaking before the home opener, forecasted a potentially slow start because 17 of the first 23 games are on the road, he had this upcoming swing — including three games against the Dodgers and ending with four against the Giants — in mind.
Maybe he had Showalter’s voice in his head.
“We’ve been gone about two months including the [first] road trip, came home and won two series,” Showalter said. “We’re headed on the road for a big challenge. We’re playing [17] games on the road in April without a bunch of off days, so we knew going into the season that April was going to be a challenge.”
The 2022 Mets jumped out to a 26-14 start before unusually facing two West Coast trips — one to face the Rockies and Giants and another to face the Dodgers, Padres and Angels — separated by just six home games.
When the three-week stretch was over, the galvanized Mets were 18 games over .500, after going 8-8 on the road.
“I think we are already there,” Showalter said. “Every club seeks its certain identity. We have a lot of people who played together last year and the new guys have fit in very quickly.”
If going toe-to-toe with the Padres was an important early-season message to ease the sting of last season’s playoff series loss, any series against the Dodgers, who have been to the playoffs 10 straight seasons, is a measuring stick for National League supremacy.
“This team has very high expectations, and we do that by trying to win one day at a time,” center fielder Brandon Nimmo said. “It’s going to be a challenge, but I think these guys are up for it. We have a lot of veteran guys who understand these trips are important, and you want to start on the right foot and finish on the right foot when you come back from the West Coast.”
Showalter joked that “you’ve got a problem” when you are shopping for forgotten items on the road. Better than looking for hitting or pitching, both of which appear to be in better shape than they were when the Mets lost their most recent three road games in Milwaukee.
“Our potential is through the roof,” Alonso said. “It’s still early but … having some momentum built up a little bit, I feel like this could be a really good start for us and a really good test with a West Coast trip. Once we get our momentum going, I feel like we are going to be an even scarier club. We have a chance to really get going here.”