#Keith Hernandez sees shades of 1986 in possible Mets lineup

Close your eyes. It is easy to picture Jeff McNeil lining hits everywhere. It is easy to picture Pete Alonso feeling dangerous again at the plate, because he was dangerous 53 times last season.

But imagine, if you could, a motivated, menacing Yoenis Cespedes lurking behind McNeil and Alonso.

Yoenis Cespedes, Sphinx since February, sure can.

Opening Day, July 24 against the Braves at Citi Field?

“I know for sure now that I will be ready,” Cespedes said on a Zoom call.

Pain?

“Only when I wake up sometimes,” Cespedes said.

Left field?

“I feel like I’ll be able to play the outfield if that comes up,” Cespedes said.

Rust at the plate?

“It’s like riding a bike,” Cespedes said.

And it’s a contract year.

“I’m not out here to prove anything to anyone, I’m out here to prove something to myself,” Cespedes said, “that after three surgeries that I can come back and play the way that I know that I can.”

If he can, it wouldn’t be farfetched to imagine a McNeil-Alonso-Cespedes-Michael Conforto meat of the order … a Mets’ Boar Four.

“I think this lineup,” Keith Hernandez told The Post, “is right there with the ’86 bunch.”

Hernandez analyzed the following projected Mets lineup, including Robinson Cano, even though he is still not participating in spring training 2.0:

Brandon Nimmo, CF: “He has a good eye at the plate, he gets on base, he’s made big improvement against left-handers, he’s capable of stealing bases, and he brings a helluva lot of energy, which I love.”

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Jeff McNeil, 3B: “He’s impressed me very much, particularly with his knowledge of the strike zone. His focus reminds me a lot of Pete Rose. He does not give up an at-bat. I know he likes to hit the first pitch, which is fine, but maybe at times you want to give Nimmo a chance to steal, but he certainly can handle the bat, he can situational hit.”

Pete Alonso, 1B: “He really impressed me with his plate discipline last year. He stayed in the strike zone, he has a plan, and he sticks to it. I think Pete’s gonna be protected, I think that they’ll pitch him carefully, he has to stay within himself and not try to do too much and do what he did last year, don’t chase bad pitches, and if they want to give him the walk, take the walk.”

Yoenis Cespedes, DH: “He’s not old. And if he can’t run the bases full bore, then he doesn’t run the bases full-bore, he doesn’t take the extra base. He’s on a contract year, I think he’ll be focused. I think if he stays healthy, he’s going to have a very, very good year.”

Michael Conforto, RF: “He’s pulling more and hitting with more power and I think he fits into the middle of that lineup. He has to make improvements on breaking balls, slow breaking balls, offspeed pitches. Against left-handers, if you make a mistake you’ll pay.”

Wilson Ramos, C: “Professional hitter, good eye at the plate, he uses the whole field, will have occasional pop, but really I think he’s one of the best clutch hitters in this lineup. He’s a good RBI guy with two outs, too.”

Robinson Cano, 2B: “I don’t think he’s finished at all. I think he’s still got a fast bat. I think Robby’s gonna play around 90 percent of the games, and he could also DH.”

J.D. Davis, LF: “He’s very disciplined, he stays with his formula, and he knows what he doesn’t like and he knows what he likes. J.D.’s the kind of guy you can hit in the top of the order and can situational hit, he can hit the other way, he’s very good at going to the opposite field, he’s a line-drive hitter, he’s tough to strike out and he hit in the clutch last year.”

Amed Rosario, SS: “I don’t mind that he gets a little out of the strike zone, he has to be loosely-goose up there. But he uses the opposite field, he’s got pop, and he brings speed to the lineup. And if he’s red hot and Nimmo’s slumping, you can flip ’em like [ex-Cardinals] Ozzie Smith and Tommy Herr. He’s come so far as a hitter.”

Can’t you just hear the cardboard cutouts in the stands?

“It certainly could be the most formidable lineup in the league,” Hernandez said.

Yo gotta believe.