Before every series, Mets Manager Terry Collins receives a three-ring binder full of scouting reports, charts and numbers. Collins combs through the information, wearing his glasses, highlighting things as he goes, making notes in pencil. He uses the binder to help fill out his lineup each day, a task that has become much more complex lately.

Since the Mets traded for Yoenis Cespedes, Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, their offense has looked a bit crowded — but in a good way. Collins has 11 viable outfielders and infielders to play in seven spots. He has the luxury of essentially using two lineups, one for right-handed pitchers and one for lefties, and of resting his veterans to keep everyone fresh. It’s like solving a math equation, how he tries to maximize the Mets’ offensive output daily.

One page in the binder attempts to simplify the process.

Around July, the Mets’ analytics team started providing Collins with a new chart, one that simply gave each Mets hitter a score for how he might perform against each of the opposing pitchers. This chart came to be called the Matrix, internally, and Collins became so pleased with it that he sang its praises during a news conference this month.

“It’s another tool,” Collins said. “It helps.”

Collins has been subdued discussing it recently, because he had been instructed not to reveal too much. Others teams run similar programs, with their own variations and twists, and the Mets preferred to keep theirs a secret. When asked about the Matrix last week, General Manager Sandy Alderson frowned and shook his head and offered little comment.