The Mets’ rise felt a bit like “The Avengers,” didn’t it? Introduce one or more new heroes a year — shoot, one of them even goes by “Thor” — until they all band together for the ultimate adventure.

Now, in order to sustain this saga, the defending National League champions must churn out more new protagonists, either to join in more conquests or to get exchanged for other contributors. It’s a task that becomes all the more imperative if, as is every indication, this endeavor won’t go mega-budget.

“This is what we hope happens,” Paul DePodesta, the Mets’ vice president of player development and amateur scouting, said in a recent telephone interview. “You hope you promote guys to the majors who stay there. We’re thrilled with those developments.”

Jeurys Familia and Matt Harvey in 2012. Travis d’Arnaud, Wilmer Flores, Juan Lagares and Zack Wheeler in 2013. Jacob deGrom in 2014. Noah “Thor” Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Michael Conforto in 2015. Throw in the July trades of minor-league pitchers John Gant and Robert Whalen (to Atlanta for Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe), Casey Meisner (to Oakland for Tyler Clippard) and Luis Cessa and Michael Fulmer (to Detroit for Yoenis Cespedes).

Quite a litter — yes, DePodesta and his boss Sandy Alderson inherited many of the players from previous general manager Omar Minaya — and no farm system ever could be expected to enjoy this level of graduations and departures without hitting a speed bump. Yet while the Mets are on track to increase their payroll from the $110 million level at which they concluded 2015, they’ve made it clear they don’t plan to retain Cespedes or sign anyone else to a nine-figure contract.

Hence a significant burden will continue to fall on DePodesta and his staff. Familia and Harvey have three years to go before they’ll attain eligibility for free agency, so there’s your window for this current core.

“We’ve seen it throughout the league,” DePodesta said. “The most successful teams, year after year after year, their farm system is an integral part of their success. Look at the Braves [from 1991 through 2005]. They found a way to incorporate a key, young player basically every year. Ryan Klesko. Kevin Millwood. It’s difficult to do. But if you want to lengthen your window, your farm system has to be a critical part of that.”

Baseball America’s Top 10 Mets prospects list includes just two pitchers, one of whom, Matz (ranked No. 1), is all but assured of a spot in the Mets’ starting rotation. The other, right-hander Marcos Molina, has just 20 games of experience at A ball. This evolution, DePodesta said, largely came by design. This regime knew it had inherited a stockpile of arms from Minaya, which is why it has selected a bat first in each of its five amateur drafts.

DePodesta identified right-handers Robert Gsellman, Jacob Lugo, Jeff Walters and Gabriel Ynoa as potentially helpful arms on the radar. For 2016, though, the primary focus figures to fall on the minor league position players. They’re most likely to either be called upon to help the big league club — the major league pitching supply has admirable depth when you include Wheeler, hoping to return from Tommy John surgery, and Rafael Montero — or be utilized as trade chips.

Here’s a breakdown of the quintet that figures to occupy the bulk of this spotlight next season.

1. Gavin Cecchini, SS

The Mets’ first-round pick (12th overall) of the 2012 draft has come along slowly but has built up his stock to where he’s now admired by many talent evaluators from other clubs.

“We think he can be a prototypical number two hitter,” DePodesta said.

Having just turned 22, Cecchini can still get stronger. He put up the highest slugging percentage of his career (.442) in 109 games with Double-A Binghamton last season.

2. Dilson Herrera, IF

You know him some already, and you could know him more if there’s a quick injury to the Mets’ infield. Otherwise, he’ll return to Triple-A Las Vegas.

“He’s a bundle of energy,” DePodesta said. “He has unusual power. He’s an offensive-minded infielder.”

At 21, Herrera doesn’t need to focus on any specific skill as much as he could simply benefit from more reps.

3. Brandon Nimmo, OF

DePodesta’s first draft pick, 13th overall in 2011, he gets on base quite well but hasn’t developed home-run power.

“He has tremendous strike-zone recognition,” DePodesta said.

He could wind up being an upgrade over Kirk Nieuwenhuis as a lefty-hitting outfielder in the system. Serious doubts remain over whether he can become an everyday major leaguer.

4. Amed Rosario, SS

Baseball America ranks him second, behind only Matz. He made a cameo last season with Double-A Binghamton, where he’ll likely start next season.

“He’s maybe the best athlete in our whole system,” DePodesta said. “Anybody could go in and watch a game and say, ‘This guy’s different.’ He has five-tool potential.”

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012, Rosario, 20, has shown almost no home-run power; he didn’t go deep at all last year in 395 at-bats. So that tool must arrive in order to catch up to the all-around athleticism that other clubs see.

5. Dominic Smith, 1B

Like everyone on this list besides Herrera, the power is the last tool to come along. But the Mets’ first-round pick of 2013, 11th overall, has otherwise elevated himself from a potential regret to a potential successor to Lucas Duda. He tallied a .354 on-base percentage for Class-A St. Lucie last season, winning Most Valuable Player honors in the Florida State League.

“He’s a great hitter who uses the whole field,” DePodesta said. “He’s a potential Gold Glove at first base.”

At 20, Smith has time to work on his power tool. He figures to start 2016 at Binghamton with Rosario.