Paul Articulates - Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Mets fans out there!

We are a long way from opening day of the 2026 season, but there is still a lot to be thankful for if you are following this team.  Yes, 2025 was a disappointment, but the infrastructure of the organization is stronger than it has ever been so there are better days ahead of us.

What am I thankful for?  Here are a number of things:

1) Steve Cohen is very committed to the success of this team.  For Steve, this is not a hobby or a way to make some money.  This is a passion for a team he wants to be the best.  He uses his money intelligently to make all the players better which differentiates him from other owners that use their money to buy some better players without developing a structure to support them.

2) David Stearns thinks in many dimensions.  He strengthens the team from the top and the bottom so there are mitigations in place when things don't go right with the original plan.  He also has enough thriftiness to get some good bargains for the team even though he can also spend big when the must have players come around.

3) The talent in the minors is deep enough to recover if not all the prospects live up to original expectations.  Think about the three prospect pitchers Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat that came up last season.  Not one, but three and there are more behind them.  Think about the center field need and realize that there are four prospects that can fill it between Carson Benge, Nick Morabito, Jett Williams, and AJ Ewing.

4) The technology and the training personnel that have been put in place is now attracting top talent to this team.  The word is out that the development system in place is the best way to optimize your talent.

Thanksgiving is a great time to celebrate with this Mets family who have lived through the thick and (mostly) thin in baseball history.  After the feast, we will create our lists for the holiday gifts we would like to receive such as:

1) A new starting pitcher who will summon comparisons to aces past like Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, and Jacob deGrom.

2) A new contract for fan favorite and power hitter Pete Alonso.  There have been many theories on how we can replace him, but they all fall a little short of just keeping him.  

3) A bullpen that continues to be built around holding a lead for Edwin Diaz.

4) An MVP season for Juan Soto and a pennant for the Cohens.

Thanksgiving is also a time to thank our talented staff of writers, from the timeless Mr. Mack to the creativity of Tom Brennan, Steve Sica, and Reese Kaplan to the exceptional new talent we have added in Angry Mike and RVH. 

 Have a great holiday fans!!