One of the topics among Mets fans these days is whether they’ve done enough or whether there is still more to do. It’s understandable since the run prevention theme that sounded so good seems to have evaporated and a number of players appear to be starting the season out of position.
Rather than take a strong stand on one side or the other, let’s attempt in late January to figure out a potential lineup assuming no more major acquisitions occur. Even Mack has opined that they are done so let’s go with that assumption and see where they are.
First of all, the lineup tilts heavily right handed. You have Juan Soto and Brett Baty as the only two left handed hitters to go along with switch hitters Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco. The rest of the players all hit from the right side (assuming at this point Mark Vientos is the leading candidate to be the DH).
There is some good base running speed here. Last season Juan Soto emerged out of nowhere to total 38 SBs after never before having exceeded 12. Francisco Lindor had a 30-30 season in 2025. Perhaps the most surprising addition to this list is Luis Robert, Jr. who, like Soto, has added speed as an offensive weapon. In 2025 in under 400 ABs he racked up 33 SBs and back in 2023 he slugged 38 HRs. Right out of the gate the Mets are offering up a trio of 30-30 hitters.
Then there are the people who think Francisco Alvarez is on the way to becoming a much more solid hitter than he has shown in the past, though the home run hitting might be not quite as prodigious. His 2025 season ended with a .256 average after having only reached .237 the previous year and .209 the year before that. Making contact is improving but after slugging 25 HRs as a rookie in 2023 he totaled only 22 combined in 2024 and 2025. The question is whether he’s a free swinging slugger or a consistent contact hitter.
If you’re going to construct a lineup to spread the right handed hitters around a bit, maybe it could look like this one:
- Robert, Jr. (RH)
- Lindor S (Switch)
- Soto L (LH)
- Bichette (RH)
- Polanco (Switch)
- Vientos (RH)
- Baty (LH)
- Alvarez (RH)
- Semien (RH)
There are a lot of uncertainties here but it also has the potential to be pretty good. If Baty and Vientos return to their best forms, if Robert rediscovers his power stroke, if Alvarez continues his progress and stays healthy...that’s a lot of ifs. Some feel that it would be smarter to trade Baty and/or Vientos to land a real left fielder. There is some merit in that but the accountants overseeing the payroll might not like it as much.
Next time around we’ll look at the pitching.
20 comments:
I like the reasoning process of this lineup, but that your best hitter bats second makes us put Soto there and build around him. So:
Roberts
Soto
Bichette
Lindor
Polanco
Vientos
Baty
Alvarez
Semien
Or, since you will have three righties in a row at 8,9,1, how about:
Lindor
Soto
Bichette
Polanco
Roberts
Vientos
Baty
Alvarez
Semien
Or they could trade a combination of Baty and/or Vientos to get a real left fielder.
Stearns said lefty bat Benge will be given the opportunity to go north with the Mets. That would add lefty balance.
I know Gus would love to see Jesse Winker back.
I'm going to take back my statements that the Mets are done
They need, at least, one more decent relief pitchers.
Past that, I would send Benge to Syracuse and start off Taylor in left
It will be interesting to see if Lindor is the lead-off hitter this season
I thought of that too, but took it to the next level.
1. They’d be selling way low on Vientos
2. They need a lefty bat to balance out all the righties.
3. If Baty is traded, which is a likely because his analytics in the second half are borderline unsustainable and what if he crashes this coming year and his value plummets, then Benge is basically a lock to make the team and bat 8th or ninth.
Wow, I forgot about him. I thought his signing was dumber than Montas’. Wow, what a clown.
Sorry Reese can't get on board with Robert batting lead-off. The dude has an under.300 OBP. Lindor will remain the lead-off hitter until one of the kiddies replaces him.
Also, we can't go into the season with Taylor playing full time. We then would be to right handed heavy. The way we are situated now, look for Baty to get some time in LF or Benge makes the OD roster.
Baty... The Position Enigma
Mack, just posted this on Ray's article:
Hey Ray, while I'm not quite sure about becoming a star, I truly believe that he will be a solid everyday player, still with a decent upside.
Right now, he is one of the most important guys on the team. We need his left handed bat in the lineup or we will be to right handed.
When I say important its because you can expect Semien and Bichette to miss some time. Also, if Bichette leaves after this year, we would be looking for a 3B next year.
To start, I would give him a shot at 1B, may the better man win the position. The loser goes to DH. I can see him spending time in LF/1B/2B/3B.
The Ultimate Insurance Policy
I don't think he is going anywhere
I'd rather have Baty at first than Polanco. Baty looks the part.
I don't like seeing both Baty and Vientos in the same lineup.
Looks the part?!! If that were the criteria, Keith Hernandez would never have played first (not lean enough), Cal Ripken would have been too tall to play short, and Buster Posey was not short or stout enough to catch.
I would trade Baty for Jarren Duran. He bats lefty, has speed and bat leadoff.
He can definitely be a 20/20 guy and can backup CF as well?
Baty & vientos make total sense to platoon at DH, PH & occasional fill in where needed & injury insurance - utility. Baty will get time in LF - it is logical & he is young.
Benge needs a spot to play for sure so I don’t see a full time LF acquisition at this point.
Can’t have Robert lead off his OBP sucks. If he is 2023 version, then even more optionality!
Can’t sell short on Vientos as this point. Not with the new coaching & offseason work. If he wasn’t traded yet, he is staying to get chance to extract value. It’s simply not yet necessary to trade him nor Baty at this point - unless: Skubal becomes available…
If Skubal becomes available, do you drain your remaining assets for him? It seems the Dodgers hoarded theirs, the Mets cashed in a few for Peralta, but Skubal would require Benge, Tong, and who knows what else. Call me a fool, but I believe the key long term in the Peralta trade will by if Meyers can get back to his 2024 form. That’s a MLB starter for five years.
Gus, I will go on record right now as saying that after acquiring Peralta, the Mets are all set in the starting department. I wouldn’t make another move. keep Tong and everyone else that is a future solid caliber starter. And build from within for future starters. We have plenty, and they are far enough along to weave them in as needed during 2026 and 2027. if need be, we can acquire Tariq at the end of 2026, assuming he’s still not signed long-term.
Amen, Tom.
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