Reese Kaplan -- Ex Mets Mostly Doing Better Than Current Mets

So far 2026 is looking like the mid year version of the 2025 team with no hitting, inconsistent pitching and some curious managerial moves.  It is not quite the June/July nausea-inducing stress yet and it’s only been a mere 7 games, but you can surely bet that what has started out as the new David Stearns team and era was not exactly slated to have this kind of sub .500 beginning.  By points of comparison, how are the no longer Mets doing?  Let’s have a look:

• Pete Alonso is off to a slow start in terms of run production having slugged just a solo home run and driven in just 2, but he’s hitting a rather robust .304 for his new employer in Baltimore.
• The Texas Rangers thus far have a version of Brandon Nimmo that the Mets would surely like to have back.  He’s hitting .360 with a solo home run and 6 RBIs while in his place Marcus Semien has, well, done not a whole lot.  He’s hitting .130 with no home runs and 2 RBIs. 
• What about Jeff McNeil?  Well, he’s so far looking like the Mets dodged a problem.  He’s had no home runs, no RBIs and is hitting just .077 in 14 ABs as a thus far part time player.
• While Freddy Peralta hasn’t exactly looked like the pitching savior the Mets hoped to have added to their staff, Brandon Sproat has been far worse.  He made a start that lasted three innings with 3 strikeouts, 4 walks, 6 hits and 7 earned runs leaving him with a starting ERA of 21.00. 
• Jett Williams started off in AAA for the Brewers and he’s off to a .150 start for his Milwaukee employer.
• The White Sox have gotten Mendoza line production from Luisangel Acuna with a .200 average, no run production whatsoever, but he has contributed 2 stolen bases.  Pitcher Truman Pauley who accompanied him as the package for Luis Robert, Jr. hasn’t made a minor league appearance yet.
• Starling Marte got a late start to his 2026 season having signed with the Kansas City Royals late into spring training.  He’s only had 3 ABs thus far and done nothing with them.
• After flubbing big time by selecting Jose Siri, David Stearns doubled down on Cedric Mullins who for 2026 is thus far even worse for the Tampa Bay Rays hitting just .048 with no home runs and 2 RBIs.  The aforementioned Siri is thus far missing in action.
• Of course, the 2025 Mets team also included some highly questionable relief pitchers.  Ryan Helsley moved on from New York to Baltimore where he’s now again a teammate of the Polar Bear.  There he’s gone 2 for 2 in Save opportunities, striking out 4 in 2 IP.  Yeah, he just wasn’t ready for the New York stage. 
• The Pirates have gotten 4 games out of middling reliever Gregory Soto who has no saves but boasts a perfect 0.00 ERA and fanned 8 in 4 IP.  Another guy who couldn’t cut it in New York is thriving in a smaller city.
• Then there’s sidearmer Tyler Rogers who has been perfect in 4 games for the Toronto Blue Jays.  His 0.00 ERA is accompanied by 3 strikeouts, 1 walk and 2 hits allowed.  But the Mets decided to make room for Dicky Lovelady and Luis Garcia.  Yeah, that worked out, well, not as the front office expected.