Reese Kaplan -- There Are Actually Some Good Mets Things in 2026

So while the Mets are in the midst of an attempt to tie their worst ever losing streak has anything gone right with this team?

We can all recite all that has gone wrong.  There are the injuries to Juan Soto, Jorge Polanco, AJ Minter and the preseason deal with Francisco Lindor.  Then they lost AAAA outfielders as well. 

Next there are the slumps.  I won’t recite them one by one.  If I did we’d be here all night.  Suffice to say a large number of people are not earning their paychecks.

Instead, let’s take a look at some glimmers of hope in the overrun sewer runoff in which the team has been mired for nearly two full weeks.

• Francisco Alvarez -- As a still-learning catcher with some good raw tools the questions about the young man has been more about staying healthy and delivering consistency at the plate.  He’s always struggled with the batting average and after his fairly impressive 2023 rookie campaign that included 25 HRs he’s not put together full seasons worth of offensive contribution.  In 2026 thus far, however, he leads the club with 4 HRs and is currently hitting a never before seen .271.  If he can keep it up for the rest of the year he’ll be crossing the 30 HR mark with a highly respectable batting average.  That’s worth celebrating (even if he’s the only offensive player thus far still healthy and playing regularly).  

• Nolan McLean -- His 2025 late season call up was expected but no one anticipated how absolutely dominant he would be when facing the best of the best with the spin on his thrown pitches.  He ended his cup of coffee with 8 games started, a 5-1 record, over 10 strikeouts per 9 IP and a 2.08 ERA.  For 2026 he’s picked right up where he left off.  Thus far he’s had 4 starts with a 2.28 ERA, the same strikeout and walk numbers with a WHIP dipping to an astounding 0.761.  Yowza!

• Clay Holmes -- Not everyone was totally convinced in the wisdom of moving stellar reliever Holmes into a starting pitching role for the first extended period last season, but the Mets offered him a deal to do just that and he responded with 31 games started, a 12-8 record and a commendable 3.56 ERA.  He seemed to peter out a bit towards year end as his arm was not accustomed to the workload he was now carrying and went from a previous career high of 70 IP to a never before attempted 165.  This year he’s also made 4 starts and has an even better ERA than McLean at 1.96.  He’s 2-2 which has more to do with the lack of offense than anything he’s done wrong.  His WHIP has improved by about 25%.

• Huascar Brazoban -- The former Marlin was better in Miami than he has shown in New York but this year he’s been off to a terrific start.  Thus far in the combustible 2026 season for the Mets he has a perfect 0.00 ERA over 9 IP.  His ERA is just 0.889 and he’s not yet given up a single walk. 

• Brooks Raley -- Despite having given up the game losing home run in his last appearance, Raley has continued his late career solid effort with the Mets.  Including that blast his ERA is still just 2.45 and is providing the team with left handed dominance until AJ Minter is healthy enough to join him in the pen. 

• Others -- Tobias Myers has been given a starting assignment so anything we’ve seen thus far is on hold as his new role provides a different kind of challenge.  He delivered shutout ball vs. the Cubbies, but Craig Kimbrel didn't fare as well.  He was off to a strong albeit limited start in his late arrival to the bullpen but not enough IP have occurred to make definitive projections on what his season long numbers will be.

So given the seemingly innumerable things that have gone wrong, every now and then someone steps up and delivers at or above reasonable expectations.