I have been very pessimistic about the 2026 New York Mets for a variety of reasons that have been highlighted in recent posts. I think that this year's "experiment" with a roster redesign was a dreadful failure.
But no one wants to read bad news all the time, and I certainly can see both sides of the coin, so let me talk about some of the positives I have seen that the Mets can build on for their future.
The failures of some of the Mets personnel (both in their play and in their health) have forced the Mets to bring up some of their young prospects before they otherwise would have. Some of them have shown that they were up to the task, and there is great hope about what they can do in their future. Here are a few that have really made an impact:
1) Carson Benge. The front office held out until the absolute last minute this spring before finally deciding to send Benge north with the MLB team. I'm not sure what they were pondering, but it turned out to be a great idea to choose him on the active roster. Benge had a slow start to his season, which worried some that his confidence would be diminished. Instead, Benge proved that he had enough confidence and enough self-awareness to make the necessary adjustments and since then he has been a very strong contributor every game.
2) AJ Ewing. Ewing started the season in AA, so there was no one that expected him to be wearing a NYM uniform before September if at all in 2026. But Ewing, who I believe will make his mark as an intense competitor in the category of former Mets like Lenny Dykstra, quickly moved through AAA and into New York. His offense is still catching up a bit, but his defensive and base-running tenacity have already impacted this team. In the last two series, Ewing has made catches in center field that may not have been made by anyone else on the roster. The funny thing about that is how with Luis Robert and Tyrone Taylor on the IL, Ewing has displayed what "run prevention" really looks like despite not being part of the original Stearns design.
3) Christian Scott. We all knew that Scott had talent, based on his debut in 2024. But coming off surgery, no one really knew if we would see that version of him again. He has come back even stronger. On a pitching staff where there have been very few things the team can count on, Scott has become a top 3 in the rotation and has shown the ability to go deep into ballgames. That not only makes him better, but it makes the bullpen better because they get an extra inning or two of rest when Scott pitches.
4) Austin Warren. If you said "Austin Who?" you would not be alone. Warren was not one of the annointed prospects moving up through the Mets' system. He was a 2018 draft choice by the Angels that was injured, had Tommy John surgery, ended up in San Francisco, and was picked up by the Mets from the waiver wire in January this year, and made his way onto the active roster in the end of April when the Mets were playing musical chairs in the bullpen. Since then, Warren has quietly gained the confidence of Carlos Mendoza and has seen his time increase in higher leverage situations. Currently, Warren has a 1.33 ERA in 15 games with the club. No one is saying "Austin Who?" anymore.
If you are looking for something positive to get you through these tough stretches, just think about what these four players can do for the Mets for a long time. Warren is 30, Scott 26, Benge 23, and Ewing 21 years old. All are currently under team control. Hopefully there will be even more to write about soon.
5 comments:
Yep, some positives, all right. No other hitters ready, so let’s get Alvarez back and hope it is enough til Lindor returns.
Given his early season injury Juan Soto hasn't gotten the praise he most definitely deserves. How far into a 1962-like cellar would the Mets be right now without him?
Adding three starting players to a major league roster, all of whom are performing well, should be taken as a sign of a well functioning minor league system. One might even think it would be enough to take a team that most predicted would fare well even without those additions to the next level. Unfortunately, the majority of the rest of the Mets squad has either underperformed, plagued by injuries and was poorly constructed.
It's important to heap appropriate praise on the youngins individually and on the system from which they have come. On the other hand, it is also unfair to expect that the system can continue to produce as many players at this level every year, and so the FO, really has to invest in both the talent generating system, and put more talent on the field through other means at the major league level than they have. Failure to attend to the latter responsibility will invariably overstress the minor leagues, push players too quickly up the chain, placing too high a burden on them individually and on the system overall.
Just think of the prospects we can get for Peralta at the deadline.
If Bichette can have half a dozen 4 hit games over the next several weeks, he too could look more appetizing to acquirers.
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