Reese Kaplan - Pleasant Surprises

While it’s easy to highlight thievery, many things that went wrong for the Mets during the 2026 season from Hell, it’s not quite a 100 percent horror show.  A number of players emerged who put a positive spin on the team’s future.  Not all of them came out of the gates running at full speed but as the season progressed they emerged into quality glimpses of what went right this year and what hopefully can become building blocks for success in the future.

Juan Soto is paid as one of the top 2-3 players in baseball and when healthy he certainly deserves that reputation.  While he’s never going to be a gold glove fielder, he contributes with the bat both for average and for power.  He has also demonstrated the ability to be a threat on the basepaths as well.  During 2026 he’s had for him substandard totals at the plate but he’s also missed quite a bit of time recovering from injuries.  Everyone who is a Mets fan regards him in the same quiet awestruck way when he comes to the plate as they did Mike Piazza, Darryl Strawberry and Pete Alonso in the past.

Carson Benge started off 2026 looking like his abbreviated stint in AAA was not nearly enough to prepare him for the rigors of a major league career, but after May concluded he began to put together the offensive side of his game which matched his base running and cannon of an arm in right field.  Now when he comes to the plate he’s earning the fans’ confidence as he’s showing that five tool skill set that enabled David Stearns to take a 2026 gamble when Mike Tauchman was sidelined during Spring Training with injury.  

If not for the Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart who already has 32 HRs and over 100 RBIs then Nolan McLean would be in contention for the NL Rookie of the Year award.  Yes, he’s been that good.  A starting pitcher on the roster for the full season with an ERA around 3.20 would be considered an ace on most any MLB staff.  The Mets are most fortunate he didn’t show any backsliding during his rookie campaign.

Christian Scott was showing signs of being a solid starting pitcher before he went down for TJS.  After missing the required recovery time no one was sure what to expect but the returns have been at least as good as was expected.  He’s likely finishing the season tired but still with an ERA under 4.00.  While obviously expectations are higher for next year with more recovery time and strength building, he’s worked himself into a regular starting slot.

Zac Thornton was never really at the top of anyone’s list among Mets pitching prospects but how can you argue with what he’s accomplished in this otherwise lost season.  The 24 year old soft tossing southpaw is showing strong control and a season long ERA of just 3.40.  He may not have been there for Opening day but he will most certainly get that honor in 2027.  

Jonah Tong has only made two starts in 2026 but this recent 2 run outing demonstrated in a big way that his late season Syracuse heroics were not done with mirrors.  The strikeout numbers are a bit down but confidence should return them to the expected level as he continues to play.  He’s not a guarantee for breaking camp with the Mets next year but with Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes no longer on the roster it is indeed possible.  

Austin Warren has now spent more time pitching for the Mets than he had for the Angels and Giants combined.  Overall he’s been a lot more good than bad and sporting a career ERA of just 3.45 he has certainly when healthy pitched his way into bullpen consideration for 2027.

Kodai Senga (as a closer) is a riddle wrapped inside a mystery.  The Mets need to decide if he is worth $15 million in his final year as a Met as a starter or reliever, if as a reliever in setup or as closer, or if his greatest value right now is trade bait.  Given his injury history and poor numbers prior to taking over as a closer he was likely going to get some debate as a roster casualty for the wrong reasons.  Now he’s an interesting quandary.