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. 

Reese Kaplan - 2026 Disappointments

Whether it is formal baseball historians, beat writers, bloggers or a bunch of baseball fans commiserating over an unreasonable quantity of beer, there are going to be a lot of hours spent trying to deduce what exactly went wrong with the 2026 Mets season.  You can point to any number of player decisions but in no particular order let’s consider a great many of them.

Pete Alonso returned to Citifield this past week and there is no evidence from the Mets fan base that they missed the big slugger immensely.  I’m not going to debate the rationale behind the decision not to try to match the offer made by Baltimore but the performance provided by their new first baseman certainly confirms he’s not over the hill nor on the way out of the game.

Edwin Diaz departing for Los Angeles was pretty much strictly about money.  Given his lackluster season fraught with injury it doesn’t hurt quite as much as it might otherwise have had he gone onto All Star level performance for the left coast wunderkinds.

Devin Williams, of course, was an unimaginative and uninspired acquisition after his implosion with the Yankees.  Yes, David Stearns knew him at his best so the decision was somewhat understandable but it also showed a tremendous lack of imagination bringing in a player who was tatooed regularly on the mound simply because you were familiar with him.  He was only slightly better for the Mets and now in the middle of a multiyear deal get used to seeing him in the pen.

Jorge Polanco being signed as a first baseman was bizzarre to say the least given his lack of experience at the position.  He has had a long history of injury issues keeping him off the field which made his more than ⅓ lower salary than what Pete Alonso would earn seem doubly baffling.  Needless to say his 2026 season was a lot more reminiscent of his IL stints than what he did on the field or as DH.  You’re stuck with him again next year, too.

Freddy Peralta was another example of David Stearns digging onto the shallow entries of his planning ledger since he was very familiar with the man during their shared days in Milwaukee.  He never quite put everything together for the Mets and after a rocky few starts for Tampa he seems to have started reasserting himself as a top-level starting pitcher.  So does that mean that the Mets coaching staff is insufficient?

Marcus Semien used to be a very good ballplayer.  He still seems an ultimate professional.  What he’s not anymore is a starting quality player.  Yes, the club did save some payroll dollars over what Texas is now paying for the privilege of having Brandon Nimmon in the lineup but the positive signs are most definitely not there.

Luis Robert was a mystery in Chicago as he put together one incredible season for the White Sox and then spent most of the rest of it injured or making his way back during recovery.  When he arrived in Queens it was no different and except for a small late August flurry of home runs he didn’t show himself to be worth anywhere near what he was being paid.

Francisco Lindor has been a tremendous player for the Mets since his acquisition, but the combination of under performing and injuries left his 2026 value well below his salary level.  There are already people clamoring for the Mets to try to trade him during the offseason but to be fair to the man one bad year does not indicate his talent is gone forever.

Brett Baty can play a lot of positions other than at the plate as a hitter.  Wave goodbye to the man.

Mark Vientos is in a similar state.  His bat is a little more lethal (particularly against lefties) but he’s dangerous as a fielder anywhere but DH.  Being out of options means he’s a bench player or he’s pushed out the door.

Kodai Senga (as a Starter) was horrible.  I had suggested early on he be tried in the pen and surprise, surprise he has excelled there.  The issue is that he has been vocal about wanting to return to the rotation.  With Devin Williams not looking like a closer it would seem ill advised to remove the man from where he’s had success.  Expect other teams to be interested in taking a one remaining year gamble on the man.

Craig Kimbrel was at one time a tremendous relief pitcher but age has caught up to him and he’s bounced around not just with the Mets but elsewhere.  Granted the Mets were down with bullpen injuries in the early part of the season so rolling the dice was not completely insane but he proved himself no longer a dominant pitcher. 

Carlos Mendoza seemed to have a good rapport with the media but not nearly as much skill managing the 26 players and developing them into a contending team.  Someone needed to be the scapegoat for the last place season and in the hierarchy of baseball the manager can’t fire the POBO, so you knew who was being pushed out the door.

David Stearns is where you have the root of many of the 2026 problems.  Granted he doesn’t swing the bat nor throw from the mound but he is responsible for choosing the people who do.  You can see from this rather long list which omits a great many more less significant disappointments that he did a very poor job in trusting his staff to identify worthwhile players and then did even less when it was clear from mid-May that the team was indeed going nowhere.  With the exception of the earlier David Peterson trade, in typical Stearns fashion he awaited the formal summer trade deadline to begin to make significant changes.  Many people are advocating either firing Stearns for his unconscionably bad performance or reinforcing him with a hired GM to help take over the parts of the game that Stearns repeatedly gets completely wrong. 

 

Reese Kaplan - Mets Relief Pitching in 2027

Here’s the potential inventory of Mets pen arms for 2027:

Nate Lavender has two big plusses in his evaluatory worksheet.  With the departures of fellow southpaws Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter the fact he throws from the left side pushes him well ahead of many other prospective relief pitchers for the team.  Equally important is his performance in that role.  Thus far through his late starting rookie season he’s been in 17 games with 22 Ks in 17 IP, a WHIP of 0.882 and an ERA just recently compromised for the first time of just 1.59.  You can write his name in ink for 2027 for sure.

Tobias Myers was part of the trade engaged that also brought since departed starter Freddy Peralta to the Mets.  Myers has been frustrating and lost his spot on the major league roster during the cellar dwelling 2026 season.  The 27 year old has a 3.70 ERA across parts of three major league seasons.  His ability to switch between starting and relieving is good but the output is not always what you’d want it to be.  He’s on the probable but not definite side of making the 2027 team’s bullpen.

Dedniel Nunez was frankly amazing after a less terrific minor league career when he arrived pre injury.  He’s back but the numbers simply are not there.  Still, over 49 big league games he still owns a 3.19 overall ERA which suggests there is something there that has not surfaced well in 2026.  Consider him a contender but not a guaranteed reliever.

Jonathan Pintaro is going into his age 29 season with a career 4.99 ERA which didn’t even begin at the major league level until 2025.  He’ll take up spring innings for sure but likely he’s on the outside looking it at this point of his development.

Kodai Senga is an amazing question mark for 2027.  It is unclear if he is a closer, a setup guy, a starter or trade bait.  He has one final year on his initial contract so the risk to an acquiring team would be fairly minimal but moving him out would mean he’s leaving the unsuccessful Devin Williams as the 9th inning in the pen.  Could he turn into a latter day David Robertson to Williams to finish the games?  Sure…but he could also spiral after succeeding and then having his unasked for role as closer yanked away from him

Austin Warren is going to be turning 31 next season and despite 80 games of MLB experience he is not regarded as full time closer material.  His career ERA of just 3.48 does indeed suggest that when he is healthy he is a credible arm out there in the 5th through 7th innings.  He’s likely making the team unless another injury happens.

Jefry Yan is fun man to watch when he celebrates his frequent strikeouts but his track record before and with the Mets suggests he’s filler at best.  He walks way too many people and his current 29 year old rookie ERA of 4.60 is alarming.  Many would advocate a reunion with free agent to be Brooks Raley as a better albeit more expensive choice for another lefty.

Daniel Duarte will turn 30 in 2027 and in parts of four major league seasons he boasts a 3.18 career ERA which has steadily improved last year with the Twins and this year with the Mets.  Health is the big question, of course, but you’d figure he’s on the short list of returning relievers.

Jack Weisenberger is a 28 year old rookie who made his debut in the majors when roster needs forced the club’s hand.  With a career 4.61 minor league ERA he didn’t stand out as a top prospect, so his thus far 5-game MLB earned run average of 2.61 is shocking to say the least.  They’ll look at him but it’s an uphill battle for him to make the 2027 club.

Xzavion Curry made it back to start and give away a game this week.  Expect he’s not in the future plans at all.

Tylor Megill doesn’t cost much but pitchers who deliver a career ERA of 4.46 with decent strikeout numbers and mediocre control really can’t say that his name is written in ink on the 2027 roster.  He’s had five years to get it right and thus far hasn’t demonstrated enough ability to warrant security.  However, people will be curious to see him post TJS and mixed long reliever/spot starters are sometimes needed.

Devin Williams owns a career ERA of just 2.70 which includes his horrific trial in the Bronx for 2025 and nearly as bad numbers in Queens this year.  They’ll likely rush him back to pitch a game or two in 2026 as it closes out to see what he can do, to test the fit with Kodai Senga and to open trade interest from other ballclubs.  His salary is high but if and when he rediscovers his Milwaukee success formula it’s more than reasonable.

Reed Garrett is due back from TJS for the 2027 season.  There were times the Mets leaned heavily on his right arm as a late inning reliever.  During his 2024 and 2025 seasons he kept the ERA under 4.00 but for his career over 142 games it stands at 4.76.  He’ll get a long look in Port St. Lucie but at this point his probability to be on the roster is uncertain.

Dylan Ross is a big right hander with a single major league game on his resume.  He’s been around since age 23 in the Mets organization but the numbers have never jumped off the page as someone destined for major league greatness.  His minor league ERA is a moderate 3.95 with very strong strikeout numbers accompanied by an equally alarming tendency to give up bases on balls.  He’ll be 26 and certainly in camp in Port St. Lucie but until he learns to control the ball better he’s a fringe candidate at best.

Kevin Herget is recovering from injury but his good control has not been enough to guarantee success in The Show.  He can strike out about one per inning and yields just over 2 walks in the same interval but by age 35 as he is now his lack of established metrics and the likelihood he’s in the dwindling end of a long career suggests he’s another filler at best candidate.  The 3.95 career ERA is not awful but not dominant either. 

Justin Hagenman is another pitcher on the injury recovery pathline.  Turning 30 and never having established himself as a reliever after his starting days ended, his career 4.10 ERA and moderate other numbers put him in the same category as Herget though a few years younger.

Gary Gill Hill became a Mets asset mid year as part of the flurry of trade deadline moves executed by the front office.  The young right hander did just make it to Syracuse to land on the IL to finish the season and he’s got some raw potential but the thinking here is that he needs to establish himself both as healthy and capable before being taken seriously as part of the 2027 pen.

 

Reese Kaplan - Starting Pitching In-house Options For Next Season

One of the more interesting areas for the Mets to assess for the 2027 season is the projected starting pitching rotation. Despite having gone into the 2026 season with some familiar names slated to have that role when the year began after spring training, as things evolved personnel moved around and it opens up a whole new range of possibilities.

Starting with the easy choices, you would think that going into the new year Nolan McLean is most definitely in that elite five selections. He’s pitched well enough to be a distant fringe candidate for Rookie of the Year and you don’t brush aside that level of competence when it has already established dominance for a great many innings in that starting role. Even with his last start being a clunker he goes into mid September with a record of 11-9 for a losing team, accompanied by a very nice 3.24 ERA, 184 Ks in 166.2 IP and a WHIP under 1.200. He’s the kind of pitcher who is a number one or two on most major league staffs.

Christian Scott has fluctuated between decent and stellar in his first year post Tommy John Surgery recovery. At this point he appears to be showing a little wear which is to be expected having missed a full season but his good days suggest he’s a middle of the pack hurler for sure. His 4-5 record doesn’t stand out but it’s accompanied by 127 Ks in 105.1 IP and an ERA a respectable if not outstanding number of 3.76. With additional rest and conditioning it would be very surprising to see him excluded from that same role again next year.

Late arrival Zac Thornton opened quite a few eyes in several of his starts. With a 4-5 record accompanied by a 3.44 ERA over 13 major league starts he’s most likely written in at worst erasable ink for one of those five starting pitcher assignments. He’s not a huge strikeout guy but he’s excelling at keeping men off base resulting in a low WHIP and a 1.6 WAR rating in his rookie trial. He’s on the most likely list to own one of those rotation slots.

Now Jonah Tong is a bit less a certainty having struggled for much of the 2026 season in Syracuse before turning the corner in August. Coming off as loss in his recent start the man only gave up 2 runs and anyone would accept that level of performance from any pitcher any day of the week. He still hasn’t pushed past the naysayers who want to see him perform effectively like that in every start but the indicators are there that he can be a top notch major league pitcher when all things come together for him both mentally and physically.

You never know which Sean Manaea is going to show up when he takes the mound but in the second half of the season while he hasn’t been pitching at an ace level, he’s been much better than when he pitched himself out of the rotation earlier in the year. He’s under contract for another season and unless the Mets do a pay-down deal he’s likely going to be back with salary dictating playing time. Consequently, right now he would be the 5th man of an otherwise very young starting rotation.

Who else is there vying for those roles? Well, there are a few of them to ponder as well.

Number one on this list is mystery man Kodai Senga who was flat out awful in the starting rotation each of the past few years but surprisingly strong out of the bullpen. With Devin Williams expected to return from injury it leaves the Mets with the question of what to do with Senga. Do they keep him as the closer, make him the 8th inning guy, return him to the starting rotation or use his late 2026 quality as a means to trade his final contract year off to another team to pay?

Tobias Myers could be a contender for a starting slot or he could remain a long man and spot starter out of the pen. Early in the year he looked like a quality find but then he played himself down to Syracuse before a recent return to the major league roster. Consider him very much an outside contender in this race.

Recovering from injury the enigmatic Tylor Megill is still under Mets contract. Like the since traded away David Peterson, Megill has a frustrating ability to look incredible matched by looking just as remarkably bad. He’s likely in the same boat as Myers with a combination of long relief and spot starting in his future with his low price tag offering up filler possibility for the 2027 roster.

On the outside looking in are a pair of youngsters who may have to contend for a pen role rather than one in the starting rotation. Jonathan Pintaro has floated between the rotation and the pen for his minor league career good for a 3.66 overall ERA. That’s good enough to bear watching but not necessarily to pencil into a contending team’s rotation.

Less well known in a major league role is Jack Wenninger. He’s a strikeout capable pitcher who has mostly served as a starter but yet to make his rookie attempt in the majors being handed the ball to begin the game. At age 24 now he’s at the right age to push himself into the rotation mix but he’d have to get past Myers, Megill, Senga and the probable five to do so.

Reese Kaplan -- Are Mets Facing A Pete Crow-Armstrong Sequel?

One of the story lines coming out of this visit by the Chicago Cubs is the performance of former Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.  Everyone knew about his defensive acumen but no one knew how well his bat would play as he continued to develop his skills.  Right now PCA is hitting a respectable .265 with 9 HRs, 27 RBIs and 13 SBs.  By comparison superstar Francisco Lindor is hitting .296 with 8 HRs, 25 RBIs and 6 SBs.  Somehow the numbers suggest that the Cubs got one over on the Mets in a big way.

As a result, there are going to be a number of fans and media types who now will run scared when it comes to dealing away significant prospects in proposed baseball trades to improve the roster.  Timing is perfect for this conflict between fear and selling high based upon Saturday night’s 2 HR and 5 RBI game by former star minor leaguer Brett Baty.  For awhile during the game on Saturday night you’d think this was not a contest taking place at Citifield but rather one in a Spring Training game in Port St. Lucie when Baty was absolutely on fire.

So now if you’re David Stearns what does a few hot games from Baty do with your future plans for the young man?  He’s struggled in the majors during extended trials in the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and earlier this season in 2025.  Now 25 years old, has Baty found what was missing from his major league game or are people simply getting overly excited about a few good games?

Going into the 2025 season, Baty had pretty much cemented his reputation as a failed top level prospect.  He’d never done anything consistent in the majors and even last year while the power numbers were good after being returned to Syracuse, his batting average wasn’t terrific and people wondered whether or not he was still in the team’s plans.

Fast foward to the February through late March period in Florida and the forgotten man (particularly after Mark Vientos’ breakout 2024 effort) was seen as at best filler material.  Going into the regular season it appeared as if Baty would again be slated for Syracuse until Nick Madrigal suffered his shoulder injury wiping out the 2025 season.  While not a shortstop, it still opened up a roster spot for a spare infielder and Baty certainly rose to the challenge offensively.

Fast forward one more time to May of 2025 and you find that in half as many ABs Baty now has matched Vientos’ run production.  The batting averages are both unimpressive under .230 but both have been on a rise lately.  With the loss of Jose Siri and now left handed hitting Jesse Winker, it would seem that the need is there for a replacement hitter.  In an ideal world you would insert Baty into the 3rd base position and convert the defensively inconsistent Mark Vientos into a DH, but he hits from the right side as does Starling Marte. 

So the question going forward to consider is what do you do with Brett Baty?  Does he become a regular part of the offense, a spare part off the bench or does he return to Syracuse?  None of these options are ideal but all are available.

Another possibility (which brings us back to Pete Crow-Armstrong) is what has Baty done to his value and attractiveness as trade bait?  Would another team in need of help at 3rd base or DH consider the appeal of the very reasonably priced lefty swinging Baty as fair value for someone on their roster who could help the Mets in the outfield, in the pen or elsewhere? 

Many naysayers will be reaching for antacids right now seeing in their minds a repeated of the Billy Eppler trade (while ignoring the offense provided by Javier Baez and the pitching output of Trevor Williams).  Is selling high the right way to go, or do you instead swallow hard, keep Brett Baty at 3rd base and sell low on Mark Vientos? 

Decisions, decisions...

Reese Kaplan -- Bargain Priced Ace Perhaps Available to the Mets

Well, Spring Training got off with a bang with a home run from new rightfielder Juan Soto along with three send ‘em up and shut ‘em down innings from reliever-turned-starter Clay Holmes.  That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the Mets haven’t really addressed the need to cover the innings Frankie Montas will miss due to injury.  Yes, there’s Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn and Max Kranick as in-house options.  With neither Canning nor Blackburn having options to go to the minors and Kranick somewhat deep among the spare starters it leaves Megill as the front runner who could lose out considering he has a minor league option remaining. 

Now to hear the Mets tell the story, the month of April is filled with a lot of off-days and rainouts, so they really don’t need that extra starter until May.  Given the initial news regarding when Montas can resume normal baseball activity, you’re perhaps looking at some 4-6 turns of the rotation as the weather warms up.

Of course, that proclamation could simply be marketing hype to hold down the desperation the club feels given that high lat injuries are not known to be something that goes away quickly for a pitcher.  Many here (myself included) have wondered why signing Jose Quintana to an inexpensive deal this late into the upcoming season hasn’t materialized.

Yes, there is the infamous Steve Cohen payroll tax which will convert any new expansion of the payroll into a number double what it says on paper for agreed-upon salary.  Consequently a modest $5 million contract really costs the club $10 million.  While Cohen most certainly has deep pockets, you have to wonder how willing he is to reach inside them that way for a 36 year old starter towards the end of his career.

Others have suggested that the long rumored trade for someone like Luis Castillo might be a smart move but again the long term deal in place costs way more than the team might like to accept.  Consequently a buy low candidate with longer term options might make more sense.

Enter stage left Sandy Alcantara currently not playing for the Marlins.  He signed a 5-year deal back in 2021 before succumbing to TJS which cost him part of the 2023 season and all of 2024.  His playing numbers actually exceed those of Castillo.  For his young career he owns a 3.32 career ERA. 

Go back to the 2022 full season to see what he’s really capable of doing.  Then he pitched to a 14-9 record with a 2.28 ERA and won the NLCy Young Award when he earned an 8.0 WAR metric for being essentially unhittable.  For a period of four full years from 2019 through 2022 he has a 3.07 ERA and earned 4.1 WAR per season. 

Yes, he did regress to a 4.14 ERA before the injury was revealed in 2023.  Then he missed all of 2024.  He’s currently earning $17.3 million as a 29 year old in 2025.  Then he repeats that number as a 30 year old in 2026.  An option exists for a return at age 31 in 2027 for $21 million vs. a $2 million buyout.

Given that he had a poor 2023 and has been down and out for a long, long time, the cost to acquire him should be significantly lower than what it would take to land Castillo, he earns quite a bit less and could be here for three seasons without extending his deal.  It’s food for thought, Montas injury or not.  

Reese Kaplan -- Mets Have the Elements to Succeed If All Goes Well

When it comes to strategy to win ballgames there is power, small ball, pitching, defense and in-game decision making.  No single element will triumph every time but combinations of them can baffle opponents when executed with aplomb.

On the question of power, the Mets have a pair of 40 home run hitters in newcomer Juan Soto and returner Pete Alonso.  Both have demonstrated the ability to put the ball out of any stadium with ease when the need arises and together they will rival the Aaron Judge/Juan Soto pairing enjoyed in the Bronx in 2024.

However, there is more power in the Mets lineup than this elite pair.  Late addition third baseman Mark Vientos was on a pace for nearly 40 home runs and if you add in his post season bombs he was at 33 in less than a full season’s worth of ABs.  Now pitchers will adjust and Vientos needs to do the same, but he demonstrated elite power hitting ability as well.

Then there was the odd season produced by Brandon Nimmo.  His batting average was way down as he fought plantar fasciitis but his home run and RBI numbers hit all time highs.  Most folks would probably accept a return to the .270 or thereabout batting average in exchange for some run production, but if Francisco Lindor is going to be leading off then Nimmo is more necessary as a guy who drives baserunners across home plate.

Speaking of Lindor, let’s not forget his 30+ home run power.  Not too many shortstops in the game can deliver that kind of offense.  His RBI numbers will be down as a leadoff hitter, but the power is for real and must be factored into this aspect of home run hitting.

The big missing slugging bat from 2024 was catcher Francisco Alvarez.  When pressed into emergency duty in 2023 as a 21 year old rookie he clubbed 25 home runs with a batting average barely north of the Mendoza line.  Last year he gained almost 30 points in that metric but the home runs for the entire season dropped to 11.  Obviously he has more raw power than that and it’s important to realize he played 2024 at a meter 22 years of age while also fighting through injuries.  He claims to have gotten some tips from J.D. Martinez so it’s an open issue what kind of power hitter he will become for 2025 and beyond.

When it comes to small ball, the Mets have the aforementioned Nimmo whose previous best asset was his OBP.  In addition, you have Jeff McNeil who is a contact hitter.  The DH combo is more contact on the Starling Marte side than on the Jesse Winker side, but there are indeed a trio of folks who can help move the ball around.  

Pitching is going to make or break this club.  Last season they got unexpected good performance from now departed Luis Severino and expected competency from now departed Jose Quintana.  They received amazing pitching from David Peterson and better than expected results from Sean Manaea.  They lasted the entire year without Kodai Senga yet somehow survived.  This year they have Clay Holmes joining Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and David Peterson.  That’s four out of five.  Frankie Montas was envisioned as the 5th of that group but his lat injury makes a substitute necessary.  

The bullpen should be a bit better when A.J. Minter is fully healed and joining the rest of the relief arms.  The first five slots are already taken with anyone’s guess as to who gets the next 2-3.  

Defense has been reinforced with the return of Tyrone Taylor in center field and the addition of defensive magician Jose Siri.  Brandon Nimmo is a competent outfielder in left if he isn’t moving to DH due to his foot and, well, Juan Soto earns his pay with his bat not with his glove.  The rest of the defense is pretty much the same as it was last year.

The in-game decisions from Carlos Mendoza in his rookie managerial campaign were mostly sound with few examples of choices he made that were questionable.  With more experience under his belt and likely a bit more confidence than he had in his prove-it year as a rookie it would seem that the club is in good shape here as well.

Reese Kaplan -- Saving Money While Bolstering the Infield for 2025

Any long term Mets fan remembers some less than spectacular players the Mets trotted out to 2nd base and in particular to 3rd base during their 62 year history in the National League.  I won’t cause you any gastric distress nor the need to reach for blotto-inducing alcohol or banned substances of choice.  You know the names and you know how hard it’s been to see All Stars across town and around all of baseball while the club for which we give our devotion and enthusiasm instead trot out the likes of guys like Roy Staiger (oops, sorry, I did cite someone but he is long enough ago that it shouldn’t cause too much of a disturbance for anyone's day). 

Nowadays the Mets are in a much different position given the unreal season produced by Mark Vientos and the fact that former NL batting champ Jeff McNeil are on the roster.  Of course, with the impending free agency departure of Pete Alonso the club may very well shift Mark Vientos across the diamond to take over for him.  Jeff McNeil on most folks’ radar is part of the outfield mix rather than at second base.  Consider for a moment that if these current veteran moves and the Vientos transition take place it opens up both the positions to the left and to the right of Francisco Lindor.

Now the conventional wisdom of how best to use Steve Cohen’s fortune is simply to look for the best of the best available in free agency and pad the roster that way.  For third base the big name is Alex Bregman formerly of the Astros.  For first base it would include Paul Goldschmidt who apparently has worn out his welcome in St. Louis.  Then there are trade rumors out there for third baseman Nolan Arenado also of the Cardinals and contract year ending players like Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. from Toronto. 

However, bear in mind if you get 30+ HR power from Vientos at close to minimum wage, picking out a new first baseman and keeping him struggling defensively at third makes little sense.  You could move Vientos into a DH role in place of the thus far coterie of less than stellar folks assigned to this role (including J.D. Martinez).  That still would leave the infield vacancies unfulfilled.

It’s not new to consider who the Mets have on the farm who could help in Queens.  The obvious one is Ronny Mauricio who missed the entire year with injury and recovery.  For now folks want to see how he’s progressed with a return to on-the-field action in winter ball.  He has a combination of power and speed to suggest he would be a solid major league player.  Whether he can transition to star is still a great unknown, but he’s shown enough in the minors to suggest he is ready.  If Vientos is at 1B or DH then 3B would likely belong to Mauricio if he’s fully healthy and not too rusty.

The much more surprising development is petite Luisangel Acuna obtained during the midyear fire sale in 2023.  His numbers in the minors are pretty impressive.  Even with a poor 2024 in Syracuse, he still produces a .280 batting average, 10 HRs and 50 stolen bases per season.  Last year’s promotion was out of reluctant necessity when Francisco Lindor went on the IL.  It wasn’t based upon his AAA performance. 

So how did he do? 

Well, in very limited action he had 39 big league at-bats during which he hit 3 HRs (one every 13 ABs) and hit .308.  Granted, you can’t assume that a switch flipped and he suddently morphed into a top prospect after finishing 2024 with just a .258 average.

Until...

Much to no one’s surprise Acuna is playing winter ball and thus far is putting on quite a show.  His latest numbers include a .388 batting average over his first 17 games down there, while also contributing four extra base hits and nine stolen bases. 

The question that arises now to media, fans and the Mets front office is whether or not what we’re all seeing is indicative of the type of player Acuna will be.  If so, then he gains a very strong foothold into the second base position giving the Mets a fantastic and speedy middle infield.  Or does the hot September and winter instead transform Acuna into a heavyweight trade chip to land someone else from another team?

Either way, it’s a very nice problem to have.

Reese Kaplan -- Still Lots of Space on the 40-Man Roster

The Mets still stand with several vacancies on the 40-man roster along with some who are there that face tenuous holds at best.  Bear in mind there will be some movements made once the 2025 season approaches as players get cut, traded or move onto the 60-day IL.  Given those facts, David Stearns has quite a task ahead of him trying to figure out how to build out the remainder of the top 40 players to be a part of the New York Mets organization.  Please bear in mind that Stearns inherited both the major and minor league rosters.  Yes, he’s made some additions already, but as witnessed by the fates of several players he picked last year, he’s not blindly loyal to what his thinking was at the time the newcomers arrived.

Let’s take a look at a the possible fate of a rocky eight:

Players on the Trade Bubble

Brett Baty — What can you say about the job done by Mark Vientos last year and the 2023 season produced by Ronny Mauricio which make Baty’s best efforts look fairly weak by comparison?  Yes, he was a high draft pick but as evidenced by countless examples all over baseball the most highly regarded players don’t necessarily pan out as anticipated.  Baty’s has enough impressive performance in the minors prior to 2024 that a club seeking a change of venue type of trade might want to give him a shot to play right away.

Starling Marte — It’s really hard to look at Marte as the same fragile but solid all around player who performed upon his arrival in 2022.  The following year was a lost one due to more injuries and despite strong base running in 2024, it would appear he plays older than he looks.  His fielding which had been very strong has deteriorated as well. The availability of him being in the lineup is inconsistent yet if the Mets pay down his final year of his deal they might likely find a taker. 

Jeff McNeil — How many chances do you keep giving the guy who earned his current contract after securing an NL batting title?  Between injuries and uneven hitting he’s made his positional versatility his best attribute rather than his previous command of the bat.  He’s another one who would need a buy-down on his remaining contract unless the Mets were engaged in a similarly expensive player from another club which would not require creative accounting. 

Tylor Megill — The key things to remember about Megill is that he’s out of options.  That means he’s on the roster or becomes a free agent at the end of Spring Training.  Given the Mets’ collective dearth of both starting and relief pitching you would think he’s more secure than the others on this list, but the fact is that like Brett Baty he’s never put together the major league consistency the club hoped he’d deliver.  He could be a piece of a package deal and allow another club to cross its fingers regarding which Megill is taking the mound for them each day.

Players on the “See Ya Later” Bubble

Dylan Covey — None of us in the baseball media can hope to claim the same level of expertise as the team’s front office and scouting departments, but a look at Covey’s numbers really make you wonder what the club was thinking.  He has a batting average against over .280 and his WHIP is atrocious.  Yes, he was a Stearns selection, but the experience during his front office era is how you play is whether or not you stay.

Luis De Los Santos — Here’s another player young enough to be a AAA stash in the event injury forces a replacement level player to make it to Citifield, yet his output doesn’t shine in any aspect.  There’s some power and some speed but the batting average has not been outstanding and he’s on an uphill right now to prove to the organization that he belongs.

Players on the Long Term Healing Bubble

Paul Blackburn — The midyear acquisition had a few good starts before his health started failing which eventually required time in an operating room to try to get him ready to play again midway into the 2025 season.  For his career he’s a more expensive version of Tylor Megill with a career ERA of 4.85 to accompany a losing 22-28 record, a .279 BAA and a WHIP of 1.41.  By comparison the one year younger Megill has a career ERA of 4.60, a .500 record, a .260 BAA and a career WHIP of 1.39.  The difference here is salary where Blackburn must be paid $3.45 million for his 2024 effort whereas Megill earned under $800K.  He’s not four times the pitcher but being injured meant the Mets would DFA him or keep paying him while he heals.  They opted for the latter.

Christian Scott — He was cruising through the minors with a career ERA of just 3.19 when he made it as a callup to the Mets in 2024.  He was off and on with good games and bad games before being diagnosed as needing Tommy John Surgery.  He’d shown good control and a solid WHIP though the ERA crept up to 4.56 as an NL rookie.  He’ll likely miss all of 2025 in rehab.

There are a great many other fringe players who likely will hang around like Max Kranick and Huascar Brazoban who likely won’t be in danger of losing roster spots but are not being counted upon to be difference makers.  Anyone you feel will be gone?