NY Mets spread holiday cheer at club’s giving event at Citi Field
Clay Holmes played Santa Claus, with Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat in elf roles in the Mets’ Holiday Party Dec. 18, 2025, at Citi Field.
Who could have predicted the way the 2025 season unfolded for the Mets?
Despite adding Juan Soto on a record deal and holding the best record in baseball in June, the bottom fell out over the final three months of the season and the Mets’ playoff hopes were dashed on the final day of the regular season.
The campaign was a massive failure and set the ball in motion for a transformative winter that has seen the club’s core dismantled.
Heading into the new year, there figures to be several moves still on the horizon for the Mets to fulfill their expectations of being a World Series contender.
The 2026 season will be an important one for the leaders within the Mets organization as they look to put last season’s collapse in the rearview mirror.
Here are 26 predictions for the Mets in 2026 as they look to gather the pieces:
1. Carlos Beltran gets Hall of Fame nod
One year after falling a narrow 4.7 percent shy of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Beltran becomes the leading vote-getter in 2026. He punches his ticket to Cooperstown with 80.3 percent of the vote, and his plaque is adorned with a Mets hat in July’s ceremony.
2. David Wright stays on the ballot
While David Wright’s chances of reaching the Hall of Fame appear slim, he maintains his spot on the ballot after his third year of eligibility. The former Mets third baseman’s vote total reaches double-digits at 10.1 percent.
3. Cody Bellinger goes to…
Despite a clear need in the corner outfield, the Mets cannot draw Cody Bellinger away from the Bronx after prying Juan Soto away last season. Bellinger elects to stay with the Yankees on a four-year, $132 million deal.
4. Framber Valdez joins Mets
A big move appears to be looming for the Mets, and David Stearns waits out the starting pitching market to land Framber Valdez on a four-year deal. Valdez gives the Mets a top-of-the-rotation option that they were badly missing a season ago.
5. Mets trade for Luis Robert Jr.
With a need to shore up the center-field spot, and the White Sox looking to dump Luis Robert’s $20 million salary, the Mets eat the majority of that cost and send away a rookie deal to bring in the high-upside outfielder.
6. Mets’ spring breakout
Mets left-handed pitching prospect Jonathan Santucci turns heads in the annual Spring Breakout game against the Rays, striking out three in two scoreless innings after drawing the start.
7. Clay Holmes helps USA win World Baseball Classic
With his knack for hitting the ground running in spring, Clay Holmes proves to be a valuable innings-eater for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. After falling to Japan last time around, an ultra-competitive tournament sees the red, white and blue soar over the Dominican Republic in the championship.
8. Carson Benge wins a major league spot
After managing a .270 batting average in his first spring training, Carson Benge showcases his potential and grabs a major league roster spot after completing his first big league camp.
9. Another early starting pitching injury
The Mets have had terrible luck with the health of their pitchers while departing from Port St. Lucie. In recent years, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Kodai Senga, Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom have all started the season on the shelf. David Peterson starts this season on the mend, clearing the way for Brandon Sproat to open in the rotation.
10. Opening Day nod goes to…
One season after missing the first three months with a nagging oblique injury, Manaea finds his form in spring training to earn the Opening Day start. He opens with a six-strikeout effort and the win as the Mets take down the Pirates and old companion Jeff McNeil.
11. Juan Soto storms out of the gate
After a slow start to 2025 saw Soto tag only three home runs through the month of April, the superstar outfielder rises early in 2026, tagging that many home runs in the opening week of the season. He finishes the first full month with nine home runs and 20 RBI as the Mets begin the season 17-12 through April.
12. A strong debut in the bullpen
An injury in the bullpen opens the door for Dylan Ross to make his debut three weeks into the season. His debut is one of the highlights of the opening month as the righty fireballer strikes out three in a perfect inning and gets a hold against the Cubs.
13. Early agita for Devin Williams
Questions swirl about the Mets’ closer role after Devin Williams enters a tie game with the Dodgers in mid-April and surrenders a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman to blow a save and lose his first game. Edwin Diaz earns the win for the Dodgers.
14. Jorge Polanco leads rousing road trip
After a quality start to the season, the Mets use a rare nine-game West Coast trip to band together at the beginning of May. The Mets win all three series against the Rockies, Angels and Diamondbacks to move nine games over .500. Polanco rips a home run in each series.
15. Mets crash back to earth in June
After piecing together their first seven-game winning streak in late May against the Reds and Marlins, the Mets give back some of that progress with a dismal close to June. With the lineup going painstakingly cold, the Mets drop four straight series — twice to the Phillies, and to the Cubs and Blue Jays — as they enter July at four games over .500.
16. Mets’ pair of All-Stars: Juan Soto, Nolan McLean
The Mets are not as well-represented as they had been after 2025’s hot start. Soto is named a starter after his snub one season prior, and the Mets add one more from their pitching staff as Nolan McLean earns his first nod.
17. Francisco Lindor hitting streak
In July, Francisco Lindor rips off a career-high 20-game hitting streak with the highlight coming in a walk-off win over the Dodgers in their second game of the series at Citi Field. With Lindor leading the charge, the Mets notch a winning month at 16-9.
18. Deadline deal with Brewers
With the Mets pushing for a playoff spot and shadowing the Braves for the top spot in the NL East, Stearns makes a major splash by landing Freddy Peralta from the Brewers for Jett Williams, Brandon Sproat and Boston Baro.
19. Auspicious beginning to August
With the two-headed monster of Valdez and Peralta clicking into form, the Mets open the month of August by winning nine of their first 12 games. Peralta proves his worth by shutting down the Braves across seven innings to cap a series win over the rivals.
20. O-no, it’s Pete Alonso
After a lengthy tribute video, Pete Alonso greets former teammate Kodai Senga with a two-run home run in the opening game of the Mets’ first meeting with the Orioles after their first baseman’s departure. The Orioles take two of three, adding insult to injury.
21. Marcus Semien outduels Brandon Nimmo
With the Mets in a contentious battle with the Cubs, Giants and Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card spot, Marcus Semien comes up in a big way in his return to Arlington, Texas. He drives in five runs across the series with the Rangers as the Mets head into their final series.
22. Mets clinch NL Wild Card berth
The Mets enter their final series against the Nationals needing one win to clinch their return to the playoffs. Senga delivers one of his best starts of the season, holding the Nats to one run while striking out eight to help the Mets grab the fifth seed with two games to go. They finish the season with an 88-74 record.
23. Strong bounceback effort by Francisco Alvarez
One of the top highlights of the season is Francisco Alvarez’s resurgence at the plate. He bashes his career-high 26th home run in the final series as part of an exciting final weekend in Washington, D.C.
24. Done in by the Dodgers
After the Mets ride their new dynamic pitching trio to take down the Padres in the NL Wild Card Series, they meet a familiar fate as they are outdueled by the Dodgers in the NLDS across four games. The Mets lineup goes woefully cold in the series loss.
25. Nolan McLean wins NL Rookie of the Year
The highlight of award season for the Mets comes as Nolan McLean becomes the franchise’s first rookie of the year recipient since Alonso. McLean finishes his first full season with a 13-6 record, 3.01 ERA and 175 strikeouts.
26. Time for Tarik Skubal
After the Blue Jays claim their first World Series crown since 1993, the courting process begins for a deep free-agent pitching class. Skubal is the crown jewel, commanding a record $500 million as bidding gets underway.