New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien’s stated goal is to provide an “MVP-caliber bat” in his new team’s lineup after the Texas Rangers traded him for outfielder Brandon Nimmo on Monday.
Semien made those remarks Tuesday amid his answer to a question from NBC 4 New York lead sports anchor Bruce Beck, who asked the 35-year-old how much he thinks he has left.
Semien, a three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star, has played 13 MLB seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers.
He has certainly brought an MVP-level bat to the bigs in past seasons, finishing third in the American League MVP race in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
During the 2023 season, Semien helped lead the Rangers to their lone World Series title by hitting .276 (.826 OPS) with 29 home runs and 100 RBI. He also led the American League with 122 runs and 185 hits.
Semien has experienced some regression since that season. In 2024, he hit .237 with a .699 OPS while amassing 23 home runs and 74 RBI.
In 2025, Semien hit just .230 with a .669 OPS (97 OPS+). It marked the first time his OPS+ dipped below 100 since 2020. He added 15 home runs and 62 RBI.
In late August, Semien was diagnosed with a fracture of the third metatarsal in his foot as well as a Lisfranc sprain. He was limited to 127 games.
Semien did flash the leather, though, and won a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts.
The Mets certainly need the best Semien has to offer after a crushing 2025 season that saw a second-half collapse lead to an 83-79 record, one game back of the Cincinnati Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot.
New York’s already in danger of losing slugging first baseman Pete Alonso in free agency, so the Mets need to add more offense to make up for that potential blow. Semien can help, and the hope is he stays healthy and can reclaim some of that 2023 form that led to the Rangers’ magical season.