For a team whose owner literally has unlimited resources and a management team that seemingly has a blank check to make moves, this Mets team has been a disaster and a perennial underachiever. They ended last season with the highest payroll and are currently second behind the Dodgers. All $356M got Mets fans last season was 83 wins. It also got a completely new lineup, with four new additions. Is it enough to get them into the 2026 playoffs?

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THE LINEUP

Sep 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) throws to first base to retire Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (not pictured) during the second inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

For a team with so many resources, it is inexplicable to me that they allowed 1B Pete Alonso to leave. One of the preeminent power hitters in the game, Alonso was beloved in Queens. Aside from losing Alonso, they are also without Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Starling Marte. After trading for Cedric Mullins, they aren’t bringing him back either. In total, they represented over 2000 ABs last season.

Those ABs will be replaced by 2B Marcus Semien, 3B Bo Bichette, IF/DH Jorge Polanco, and OF/DH Luis Robert. I do not like how this team is constructed. To begin with, no matter who they put at 1B will be a downgrade…they may decide on Polanco, or Mark Vientos, and neither is Alonso. 

Semien is a solid bat at 2B, but he’s now 35 yrs old, and his numbers have regressed over the past three seasons. And last season, he only played 127 games. Bichette has never played 3B, and it remains to be seen how he’ll be defensively at the hot corner. 

And while Luis Robert is such a tantalizing talent, he is the very definition of fool’s gold. In five seasons, he’s played in more than 110 games exactly once. In 2023, he played 145 games (still not exactly ironman status). He had 90 runs, 38 HRs, 80 RBIs, 20 SBs, and an .857 OPS. He has the potential to be a 30/30 guy…and he could threaten a 40/40 season, which would make him a unicorn. But that’s the problem, a unicorn is a mythical beast, and unfortunately, now for Mets fans, that is what they are relying on. 

The team still has Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto as their cornerstones, but it will be interesting to see if the team that has been constructed around them will provide them with enough protection. 

THE ROTATION

Sep 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Miami Marlins in the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The biggest acquisition in the offseason was trading for Freddy Peralta. They gave up a ton for a player who could be no more than a rental. Peralta is currently a free agent after the 2027 season. But other than Peralta, I’m not in love with the rest of the staff. 

Last season, Nolan McLean had his coming-out party for the Mets. He made eight starts and pitched 48 innings. He was 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. The Mets will surely have him on an innings restriction this season. 

Only Clay Holmes and David Peterson had over 30 starts last season, and between the two, I do like Holmes. The addition of Peralta does slide Peterson down the depth chart, and as a no.4 starter, he’s much more serviceable than as a no.2 or no.3. 

Recently, there has been some chatter that Holmes may be moved to the Tigers in a deal for Tarik Skubal. If the Mets were to do that, it would definitely send a message to the rest of the league, and shockwaves across the coast, to Los Angeles, and to their AL counterpart in the Bronx. 

The back-end of the rotation consists of Kodi Senga and Sean Manea. Last season, they only combined to throw 174 innings, and Manea’s ERA was over 5.50. This is just not a championship rotation at the moment. 

BULLPEN

Feb 11, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams (38) throws during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, was busy this offseason, signing two big arms for his bullpen. He signed Devin Williams to a 3yr/$45M deal, and Luke Weaver to a 2yr/$22M deal. They will immediately slot into late-inning, high-leverage situations, with Williams assuming ninth-inning duties.

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