Offense 2026

[Centerfield]

So what do you do if you're David Stearns?

On the one hand, the offense was highly inconsistent. 11th overall in runs scored for 2025 is obviously disappointing. I think we were all hoping for a top 5 offense. They've come up small down the stretch (12 in runs scored in September), and mustered out only 5 runs this weekend against two of the worst pitchers in baseball. As documented many times, they're the only team in MLB to not have a 9th inning come from behind win.

On the plus side, the Mets were 6th overall in OPS. They're second in all of MLB in hard hit rate, and third in barrel percentage. They're first by a wide margin in balls hit 95 MPH. 5th overall in HRs, despite playing at Citifield.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast?type=batter-team&year=2025&position=&team=&min=q&sort=barrels_per_bip&sortDir=desc

So maybe they were just unlucky?

The Mets had two players in the top 10 in OPS (Soto and Alonso). Arizona was the only other team with 2 in the top ten. Three players (Soto, Alonso, Lindor) posted an .800+ OPS. Seven players posted a .750+ OPS. Baty was close with .743, and Vientos had a hot second half. If they re-sign Pete, the Mets could realistically have 8 players in their lineup post a .750+ OPS (Soto, Alonso, Lindor, Nimmo, Vientos, Baty, Alvarez, McNeil). Age might be a factor. McNeil will be 34, Alonso will be 31, Lindor is 32, Nimmo will be 33.

Jett and Benge, you expect will be ready in 2026. Maybe Ryan Clifford too.

[Cowtipper]

I like Vientos, but he looks more like a high-power, low-average, high-K guy long term. Work him into a trade.

Also ditch:

Tyrone Taylor

Jose Siri

Jesse Winker

Cedric Mullins

Keep:

The obvious: Alonso (wasn't so obviously before 2025), Soto, Lindor, Nimmo

McNeil if he's willing to fill a super-sub role again

Marte as there's clearly more juice to squeeze, if the price is right

Torrens

Baty & Alvarez as they've both redeemed themselves

Mauricio, though he might be worth trading

Senger as a minor league option

Jared Young as a minor league option

Acuna, but make him prove himself

The offense is actually still solid, just "snake bit."

The prospects are getting there, but Benge, Clifford, Parada and Williams all struggled at Triple-A. This unknown named Omar De Los Santos did well in his AAA trial, so he's on my dark horse watch list. I don't think any of them will be good for Opening Day, but there's a good core there.

There's also a good core of veterans from their Triple-A team that I'd bring back, if the players are so willing: Joey Meneses, Gilberto Celestino, Yonny Hernández (surprised he didn't get promoted at all this year), Pablo Reyes.

So who do you bring aboard?

That's the gamble.

I'd put 90% of my energy in improving the pitching and keep the offense largely as is. All the cogs are still pretty good. They have a good mix of youth and veterans. The risk is with THAT many veterans, they might all get old at the same time, which would lead to a very depressing campaign.

[MFS62]

If it makes any difference, Siri, Winker and Mullins will be free agents and are on expiring contracts.

Taylor will be arbitration eligible in 2026. I'm not sure if the Mets will have an option on that.

Later

[Cowtipper]

Yeah, I'm not really considering those fine technicalities, I'm thinking more from a free-for-all fantasy baseball angle. An if all options were open angle, as it were. A perfect world where I controlled all the levers, if you will. A situation where the contractual nitty gritty did not play so big a part, that is.

[roger_that]

I like Vientos, but he looks more like a high-power, low-average, high-K guy long term. Work him into a trade.

Also ditch:

Tyrone Taylor

Jose Siri

Jesse Winker

Cedric Mullins

Keep:

The obvious: Alonso (wasn't so obviously before 2025), Soto, Lindor, Nimmo

McNeil if he's willing to fill a super-sub role again

Marte as there's clearly more juice to squeeze, if the price is right

Torrens

Baty & Alvarez as they've both redeemed themselves

Mauricio, though he might be worth trading

Senger as a minor league option

Jared Young as a minor league option

Acuna, but make him prove himself

The offense is actually still solid, just "snake bit."

The prospects are getting there, but Benge, Clifford, Parada and Williams all struggled at Triple-A. This unknown named Omar De Los Santos did well in his AAA trial, so he's on my dark horse watch list. I don't think any of them will be good for Opening Day, but there's a good core there.

There's also a good core of veterans from their Triple-A team that I'd bring back, if the players are so willing: Joey Meneses, Gilberto Celestino, Yonny Hernández (surprised he didn't get promoted at all this year), Pablo Reyes.

So who do you bring aboard?

That's the gamble.

I'd put 90% of my energy in improving the pitching and keep the offense largely as is. All the cogs are still pretty good. They have a good mix of youth and veterans. The risk is with THAT many veterans, they might all get old at the same time, which would lead to a very depressing campaign.

 

As stated elsewhere, I want to focus on fixing pressing problems, preferably with a big positive solution. CF is obviously a giant gaping hole. Pick up the best CFer available in the of season. Preferably by free agency. But if you can package some players who are underperforming and land a good CFer so be it. Otherwise, though, I wouldn't number Vientos among the Mets problem areas. If Pete leaves, Vientos could be among the more attractive options they have on the roster for 1B. He is capable of being an above average full time DH if Pete comes back.

Priorities for me in the off season is signing three or four good pitchers and one good CFer, not losing anyone now the on the roster. They mostly performed well. The team didn't win as much as they should have, but that's not on the majority of the offensive players.

[Gwreck]

So what do you do if you're David Stearns?

 

1. Do not approach the offseason with any sort of assumption that a spot needs to be held open for Benge, Williams, Clifford, or anyone else in the prospect ranks. In fact, assume exactly zero major league production from any of those 3 players. If and when they produce in the majors, that's a bonus, but shouldn't be factored in when making offseason moves.

2. Re-sign Alonso. Maybe this involves a bit of an over-pay, with the contract really paying for production over the next 3 or so years (even if the contract winds up being longer). But realistically, there are very few options available on the free agent market that can provide what Pete does.

3. Make a serious play for Kyle Schwarber. No, seriously. We have a billionaire owner. Go to him and explain what a coup it would be to sign Alonso and the other best available free-agent hitter, plus the added benefit of subtracting a great player from the biggest obstacle to a division title. Making the Phillies overpay is the consolation prize even if he doesn't want to join the Mets.

3a. The open DH slot offers massive flexibility. (Yes, we are assuming that Starling Marte will not be back as the DH next year. Thanks for your service Starling, your 2022 was great, you had some big hits in the 2024 postseason, and you really were pretty good in 2025 also, but you're 37 now and have had too many injuries, and we're moving on.) So, with that flexibility, go out and see about acquiring any other hitter possible. Position doesn't matter. Maybe it's Bregman or Brandon Lowe or Ramon Laureano, but just get the best hitter you can if it's not Schwarber.

4. Extend arbitration offers to Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri, but have a plan for someone else to play center field on a full time basis who is neither of those two guys, nor Benge or Williams. The free agent market here is not encouraging (and that's part of why you plan to retain Taylor and Siri on low-cost contracts in the first instance), but I have faith in Stearns to find an interesting trade partner.

[smg58]

The weak link is center field. You have to do something there.

Otherwise there was nobody who really killed them, but I would not oppose exchanging a couple of low-to-mid 700s players for a bigger bat.

And the other concern is defense. These are the Fielding Bible stats:

Alonso -8

McNeil +2 at 2B, -5 in the OF

Lindor -4

Baty +2 at 2B, +3 at 3B

Vientos -10

Nimmo +3

Taylor +8

Siri -2

Mullins -14

Soto -6

Alvarez -3

It's not all bad, and I think Alvarez and Vientos would have fared better if they were consistently healthy, but Alonso is not going to get better and Lindor might not be an elite shortstop anymore. Soto was not good, but he's not actually our biggest concern. That makes CF that much more critical. You can slide Vientos to DH full-time -- or perhaps do that with Alonso (assuming he stays) and hope Vientos looks better at first with more experience -- but we need a centerfielder who can either hit without killing us in the field, or field without killing us at the plate. As for Mullins... his defensive numbers should have raised a bigger red flag than they did, and it's not like his hitting has made up for it.

[MFS62]

So what do you do if you're David Stearns?

 

1. Do not approach the offseason with any sort of assumption that a spot needs to be held open for Benge, Williams, Clifford, or anyone else in the prospect ranks. In fact, assume exactly zero major league production from any of those 3 players. If and when they produce in the majors, that's a bonus, but shouldn't be factored in when making offseason moves.

2. Re-sign Alonso. Maybe this involves a bit of an over-pay, with the contract really paying for production over the next 3 or so years (even if the contract winds up being longer). But realistically, there are very few options available on the free agent market that can provide what Pete does.

3. Make a serious play for Kyle Schwarber. No, seriously. We have a billionaire owner. Go to him and explain what a coup it would be to sign Alonso and the other best available free-agent hitter, plus the added benefit of subtracting a great player from the biggest obstacle to a division title. Making the Phillies overpay is the consolation prize even if he doesn't want to join the Mets.

3a. The open DH slot offers massive flexibility. (Yes, we are assuming that Starling Marte will not be back as the DH next year. Thanks for your service Starling, your 2022 was great, you had some big hits in the 2024 postseason, and you really were pretty good in 2025 also, but you're 37 now and have had too many injuries, and we're moving on.) So, with that flexibility, go out and see about acquiring any other hitter possible. Position doesn't matter. Maybe it's Bregman or Brandon Lowe or Ramon Laureano, but just get the best hitter you can if it's not Schwarber.

4. Extend arbitration offers to Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri, but have a plan for someone else to play center field on a full time basis who is neither of those two guys, nor Benge or Williams. The free agent market here is not encouraging (and that's part of why you plan to retain Taylor and Siri on low-cost contracts in the first instance), but I have faith in Stearns to find an interesting trade partner.

I agree with all of those things, especially #s 2 and 3.

But as for #5, I feel about Siri like what Sonny Corleone said about Pauley, "I don't want to see that struts anymore". As an interim, I would try Acuna in center in Spring Training - every game for at least a few innings until a better CF emerges. Maybe knowing he has a set position will allow him to settle down and become more productive.

Later

[Gwreck]

I feel about Siri like what Sonny Corleone said about Pauley, "I don't want to see that struts anymore".

 

I’ve been unimpressed with Siri overall, but it’s only been 36 plate appearances, and he’s shown elite speed and plays good defense. Seems hasty to determine that he needs to go.

[Frayed Knot]

But if you wait for a larger sample size you'll fall behind in the 'I can hate on this guy before you' race.

[roger_that]

I feel about Siri like what Sonny Corleone said about Pauley, "I don't want to see that struts anymore".

 

I’ve been unimpressed with Siri overall, but it’s only been 36 plate appearances, and he’s shown elite speed and plays good defense. Seems hasty to determine that he needs to go.

 

The word is "strunz", pronounced schtroonz in Sicil' dialect.

[Centerfield]

I feel about Siri like what Sonny Corleone said about Pauley, "I don't want to see that struts anymore".

 

I’ve been unimpressed with Siri overall, but it’s only been 36 plate appearances, and he’s shown elite speed and plays good defense. Seems hasty to determine that he needs to go.

 

He is gone.

[Gwreck]

One wonders if they think Siri will go unclaimed.

On a hypothetical postseason roster, would you want Mullins or Siri? It’s not so clear what the better choice is. Especially if the primary role of that spot is pinch running and possibly as a defensive replacement.