2026 First Half Report Card: Outfielders

In a season full of frustration and underperformance, the Mets’ outfield has by far been the highlight of the year. Juan Soto has been doing what he does best, and the Mets’ rookie phenoms have more than held their own during their first half in the bigs. Although much of the Mets’ front office moves over the past year have been panned, giving Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing plenty of runway over the first half has paid off in a big way. It’s a decision that has Mets fans dreaming of this trio roving Citi Field for years to come.

While Luis Robert Jr. patrolled center field on opening day, the oft-injured talent has been on the injured list since April 26. Due to the emergence of the Psychos, since May 12, there simply haven’t been many outfield innings available. MJ Melendez has played in only eight full games in the outfield since and Tyrone Taylor just seven. Even though Taylor’s playtime was hampered by his time on the injured list, he likely still would have been mostly used for pinch hitting and as a late defensive replacement. 

JUAN SOTO: A+

What is there to say about the $750 million man? No one can confuse this 2026 first half with his first half from 2025. Through 78 games last year, Soto posted a respectable .254/.391/.487/.878 line. This year, though, his OPS has jumped 89 points, slashing .290/.405/.562/.967. His OBP, SLG, and OPS are all good for second in the National League. Had Soto not missed two weeks in April with a calf strain, who knows where Soto’s counting numbers, or the Mets’ wins total, would be today. One significant offensive improvement from last year is Soto’s strikeout rate which has dropped from 19.2 (highest since 2019) to 12.9, a career low if the season ended today. 

Defensively, Soto has been a significant improvement this year over last year. His move from right to left field could be a contributing factor, but being on pace for -2 OAA after finishing 2025 last among all right fielders with -12 OAA is a marked development for the star.

MJ MELENDEZ: D+

A former top prospect with the Royals, Melendez was not expected to play much for a big league team after signing a one-year split contract in February. Or at least that was the plan before injuries plagued the Mets. And sixteen games into his season, Melendez looked like a bargain. He delivered several timely hits and held a sparkling 1.024 OPS. 

Unfortunately, the production quickly disappeared. In his 40 games since, he’s held a .495 OPS, and was optioned to Triple-A on June 26. 

A.J. EWING: A

It may feel like eons ago, but A.J. Ewing actually began 2026 in Double-A Binghamton. After slashing .339/.447/.514/.961 over 18 games in Double-A and another 12 in Triple-A, the Mets brass had seen enough. Ewing debuted on May 12 and during his first week, he flashed the glove in center while slashing .304/.467/.522/.988 and drew as many walks as strikeouts (7). 

After a brief 13-game rookie adjustment period, Ewing caught fire when the calendar flipped to June. Ewing heads into the All-Star break hitting an eye-popping .302/.368/.512/.880 over his last 37 games. Defensively he’s been strong with 1 OAA and 4 DRS and should only improve with more big league reps.

Ewing’s power surge has been a welcome wrinkle to his big league game, but his strikeout rate (25.7%) and stolen base rate (60%) have been less so. Monitoring how he progresses in those areas while maintaining his strong play elsewhere will be key to his development in the second half. Still, he’s on a 162 game pace for 5.3 bWAR with 20 HRs and a line of .276/.350/.439/.789 as a 21 year-old rookie. 

LUIS ROBERT JR.: INCOMPLETE

In perhaps the least shocking development of the season, the injury-prone Robert Jr. has missed all but 24 games of 2026. And those 24 were the definition of a mixed bag, hitting .308 with a .902 OPS in his first 12 vs. .105 with a .405 OPS in his last 12. Defensively he also looked like a shell of his former Gold Glove self, earning -1 in both OAA and DRS.

In all seriousness Robert’s stint on the injured list is certainly the least surprising of all who joined him. He’s currently rehabbing in the minors.

CARSON BENGE: B+

All offseason long, David Stearns maintained Benge would get a shot to make the club if he posted a strong spring training. And after a month of exhibition games saw him slash .366/.435/.439/.874, it was time for him to validate that faith.

Outside of a storybook home-run for his first big league hit, the rookie struggled mightily over his next 20 games with a .334 OPS. His only silver lining at the time was his strong defense and his five steals in five attempts. But from April 23 on, Benge showed everyone why he was worth the gamble. In the 73 games since, Benge is slashing .293/.351/.449/.801. He’s paced every Met not named Soto with ten home-runs in that span while converting 15 of his 17 stolen base attempts on the year. 

Defensively he’s looked like a rookie at times but overall has been a major plus in right field. His underlying metrics agree with the eye test as he’s earned 1 OAA, 2 DRS and is in the 67th percentile in Arm Value and 98th percentile in Arm Strength.

TYRONE TAYLOR: D-

Finally, Tyrone Taylor has largely remained in the role the Mets envisioned when they acquired him three years ago: fourth outfielder. After injuries repeatedly forced him into everyday duty during much of his Mets tenure, the emergence of Benge and Ewing has finally allowed Taylor to settle into the role.

He’s still a positive locker room presence and his offensive production is a tick closer to career norms than his 2025 production was. However, Taylor has taken a step back defensively from what fans have come to expect. In 810 innings in 2025, Taylor accumulated 3 OAA and 8 DRS versus in just shy of 300 innings this year his OAA sits at -2 and he has 1 DRS.

MOVING FORWARD

Mets fans should expect to see what they want to see, Soto and the ‘Psychos’ roaming the Citi Field grass pretty much every day for the rest of the season. After that, it remains to be seen if Taylor will still be on the ball club after the deadline in a few weeks. Melendez will likely remain a depth option if the Mets face further injuries that require his services. As for Robert Jr., if he is indeed able to complete his rehab, interim manager Andy Green will have to figure out how he can find at-bats for the native Cuban. It could mean more time at second base for Ewing down the stretch as well as some time at DH. 

Amidst a lost season, the Mets outfield has been anything but.