For pitching depth, it’s pretty clear. There are a handful of starters on call in Syracuse, and the same goes for the relievers. For the hitting depth, it’s a little less clear.

Ronny Mauricio was the first to get the call, replacing Soto, even though he’s an infielder. With five players capable of playing at least a corner outfield spot (Luis Robert Jr., Carson Benge, Brett Baty, Jared Young and Tyrone Taylor), an outfielder was not required to be Soto’s replacement.

If the Mets do not sustain another injury by the time Soto returns, Mauricio will be demoted and, in turn, become the next in line to be promoted again the next time he’s needed. If Soto is still on the injured list and the Mets need to call up a second player, the question gets a bit more complicated.

Ronny Mauricio
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If a catcher is placed on the injured list…

Hayden Senger will be promoted. If Senger is unavailable at that time, it’ll likely be Ben Rortvedt. Simple.

If a middle infielder is placed on the injured list…

The list of replacements isn’t very exciting.

But first, even if Mauricio is already on the roster, that doesn’t guarantee him every day playing time. If Francisco Lindor is the one injured, Mauricio will likely play a good amount, but the Mets can put Bo Bichette at shortstop and Baty at third base. If he’s replacing Marcus Semien, Baty likely gets a good chunk of the playing time at second base while Mauricio enters a weird platoon with Taylor and Young. If one of those two occupies the third outfield spot, Baty plays second. If Baty heads to the outfield, Mauricio plays second.

While the Mets could theoretically call up an outfielder and still have enough infielders to survive, they’ll likely want someone capable of backing up a middle infield spot. There are no infielders besides Mauricio currently on the 40-man roster, so MLB veterans Christian Arroyo and Vidal Bruján would be in line to be added to the 40-man and promoted. Out of camp, it sounded like Bruján is in the lead.

Cristian Pache. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If a corner infielder is placed on the injured list… 

It could be anyone. There is a lot of position flexibility on the Mets roster.

It doesn’t even have to be an infielder called up to replace them. If it’s Jorge Polanco, the Mets still have three players on the roster capable of playing first: Baty, Young and Mark Vientos. If it’s Bichette, Baty likely becomes the everyday third baseman and Mauricio is his backup.

Morabito and Melendez are options, as are Bruján, Arroyo, and Christian Pache. There’s also Tommy Pham, who the Mets recently brought back, though he hasn’t appeared in a minor league game yet this season. He also has an opt out on April 25.

Nick Morabito. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If another outfielder is placed on the injured list…

An outfielder will be called up to replace him.

Nick Morabito and MJ Melendez are both already on the 40-man roster. Morabito is the more exciting option of the two, because he would be promoted to make his MLB debut. He’s a speedy, contact-oriented outfielder who can play all three spots on the grass—and play them well. Melendez would likely be the pick if the Mets deem Morabito not ready. He is only a corner outfielder, but Benge’s versatility doesn’t rule him out as an option even if Luis Robert Jr. is the one to hit the shelf.

If they go with someone not on the 40-man roster, the list grows. Ryan Clifford, as Steve Gelbs noted on SNY over the weekend, is the most interesting of those options.

A first baseman and corner outfielder, Clifford has prodigious power and a high strikeout rate, though it has steadily improved throughout his minor league career. While he’ll always strike out more than the average hitter, it’s probably good enough to stay afloat in the majors at this point. It would be an aggressive move, but it can’t be ruled out. There are a couple of holdups. If the Mets promote Clifford, they will likely want him to play every day versus right-hand pitching. With the current group of Mets position players, that might not be possible. The other is Clifford and Young on the same roster would be a bit redundant, as they’re both 1B/OF who would only play vs right-handed pitching.

Pache, who had a very impressive spring training, is another option.

A.J. Ewing, Jacob Reimer or Chris Suero could theoretically be options to be called up straight from Double-A, but that’s highly unlikely. If the Mets want a player like Ewing, they’ll likely go for Morabito first, just as they’ll likely go for Clifford before Reimer. And, the Mets will want all three playing as much as possible, not joining the Mets just to ride the pine.

Odds are, a good handful of these players will take at-bats for the Mets in 2026. Injuries hit every team, and when the Mets do need to call on Syracuse for help, this is who is in line for the opportunity.

The post Examining the Mets’ MLB-Ready Position Player Depth appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After a disappointing start to the road trip, the Mets took three out of four from the Giants in San Francisco. All in all, they finished their first road trip of the year 4-3.

Furthermore, several encouraging trends emerged from the series against the Giants. The pitching continued to look strong, while the offense showed tangible signs of a breakout. And the depth really came through, too.

Through the first 10 games of the season, the Mets have scored 49 runs, fifth in MLB, while allowing just 32 runs, which ranks fourth best in the majors. While the sample size is small, those numbers do suggest that this Mets team is trending in the right direction.

So, on that note, let’s recap the four games in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Apr 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) hits an RBI single against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

3 UP

ANSWERING THE DOUBTS

Mark Vientos has had to deal with a lot of noise about his role on this team. Of course, a lot of that was of his own making. A tough 2025 season was followed by an ugly spring training. However, the infielder has started to answer some of those doubts early on in 2026. He has looked like a different hitter to start the year, and he was hugely productive in San Francisco. Vientos went a combined 8-for-16 with four RBIs and five runs scored in the four games against the Giants. He has embraced the challenge and has proved hard to drop from the lineup. He was a real spark throughout the series against San Fran, producing several key moments. Long may it continue.

BREAKING OUT

The offense went stagnant following a breakout on Opening Day. Well, we saw some real, tangible signs of life from the lineup in San Francisco. Aside from the opening game on Thursday, the offense exploded, giving the pitching the kind of run support it deserves. In all, the Mets outscored the Giants 26-12. More importantly, we saw some really encouraging individual performances. Bo Bichette had six hits and came through with runners in scoring position. Marcus Semien had his best series as a Met, including three hits and three RBIs on Friday. Francisco Alvarez hit a pair of home runs in the second game of the series and had at least a hit in the three games he played in. Luis Robert Jr. stayed hot and stole his first two bases of the season on Sunday. And Tyrone Taylor, Luis Torrens, and Jared Young all came up with big-time offensive contributions.

In the wake of the series against the Giants, the Mets rank high in a number of key offensive categories across Major League Baseball. But, more importantly, several key hitters began to show signs of breaking out over the weekend, notably Bichette and Semien. Let’s hope the entire lineup can now use these last four games as a launching pad for greater things.

PITCHING EXCELLENCE

The Mets continue to receive stellar performances from both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Nolan McLean didn’t have his best stuff, but still took a perfect game into the sixth inning on Friday. Clay Holmes delivered seven shutdown innings on Saturday, again showcasing just how big a piece he could be this year. And Kodai Senga was superb again on Sunday, striking out seven and allowing just two hits over 5.2 innings. All in all, Mets starters own a 3.13 ERA through the first 10 games of the season. As for the bullpen, Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams all remained lights out, as did Tobias Myers and Brooks Raley. The pitching overall has been really impressive, and it was elite for the most part in San Francisco.

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after scoring a run on an RBI double hit by infielder Bo Bichette (19) against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

SCARY MOMENT

It appears as though a true crisis has been averted with Juan Soto. However, it was still heart-in-your-mouth time when the superstar exited Friday’s game with a calf strain. Now, Soto was placed on the 10-Day IL with a right calf strain on Monday. The organization announced that a typical return to play is approximately 2-3 weeks. That’s probably the best-case scenario, but still, being without your best hitter for any amount of time is hardly good news. However, it is probably wise for the Mets to be extra cautious with this type of injury, especially with a star player.

BRUTAL OUTING

David Peterson‘s start on Thursday was tough to watch. The southpaw was just brutal, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks across 4.1 innings. To compound an already bad night, Peterson dropped the ball at first base to allow a run to score in the first inning. That set the tone for the rest of the night. Again, it is early, but Peterson’s start to the season has featured many of the same problems that plagued him during the second half of last year. Poor location and poor pitch execution won’t lead to anything good in the major leagues.

OFFENSIVE FUNK

Welcome back to our regular scheduled programming. Francisco Lindor is off to a traditional slow start. Yes, he leads the National League in walks with 10. But, on the flip side, he is hitting just .135/.333/.243/.577 with two extra-base hits over the first 10 games of the season. Lindor didn’t have much success against the Giants, going a combined 2-for-16 with five strikeouts over the four games, including consecutive 0-for-5 outings. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that the shortstop has a 34.5 percent hard hit percentage, while he’s been hitting the ball on the ground more often than not (48.3%). That plays into the notion that hamate surgery tends to sap a hitter’s power. With that said, Lindor tends to start slow before hitting at a high level. Time will tell if the lack of power and the slow start is just par for the course, or if there’s something bigger to be concerned about.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Shine In San Francisco appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jorge Polanco‘s Achilles continues to be a problem, as it held him out of the lineup again on Friday. Manager Carlos Mendoza called it tendinitis, and he considers Polanco day-to-day. Polanco has not played first base since last Saturday and has not been in the lineup at all in two of the last four games. Mark Vientos, who has been swinging the bat well, will figure to see more playing time if Polanco needs to miss time.

Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets (4-4) defeated the Giants (3-5) 10-3 on Friday night. Mets bats exploded to stop their three-game skid, including three-hit games from Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien, who also homered, and two home runs from Francisco Alvarez.

The Mets continue their series in San Francisco at 9:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Clay Holmes (1-0, 3.18 ERA) will take the mound against Landen Roupp (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who threw six shutout innings in his first start of the season.

Juan Soto left the game on Friday with right calf tigthness. Soto was seen slowing down and showing discomfort on his way from first to third on a base hit. Mendoza told reporters after the game that Soto will receive imaging on his calf Saturday.

Latest MLB News

Giants reliever and former Met José Buttó underwent a procedure for a blood clot in his throwing arm Friday night. The Giants placed Buttó on the 15-day injured list and have given no timetable for return.

Byron Buxton left the Twins game Friday with a right forearm contusion. X-rays came back negative.

The Blue Jays signed pitcher Patrick Corbin to a one-year contract. Corbin pitched for the Rangers in 2025 and had a 4.40 ERA in 31 games (30 starts).

Latest on MMO

Robert Colonna names two under-the-radar prospects with each Mets minor league squad.

Jorge Eckardt lists three non-top 30 Mets prospects to watch for this season.

On This Daet in Mets History

1988: The Mets set an Opening Day record with six home runs in a 10-6 win over the Expos.

Born on This Date: Ronny Mauricio (2001), Cameron Maybin (1987), Eric Valent (1977), Tom Herr (1956), Jim Fregosi (1942), Ron Locke (1939), Gil Hodges (1924).

The post Morning Briefing: Jorge Polanco Still Held Back by Achilles appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 35-year-old appeared injured first after grounding out in the third inning. He took the field in the fourth, where he went back on a ball in right field and looked even more noticeably in pain after failing to track the ball down.

Mike Tauchman
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Tauchman then went to run out on defense in the fifth inning, but came up lame. He hobbled his way back to the dugout and was replaced by AJ Salgado.

The injury came right as the Mets were about to make a major roster decision before opening day. Tauchman and Carson Benge were battling for the final roster spot on the team, and Tauchman had the best case to start opening day. He was slashing .250/.382/.464 with four extra base hits entering Saturday’s game, and had an opt-out date of March 25. Factor in the potential to manipulate Benge’s service time, and the scale was tipping in Tauchman’s favor.

Outside the Tauchman injury, the Mets’ lineup looked strong against the Astros. They drove in five runs, led by the two former Blue Jays Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette.

SEMIEN DELIVERS!

Marcus comes through with a bases clearing double to put the Mets in front!
pic.twitter.com/28igYsJr5B

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 21, 2026

In the sixth inning with the bases loaded, Semien clubbed a bases-clearing double down the left field line. The extra base hit was a positive sign for Semien, who had been quietly struggling in spring despite two homers.

Bichette didn’t drive in any runs, but finished the day 2-for-3. He improved his spring batting average to .324 and his OPS to .881.

Francisco Alvarez also had a nice day at the plate, but more importantly, looked healthy. He finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. He also caught eight innings Saturday, a good sign before the Mets begin their season Thursday.

The Mets’ pitching was solid in Saturday’s matchup against the ‘Stros outside Jonah Tong and Ryan Lambert. Tong started the game, surrendering three runs on six hits through 4 1/3 innings. Tong was optioned to the minors before the start of the regular season, but stayed in major league camp. Lambert also received the same fate as Tong, and struggled Saturday with the major leaguers.

Lambert allowed four hits, two walks, and three runs in his outing, only recording one out. He also served up a home run to Christian Walker.

Notes from Nationals Game

The Mets played a second game Saturday against the Nationals, where they fell 3-1.

Mark Vientos homered in four at-bats, which hopefully sparks his bat heading into the 2026 season. Vientos had struggled mightly before the homer, and after the day, is still only batting .057 with a .279 OPS in 35 spring at-bats.

Benge had a tough day at the plate batting leadoff. He went 0-for-4 with a punchout.

Joander Suarez started the game for the Mets and looked promising. He struck out three in four scoreless innings of work.

On Deck

The Mets have one final spring game left Sunday against the Marlins. David Peterson will take the bump for the Mets across from Sandy Alcantara. The game will be televised by the Marlins on Marlin.TV, and broadcasted by both radio syndicates.

The post Tauchman Injured in Mets 7-5 Loss, Plus Notes From Split-Squad Loss to Nats appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Bo Bichette
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Sean Manaea took the mound for his third start of the spring and it was his best one of the year. After giving up three runs on six hits and not making it out of the third inning on March 12, Manaea rebounded on Tuesday, throwing four perfect innings against the Marlins. He struck out four, with his fastball topping out at 89.9mph.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Bo Bichette had his best game as a Met on Tuesday as well. He hit a two-RBI double in the third and a three-run home run in the seventh, driving in five RBIs and reaching three times in the game.

The Mets lineup got things going in the top of the third. After Tyrone Taylor singled to leadoff the inning, with Marcus Semien following with another single two-batters later. With two on , Bichette hit his third double of the spring, driving in Taylor and Semien to put the Mets on top 2-0.

Craig Kimbrel relieved Manea on the mound New York in the fifth and gave up the first hit and run of the day for Miami. After walking the leadoff hitter he later gave up an RBI single to Esteury Ruiz to give up the game’s first run and cut the Mets’ lead in half.

Bichette extended the Mets’ lead in the seventh. With two on (including Semien who was on base three times on Tuesday), he hit a three-run home run to right field to make it a 5-1 Mets lead. It was his first home run of the spring.

Tobias Myers pitched the sixth and part of the seventh for the Mets. He retired the Marlins in order with two strikeouts in the sixth, but things began to unravel for him in the seventh. He gave up a single and a walk back-to-back and then later walked a second batter before Carlos Mendoza brought in Hoss Brewer in relief. Brewer got Ruiz to hit a sacrifice fly, with the run scoring being charged to Myers to make it a 5-2 game.

Colton Casper pitched the eighth for the Mets and struggled on the mound, giving up the lead and letting the Marlins come back to tie the game, ultimately ending the spring matchup in a tie. He gave up a back-to-back double and single and two batters later a three-run home run to Jacob Jenkins-Cowart that made it a tied 5-5 game.

That’s where the game ended as a strong 10-hit game by the Mets was spoiled by a blown save as the game ended in a tie.

But it was a strong day at the plate for Semien as he continues to heat up and Bo Bichette, who put on his best performance of the spring, along with a lights-out, bounce-back performance for Manaea.

Coming up next this week, the Mets have a day off on Wednesday. On Thursday they will head to West Palm Beach for a Thursday night matchup against the Astros at 6:05 p.m. While that is going on, the Rays’ and Mets’ prospects will play at Clover Park in the spring breakout game at 7:10 p.m.

The post Bichette, Manaea Break Loose In 5-5 Tie to Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 35-year-old went 1-for-2 at the plate with a spring-high three RBIs. He hit a solo home run in the first inning and scored the other runners on two sacrifice fly outs in a Mets 8-1 win.

Marcus Semien flashes some power with a solo shot.#LGM pic.twitter.com/ug1kqppNQq

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 15, 2026

While Semien has had a slow spring at the plate (.148/.179/.296 line entering Sunday’s game), his performance against the Blue Jays comes at the right time. With Opening Day just over a week away, now is the time for the second baseman to find his stride.

He’s ranked in the 32nd percentile or below in average exit velocity since 2022 (87.4 mph average exit velocity in 2025), hitting a career-high (59th percentile in 2021), but always averaging below league average. On Sunday, Semien hit his second-best exit velocity of spring on his solo home run (102.7 mph), a day after hitting 105.5 mph on a lineout.

While his home run went 353 feet, his two sacrifice flies traveled 376 feet and 329 feet deep, with exit velocities of 96.1 mph and 101.2 mph.

Through 11 spring training games, Semien is now batting .172/.188/.414 (.602 OPS) with two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored.

The post Marcus Semien Coming Alive at the Plate appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Team USA is moving on to the World Baseball Classic final for the third straight time after a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in the semifinals on Sunday. Mason Miller struck out Geraldo Perdomo with the tying run on third to end the game. Gunnar Henderson homered off ex-Met Luis Severino and Roman Anthony went deep off ex-Met Gregory Soto.

Juan Soto went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Huascar Brazobán entered the game with a runner on and two out in the fifth and got Henderson to ground out to first. He struck out the side (Will Smith, Anthony, Brice Turang) in the sixth.

Venezuela plays Italy in a semifinal at loanDepot Park in Miami on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. LHP Joe Jacques, who the Mets assigned to minor-league camp on Sunday, was added to the Team Italy roster for the game.

Nolan McLean, who started last season at Double-A Binghamton, will get the start in the title game on Tuesday (FOX, 8 p.m. ET). The United States is looking for its second WBC title.

In other WBC news, a day after losing to Venezuela in the quarterfinals, Hirokazu Ibata announced he will resign as Samurai Japan manager.

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Lindor played shortstop, batted leadoff and went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a strikeout Sunday in his first Grapefruit League action since surgery on the hamate bone in his left hand last month. If all continues to go well, he is likely to be ready for Opening Day on March 26.

Marcus Semien hit his first spring homer and the Mets (11-8-1) beat the Blue Jays 8-1 in front of 6,722 at Clover Park in a game suspended in the sixth inning due to rain. Luis Robert Jr. and Mike Tauchman had two hits apiece and Bo Bichette and Francisco Alvarez doubled. LHP Zach Thornton (No. 15 Mets prospect on MLB Pipeline) threw 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Luke Weaver tossed a scoreless inning.

The Mets host the Nationals at 6:10 p.m. ET Monday. David Peterson will start and the game will air on SNY.

MLB Trade Rumors conducted a poll: Who will be a better value for the Mets between Jorge Polanco (two years, $40 million) and Bo Bichette (three years, $126 million, opt out after this season)? As of Sunday night when I voted for Bichette, it was tight, with Polanco earning 42% of the vote to Bichette’s 41. Sixteen percent of the 5,022 respondents at that point said they were equally valuable.

Latest MLB News

Major leaguers could face minor leaguers in midseason exhibitions in 2028 when many of the league’s top players leave their teams to participate in the Olympics that July, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The non-Olympians will want to stay sharp and MLB’s All-Star break could run from July 10-21 that season due to the Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.

José Ramírez left the Guardians’ game Sunday and is day-to-day with left shoulder inflammation. He was hurt sliding into third.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told reporters that RHP Hunter Dobbins will start the season on the injured list.

Latest on MMO

Free baseball cards! Head over to X, follow MMO and retweet for a chance to be the envy of all the Carson Benge fans in your life. He could be a future Rookie of the Year. (Or the runner-up to McLean.)

James Villani with more on the win over the Blue Jays.

The Mets assigned 11 players to minor-league camp, including RHP Ryan Lambert and OF A.J. Ewing. James Villani breaks it down.

Alexis Farinacci recounts Freddy Peralta‘s strong showing on Saturday. He struck out five in four innings.

On This Date in Mets History

1961: The state approves a bond issue for the construction of a 55,000-seat stadium on the site of the 1939-40 World Fair in Flushing Meadows. The first regular season Mets game at Shea Stadium would take place in three years.

Born on This Date: Jacob Rhame (1993), Curtis Granderson (1981), Abraham Núñez (1976), Don Florence (1967), Rich Puig (1953), Hobie Landrith (1930).

The post Morning Briefing: Nolan McLean to Enter WBC Spotlight appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Zach Thornton, the organization’s No. 13 prospect according to Baseball America, made his second start of the spring. He allowed four hits and one run over 3 2/3 innings of work. He did not walk any and struck out one. The sinker-ball pitcher averaged around 91 mph on his hard stuff in the start. Through his two spring appearances, Thornton has allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings.

Behind Thornton, Luke Weaver tossed a hitless inning and Brooks Raley recorded one out before the game was delayed and subsequently called off. Both Weaver and Raley remain scoreless in spring action.

Offensively it was a big day despite only getting up to bat five times. The Mets’ offense posted 10 hits and eight runs.

Marcus Semien got the festivities going with a second-inning solo home run. The Mets then struck for five runs in the second inning. Mike Tauchman, Bo Bichette, and Jorge Polanco had run-scoring hits in the inning. Semien and Francisco Alvarez added a pair of sacrifice flys. The Mets then added two more runs in the third inning as Tachman had another run-scoring hit and Semien had his second sacrifice fly of the game.

Notably, Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-2 and Tachman 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Semein led the way with three runs batted in.

For further context, the Mets did their damage in the contest against 6-foot-7 Grant Rogers. Rogers spent time at the High-A and Double-A levels last season, He has a career 3.64 ERA.

Player of the Game: Mike Tauchman

Veteran Mike Tauchman continued his strong spring training with two hits and two RBIs. He also scored two runs in the contest. After Sunday’s performance, he has his OPS up to 1.100 and is hitting .333 in spring training games.

On Deck

The Mets continue their spring training slate Monday evening with a 6:10 pm ET first pitch against the Washington Nationals. The game is in Port St. Lucie at Clover Park.

The post Bats Propel Mets To Rain Shortened Blow-Out Win In Lindor’s Return appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

But let’s settle on a preseason ranking.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 Luis Garcia Jr., WSH

In a team full of youth and transition, Garcia has been one of the steadier players on the Washington Nationals since his debut in 2020 as a 20-year-old. In 2025, Garcia batted .252/.289/412 with 16 home runs and 123 hits. It was a decline from a very good 2024, when he posted a 3.0 WAR, 18 home runs and 70 RBIs. Washington will call him to give them more consistency at the position this year.

N0. 4 Xavier Edwards, MIA

Xavier Edwards is probably the second baseman to watch in the National League East in 2026. After going back and forth between the minors and majors in 2023 and 2024, Edwards stayed in the big league level for the Marlins and had a superb year. He batted .283, stole 27 bases, notched 20 doubles, notched 159 hits, and scored 75 runs. He’s a pesky contact hitter who plays up the middle—a Marlins speciality. The Marlins hope Edwards makes a bigger jump in 2026.

No 3. Bryson Stott, PHI

Coming off an almost 3 WAR season (2.8) in 2025 at second base for the Philadelphia Phillies, Bryson Stott is still looking for a true breakout year, he might be one of the more underrated second basemen in MLB. Last year overall, Stott hit .258/.326/.390/.716 with 13 home runs, 128 hits, and 66 RBIs. The second half was when Stott really contributed to the Phillies, batting .294/.368/.487 with an .855 OPS.

He’ll look to continue that second half performance in 2026. Projections systems have Stott as the second-best second baseman in the NL East ahead of this season.

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

No. 2 Ozzie Albies, ATL

Even with a couple of off seasons in 2024 and 2025, Ozzie Albies is still only 29 years old, and his talent is off the charts good when he’s at his best. He’s far removed from a 2023 that saw him hit 33 home runs and drive in 109 RBIs, but the talent that made him a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger might still be in there. He holds the second spot off ceiling alone.

Albies was performing strongly in the second half of what was a lost season for the Braves. A hamate bone injury put him on the sidelines for the last five games. If the Braves are going to bounce back, they’ll need Albies to get back to the form we’ve seen from him from 2018 to 2023.

No. 1 Marcus Semien, NYM 

Marcus Semien lands as the best player at this position in the division based on his resume and globe. Like the rest of the second basemen on this list, the bat has left plenty to be desired recetnly, but Semien’s glove still stand out among the others. He’s accumulated the second-most Outs Above Average at the position since moving there in 2021. He’s also won two Gold Gloves there.

The hope for Semien is that he can add strong leadership to the locker room, dependable defense, and show his old form at the plate if he can stay healthy. Injuries slowed the 35-year-old player in 2025, but he still hit well with runners in scoring position, and he’s someone who doesn’t strike out much. Semien hit 20 or more home runs from 2021 to 2024, and the Mets will need to see more of that even at 35 years old.

The post 2026 NL East Positional Rankings: Second Base appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

But it goes far beyond WAR. Robert is a perfect fit for the 2026 Mets roster as it currently stands.

How Robert Fits in the Lineup

Here’s what a potential 2026 lineup could look like:

SS Francisco Lindor
RF Juan Soto
3B Bo Bichette
1B Jorge Polanco
2B Marcus Semien
DH Brett Baty
CF Luis Robert Jr.
LF Carson Benge
C Francisco Alvarez

On paper, that is a great lineup. One through nine could all hit 20 home runs, and some are expected to hit many more than that. Of course, everyone won’t do that, but they all have the potential to do so if they play a full season. Even Marcus Semien is just one year removed from a 23-homer season and is now moving to a ballpark that is better suited for his power.

There is also a ton of flexibility. Baty is slotted in as the DH right now, but he can play third base and second base, and is expected to learn first base and left field during spring training. Baty could be a “DH” who plays the field five days a week. He could play first base while Polanco is the DH on Monday, third base while Bichette is the DH, and left field while Robert Jr. is the DH and Benge shifts to center field. With Robert’s lengthy injury history, some of those half-days off might be a good idea.

He’s a terrific defender in center field, and now the Mets’ defense up the middle of Alvarez, Lindor, Semien, and Robert Jr. is among the best in baseball. Tyrone Taylor is also a strong defender in center field, but his bat doesn’t offer nearly as much upside. Now, Taylor can slot right into that clear fourth outfielder role where he is best suited.

Some pressure is taken off of Benge as well. While there is still plenty of room for him to be on the Opening Day roster, it’s not a need anymore. Baty and Taylor can handle left field if the Mets want to get Benge a little more seasoning in Triple-A first, and even if he is up, he doesn’t have any pressure to be some great offensive force. He can hit at the bottom of the lineup and find his footing, a great situation for a young player to be in.

Robert also joins Bichette, Semien and Polanco as right-handed (or switch-hitting) additions to a lineup that seriously struggled against left-handed pitching in 2025. Semien was a little better vs righties but generally struggled overall offensively in 2025. Bichette and Polanco were better vs lefties, but hit both sides well.

In 2025, Robert Jr. hit .211/.272/.329/.601 vs. righties and .258/.369/.473/.842 vs lefties. Even in a season where his overall offensive numbers were decently below league average, he still crushed southpaws.

As a team in 2025, the Mets had a .696 OPS vs. left-handed pitching, the No. 17 mark in baseball. Just three teams — San Diego, Cincinnati and Cleveland — made the playoffs with a lower OPS vs. lefties. Those three teams combined to win two playoff games.

A Change of Scenery

This isn’t a super bold take, but Robert is a very clear candidate for someone who can benefit from a change of scenery.

Three years ago, he was an All-Star. In 2023, Robert Jr. hit .264/.315/.542/.857 with 38 home runs and stellar center field defense. Over the last two years, he hasn’t come close to replicating that, hitting .223/.288/.372/.660 from 2024-2025, consistently about 15-16% below league average at the plate.

Moving from the White Sox to the Mets, Robert Jr. enters a lineup that is leaps and bounds better than any lineup he has been a part of in his MLB career. Last season, Robert Jr. hit everywhere from first to seventh in the White Sox lineup, usually with one of Andrew Benintendi, Colson Montgomery, Josh Rojas or Edgar Quero hitting behind him. It wasn’t a potent lineup, and pitchers often had no incentive to pitch to him.

Among 215 hitters with at least 400 plate appearances in 2025, Robert saw the 22nd-lowest percentage of pitches in the strike zone. Of course, some of this is his doing. Robert Jr. chases a lot of pitches out of the zone, so naturally, pitchers are going to try to take advantage of that flaw in his game. His company on this leaderboard includes big chasers like Javier Baez, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Nick Castellanos, but also some stars like Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Robert sits at a very interesting place on the list, between Shohei Ohtani (No. 20), Aaron Judge (No. 21), and Kyle Schwarber (No. 23). All three of those superstars have a much better than league-average chase rate, but are simply pitched around. In the Mets’ lineup, Robert won’t be the threat teams are pitching around, and how much can they afford to if he’s hitting at the bottom of the lineup with Lindor and Soto looming?

He chases a lot; that’s just part of who he is. Teams will still likely pitch him out of the zone more than the league average, but teams will also likely be forced to come after him and throw him strikes more than ever before in his career. For all of his chase, he’ll take a free pass, walking at a 9.3% clip last year, which was in the 62nd percentile. Hitting seventh with Benge and Alvarez behind him is already better protection than he would have gotten in Chicago. The Mets could get bold and hit him ninth, use him as a “second leadoff,” and protect him with Lindor and Soto. No pitcher is trying to put Robert and his 90th percentile sprint speed on for free in front of those two.

Following the trade, Sam Ehrlich of Driveline Baseball posted on X, “Luis has elite bat speed, but struggles to catch the ball out in front. We wrote about him in our swing path optimization project as someone who would benefit through biomech assessments and specialized drills.”

The Mets’ hitting lab, which was reported on last year by The Athletic and others, could be a huge asset for him. What Ehrlich said Robert Jr. would benefit from is exactly what the Mets can provide. Maybe the White Sox provided it, too; there’s no way to know. But with the recent report from The Athletic about the league aiming to even the playing field when it comes to developmental technology, it’s fair to think that Robert Jr. is about to gain access to levels of tech he has never had before.

Yes, he’s struggled mightily offensively the last two seasons, but some of those offensive woes are lessened when you look under the hood. Robert’s xwOBA last year was .321, which ranked in the 44th percentile. It was still below average, but it was actually the exact same mark as Brandon Nimmo. The difference is Nimmo outperformed his xwOBA by .008, while Robert underperformed his by .032 (the 16th-worst mark in baseball among 251 Statcast qualifiers). Some better luck, and some swing optimization to get the most out of his power, as noted above, and Robert’s offensive output could take a massive upswing.

It’s easy to say that moving to a better team will provide better results, but it’s not just about being “reinvigorated” mentally. There are reasons to think that Robert, still just 28 years old, can recapture what made him one of the most exciting players in baseball not that long ago. Even if he recaptures just some of it, he’ll still be a massive improvement for the Mets in center field.

Long-Term Outlook

For all the positives that were just heaped on Robert, there is a very real scenario where this move just doesn’t work out. He’s been a below-average hitter for the last two seasons, and he has dealt with injuries in almost every season of his career. Maybe he never returns to the hitter that he once was, and maybe he picks up a long-term injury at some point. Robert is a high ceiling, low floor, low risk addition.

It’s rare that you can acquire a player via trade who has this type of ceiling for the package the Mets sent the White Sox. Of course, a lot of that is also because the floor is very, very low. Robert Jr. is a volatile player. He has big-time power, defense, and speed, but throughout his career has always struggled making contact.

The range of outcomes for those types of players has always been vast. Both of last year’s MVPs had dreadful whiff rates, with Ohtani finishing in the bottom fourth percentile and Judge in the bottom second percentile. You can be inner-circle Hall of Fame-level great with those whiff rates. Or you can be one of the worst hitters in baseball. The bottom ten hitters in whiff rate last season include Ohtani, Judge and Nick Kurtz, but also include Gabriel Arias, Ryan McMahon and Jordan Walker.

The offensive production the Mets will get from Robert Jr. next year is as big a mystery as any. The good thing is, if he doesn’t work out, the Mets ultimately don’t lose much. Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley are not needle movers, even if they each have something interesting about their games. You still have to give to get, and really, the Mets didn’t give much.

If Robert works, then the Mets gained a productive center fielder for 2026 and maybe 2027 if they pick up his club option. If he doesn’t, then the Mets have a contingency plan for both this year and the future. Benge is a capable center fielder, and can shift over from a corner while Baty, Ryan Clifford, or even someone currently outside the organization plays left in 2026. They could also keep Benge in left and go with some internal glove-first center field options like Taylor or Nick Morabito.

Then, going forward, the Mets have a very interesting center field prospect in A.J. Ewing, who is expected to play MLB innings in 2027. He is the perfect fit because, in theory, he helps the Mets win in the short term while also not blocking the top-end prospect the Mets have in the pipeline, who just isn’t ready quite yet. Robert is the perfect bridge to Ewing, and there’s always a chance that he’s good enough that he plays himself into sticking around in 2027 and beyond.

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