“It’s just crazy, how things kind of unfolded,” starter Sean Manaea (two earned runs, 5 1/3 innings) said after the Mets (69-82) lost 7-5 in 11 innings in front of 28,097. “I’ve got nothing but respect for him and I love him to death, but as the team, as the 2026 Mets – I know we’ve definitely under-performed – the guys in here work their ass off every single day.

“And to have that kind of reaction to an opposing player – could be anybody – is crazy. I’ve got nothing but respect for Pete but I’ve just never seen anything like that before and I know the guys in here, we are grinding our butts off.”

Alonso hit his 36th homer of the season 414 feet off Kodai Senga, who was asked if the fan reaction bothered him. It was the newly installed closer’s first blown save. He entered the game 7-for-7.

“Perhaps if it was another hitter,” he said through a Japanese interpreter. “If it wasn’t Pete Alonso. There are other great hitters that have played for the Mets that are playing elsewhere. But because it was him, it didn’t bother me. It just shows how much he was loved, it just shows how great of a hitter he is and how much he meant to this organization.”

“You don’t choose your circumstances in life,” Andy Green said. “You choose your character and how you respond to circumstances. So (fans are) free to do whatever they want to do on the field. Our job is to never let anything external impact the way we go about playing the game.

“Do we love our fans cheering for us? Heck yeah, we do. Do we want our fans engaged with us? Heck yeah, we do. We absolutely want that. We understand that we didn’t meet expectations this season. We’ll show up tomorrow, play to win a baseball game.”

Three fans who caught the ball traded it with Alonso after the game for signed baseballs and bats. He signed their jerseys, too, and got them beers. Two were in Alonso jerseys and one was in a Carlos Delgado jersey. Alonso offered them tickets to a game at Camden Yards.

“I appreciate all the support, especially for all the years I’m here, all the life I’ve lived here,” Alonso said. “It’s a two-way street.”

The post Alonso Homer Draws Mixed Reactions from Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

Pete Alonso by Roberto Carlo

Before his first at-bat, Pete Alonso raised his helmet in appreciation to the 35,800 at Citi Field, many of whom were on their feet, wearing his jersey, his shirsey or holding a homemade sign made for a night they had both been looking forward to and wished would have never happened.

“Going to the home plate, it was awesome,” he said. “And then I was like, ‘Alright, let’s go, let’s rock.’ So it’s like as awesome as it is, people are here to see a baseball game. But I appreciate it all. I appreciate the sentiment from the fans.”

“He’s earned it,” starting pitcher Jonah Tong said. “He’s an incredible human being … to see what he’s done for the city, for the Mets, everything involved with it. If it were up to me, they probably should’ve given him a little bit longer, but we do have a game to play.”

Alonso flew out to right.

Pete Alonso by Roberto Carlo

The crowd gave the franchise home run leader a warm ovation before every at-bat and even booed a bit when it looked like Tong was pitching around him. Many, oddly, headed for the exits when Alonso struck out in the eighth inning of a 1-1 game. The next batter, Gunnar Henderson, homered, and the Orioles won 2-1. Alonso went 0-for-3 with a walk.

“I think he got every ounce of love that he deserved, he got it tonight,” Francisco Lindor said. “He’ll probably get it tomorrow too and the next day too.

“It was cool to see how they showed out for him, how they gave him love. Next time they got to give the pitcher a little more love too because at the end of the day we’re trying to win the game. He’s one of the most beloved players that come through here. Even ourselves, we love him. So it was a cool day to watch how they acknowledge him.

“As a person, I do miss him, for sure.”

“I feel very fortunate,” Alonso said before the game. “I appreciate all the support. And people keeping up. It just shows, I care so much about like leaving it all on the field, like really taking every opportunity and pouring all the emotion I have and emptying the tank every night. I’m glad people appreciate that. For them to recognize that and appreciate that continuously it’s really special.”

Alonso was asked after the game for a favorite Citi Field memory and he cited the three-run homer he hit in the first inning of Game 5 of the 2024 NLCS against the Dodgers. The Mets went on to a 12-6 win to force a Game 6 in Los Angeles.

He was also asked what he’d want the fans to remember about him.

“I gave it all.”

The post Alonso Returns, Appreciates Citi Field Cheers Again appeared first on Metsmerized.

New York left nine men on base and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in a 2-1 loss Monday to the Orioles (73-78) in front of a home crowd that showed a lot of love for the franchise’s home run king.

Alonso received warm ovations, a pre-game tribute video, and tipped his helmet to the fans before flying out to right in his first at-bat as a visitor in Queens. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Gunnar Henderson hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth inning off of Dedniel Núñez (1-1).

The Mets (69-81) had chances. Marcus Semien grounded out with runners at first and second to end the fifth.  Jared Young did the same in the third. Francisco Alvarez struck out with the bases loaded to end the second.

In his second start since returning to the majors, Jonah Tong allowed one unearned run on four hits over a career-high-tying six innings. He struck out six and walked one. One year and two days ago, Tong started when Jacob deGrom returned to Citi Field as a Ranger. In that start, Tong gave up six earned runs and didn’t escape the first inning.

Jonathan Pintaro threw a scoreless seventh. Kodai Senga allowed two hits, but struck out the side in a scoreless ninth.

A.J. Ewing tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer (10) in the fourth. He became the 11th Met with 10 or more homers this season, a team record.

Heston Kjerstad drove in a run in the second when his hard ground ball took a bad hop and eluded first baseman Brett Baty for a two-out double. Jackson Holliday, who had advanced to second on Alvarez’s major league-leading 10th passed ball, scored.

Brandon Young allowed one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked five.

“New York is always going to feel like some sort of homecoming because for me the city is really special,” Alonso said before the game.

“Two things can be true at the same time,” he said. “I’m very happy and appreciative of my time I spent as a Met, and I’m beyond grateful and appreciative for the Baltimore Orioles.”

Stat of the Game

Alonso and Francisco Lindor both stayed stuck on 299 career homers. The only time two players hit No. 300 in the same game was when Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko did it back-to-back for the 2009 White Sox.

Player of the Game

Tong has struck out 13 and walked two in two September starts. In three MLB appearances earlier this season before he was sent to the minors, he struck out seven and walked seven.

On Deck

MLB will celebrate Roberto Clemente Day. Every player will wear a No. 21 patch on his jersey. Sean Manaea (5-7, 4.79 ERA) will try to break a string of five consecutive starts where he has allowed four earned runs or more. RHP Shane Baz (6-15, 4.05 ERA), who is tied with Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee for the MLB lead in losses, goes for Baltimore. The game is at 7:10 p.m. ET on SNY.

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Standing ovations greeted Mike Piazza and Darryl Strawberry when the sluggers returned to Queens as visitors. Piazza the Padre went 1-for-4 with a single on Aug. 8, 2006. (The next night he homered twice off of Pedro Martinez.) Darryl the Dodger homered off of Frank Viola on May 7, 1991.

Carlos Beltran earned mostly cheers and a few boos on June 1, 2012, when he came back with St. Louis. Carlos the Cardinal went 0-for-4, but hit a line drive over the third-base bag in the sixth inning that was, um, charitably, ruled foul. And then Johan Santana completed the first no-hitter in franchise history.

Expect a warm welcome for Pete Alonso when he returns to Citi Field Monday for the first time since he signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles. The 31-year-old slugger is having a strong season in Baltimore after a slow start, slashing .269/.363/.499 with 35 home runs and an American League-leading 100 RBIs. He is one long ball shy of career homer No. 300.

Alonso, who played in 162 games in each of the last two seasons, has played in all 150 Orioles games.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jonah Tong (2-1, 4.80 ERA) will go against RHP Brandon Young (9-4, 3.71 ERA) as the Mets start the last homestand of the season at 7:10 p.m. ET. After a three-game set with the O’s, the Phillies come in for four. The game on Sunday will be the final broadcast for radio announcer Howie Rose.

Latest Mets News

Christian Scott (4-5) was good (two runs on three hits over six innings, seven strikeouts), but Cam Schlittler (14-6) was better and the Yankees beat the Mets 2-0 in the Subway Series finale at Yankee Stadium. The Mets (69-80) were held to three hits as they were blanked for the 14th time. The New York teams split six games this year. Johnluke Chaparro has more in a recap here.

In an interview with Will Sammon of The Athletic, Bo Bichette said he will wait to decide whether to opt out of his contract until after the World Series. Bichette will earn $42 million for 2027 if he opts in and receive a $5 million buyout if he opts out. He also holds a 2028 player option for $42 million. He has until five days after the World Series ends to decide. Sammon believes, given many factors, “it’s easier to see Bichette staying put.”

First baseman/third baseman Billy Amick hit his eighth Triple-A homer and 38th overall, but Syracuse lost 6-5 to St. Paul and is 2 1/2 games back of a playoff spot with six games left. Top prospect Jefferson Rojas was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to help with the stretch run, per Sammon.

Binghamton’s season finale was rained out and won’t be made up. The team thanked the fans for the season on X.

Latest MLB News

Justin Verlander is making progress toward making one last appearance for the Tigers before the end of the final season of his 21-year career. Verlander, who is the oldest player in the sport at 43, announced he planned to retire in July. Hip and hamstring injuries have kept him out all season after he made one start on March 30. The Tigers plan a celebration of his career on the season’s final weekend and hope he will pitch in one of those games.

Rafael Devers‘ season is over. The Giant slugger was placed on the 60-day injured list with a core muscle injury that manager Tony Vitello said he was dealing with all year, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Devers is expected to have surgery Tuesday.

The Diamondbacks designated outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for assignment and recalled infielder Jose Fernandez to take his spot. Gurriel was an important part of the 2023 Arizona team that won the pennant, but suffered a torn ACL last season and was inconsistent upon his return.

Royals LHP Matt Strahm underwent successful right knee surgery and is expected to be ready for next season, sources told Robert Murray of FanSided.

Latest on MMO

Zac Thornton is a man of his word. During a seventh-inning mound visit, he said he’d get Anthony Volpe to ground into a double play. Then he did. John Stocum has more on Thornton’s win vs. the Yankees.

Gabe Davis, a college teammate of Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, pitched well for Binghamton. That and more in a recap of Saturday’s minor-league action.

On This Date in Mets History

2020: Owner Fred Wilpon and his partners agree to sell the team to Steve Cohen for $2.4 billion, the highest price ever for a North American pro sports team.

2015: David Wright‘s go-ahead double in the seventh lifts the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Marlins. Hansel Robles earns the win in relief after Logan Verrett throws five innings of one-run ball. Jeurys Familia picks up his 41st save.

1998: Brian McRae ties it at 4 in the ninth with a two-run homer off of Billy Wagner in the Astrodome and hits a tiebreaking two-run double in the 13th off of ex-Met Doug Henry in a 7-4 win. Piazza goes for 4-for-5 and hits his 31st homer. John Franco earns his 37th save.

1963: Cleon Jones makes his major-league debut in center field as a defensive replacement in a 4-0 loss to the Houston Colt .45s that drops the cellar-dwelling Mets to 49-100 in front of 5,544 at the Polo Grounds. Jones would play 12 years and exactly 1,200 more games with the Mets before finishing his career with 12 games with the White Sox.

On This Date in 1986 Mets

The second-place Phillies complete a three-game sweep with a 6-0 win at Veterans Stadium, denying the Mets from clinching their first division title since 1973. Kevin Gross tosses a shutout, strikes out nine and hits a two-run triple off of Sid Fernandez for the only three-bagger of his 13-year career. September call-up Kevin Elster goes 2-for-4 with the first double of his career. The Mets are 93-49.

Born on This Date: Chad Bradford (1974), Mike Draper (1966), Harry Parker (1947), Dave Hillman (1927).

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The expected selloff should start happening any day now, which means we may have seen this current incarnation of the 2026 Mets for the last time.

If that’s the case, then they went out on a high. Stellar pitching and some clutch hitting saw the Mets take two out of three from the first-place Braves.

With trade talk set to dominate the next few days, let’s recap everything from the Atlanta series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

Carson Benge by Berto Carlo

DO IT-ALL CARSON

Carson Benge had his fingerprints all over this series win. He stole the show in the doubleheader on Wednesday after being rested on Monday. The rookie hit the winning run with a go-ahead double in the bottom of the seventh in the first game. Then, in the second game, Benge made a stupendous diving catch to keep a runner off base in the eighth inning. In back-to-back games, Benge showed off his ability to come through in the clutch as well as his elite defensive skillset.

TURNING HEADS

Christian Scott grabbed everybody’s attention for multiple reasons in the nightcap portion of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Not only did he toss a gem, but he did so while completing six full innings for the first time this season. That latter point is crucial when considering the bigger picture. Arguably the biggest hurdle facing Scott was his ability to go deep in games. Now he’s done it once; hopefully he can make that the standard going forward. In terms of the actual performance, Scott flashed his high upside once again. He allowed just one earned run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. In doing so, Scott is cementing his place in this rotation long term.

PROVING A POINT

I’ll preface what I’m about to say by acknowledging that I’m aware Francisco Lindor went a combined 0-for-6 in the final two games of this series. However, his offensive outburst in the first game provided a welcome reminder of just how elite Lindor is when he’s at the peak of his powers. The shortstop had his best night of the year, becoming just the second Met to crush a pair of home runs and hit a triple. He also finished with six RBIs. Look, it hasn’t been a great year for Lindor, but injuries have had a lot to do with that. Monday night was proof that he still has a lot to offer this franchise.

Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

OFFENSE OFFENSIVE 

If you want a neat encapsulation of what has gone wrong for the Mets this season, look no further than the Braves series. After exploding for 14 runs in the opener, the offense managed just three runs across the final two games. That included being shut out in the series finale. The Mets recorded just two hits all night in the final game against the Braves. And that has been the crux of their woes all year. The lineup, despite having talent, just hasn’t been nearly consistent enough, and it has more often than not doomed the entire team.

UNWELCOME REMINDER

The odds were always going to be stacked against Jorge Polanco given that he was replacing a franchise icon in Pete Alonso. Well, Polanco’s first year in Queens has been a bust thanks to an inability to stay healthy coupled with a lack of production when he has been on the field. He struggled in his one game in this series, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. He also opted for a sacrifice bunt, which suggests the confidence has gone. Polanco is now hitting a lowly .144/.202/.216/.418 on the year, which is no doubt making Mets fans miss Alonso even more.

TIME TO SAY FAREWELL

With the Trade Deadline on Monday, it is entirely possible that we’ve seen certain Mets for the very last time. Luke Weaver will almost certainly be dealt. He will be missed after what has been a superb season so far. Tyrone Taylor, who has been on a heater lately, will also likely be on the way out. There could be some surprises too. All in all, while the selloff needs to happen, there will be certain players who will be missed. That most certainly includes Clay Holmes if he ends up being dealt too.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Down Braves appeared first on Metsmerized.

On the Trade

“I believe it was probably just a baseball decision,” he told Michelle Margaux on SNY. “Like I said last year and even in these interviews in the spring, I didn’t see anything wrong with the chemistry between the guys, and if it was happening it was happening and I didn’t know about it. So (if there were clubhouse issues) they were keeping it hush-hush, which is kind of tough to do in a clubhouse where you spend most of the day with each other. But from my standpoint I think it was a baseball decision and I think it was something that David (Stearns) felt would better the New York Mets and that (Chris Young) felt would better the Texas Rangers.”

Nimmo, who had a full no-trade clause, had five years and $105 million left on an eight-year, $162 million deal. Semien had three years and $72 million left on his contract.

On Pete Alonso

“But as far as not signing Pete (Alonso) and all that other stuff I think they went with their gut and what they’re used to,” he said. “And I think that was a different direction other than Pete. And obviously I would have loved to have seen Pete retire in a Mets uniform. He’s the Mets home run king and has all these titles that go along with it.  That would have been awesome, but it wasn’t in the cards for what they felt like were the best baseball decisions.

“I honestly think they try and take emotion out of it as much as possible unless there’s something glaring and I personally believe it was baseball decisions as to why they went a different direction.”

On His New Team

Nimmo, 33, is off to a good start in Texas, slashing .300/.374/.462 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 33 games. In 10 years in New York, he hit .262/.364/.438 with 139 homers. He said it took awhile to get used to a new club.

“It took all of spring and even like 10 days into the season,” he said. “The colors are very similar, so sometimes when I would grab the shorts and I would see the ‘T’ on there and I was like ‘yeah, that’s right, I’m a Ranger’ … it did take some time, and longer than I think I expected.”

On His Old Team

“I’ve played here before when things weren’t going well and it’s not fun,” he said. “I wish the best for them.”

He said he’s recently been impressed by Carson Benge highlights and wishes the rookie and fellow Met first-round draft pick well.

“I got to grow up in New York and be a New York Met from a very young age until last year and it’s a blast,” he said. “It looks like he has a bright future in front of him. I wish him nothing but the best.”

The post Back in New York, Nimmo Talks Trade appeared first on Metsmerized.

With the Orioles in the Bronx for a series with the Yankees, it marks the first time Pete Alonso has returned to New York since his departure from the Mets this offseason. Prior to Friday’s series opener, Alonso held a 13-minute session with media where he said he never had a final conversation with Steve Cohen or David Stearns before signing with the Orioles. He did, however, speak with Carlos Mendoza and a few former teammates.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets (11-21) defeated the Angels (12-21) 4-3 on Friday night. New York rallied from down 3-0 with Francisco Alvarezand Marcus Semien combining to tie the game before Ronny Mauricio untied it with a mammoth home run, his first of the year. Christian Scott also looked much more comfortable in his second start of the year, allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Early Friday morning, the Mets provided confidence in Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Despite the team’s atrocious start to the season, both Mendoza and Stearns appear to be safe for now.

Rehabbing lefty reliever A.J. Minter gave up an unearned run in an inning of work with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. Recently promoted top prospect A.J. Ewing also had another good game for Syracuse on Friday, going 1-for-1 with two walks, two stolen bases and two runs.

The Mets’ Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies released an alternate identity as the Binghamton Bobbers. The name pays homage to the first Dick’s Sporting Goods location, which opened in Binghamton.

Latest MLB News

The Orioles placed former Met Ryan Helsley on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Helsley has a 2.53 ERA with seven saves in 12 appearances this year.

Former Met Max Kranick signed a deal with the Nationals. Kranick had a 3.65 ERA in 24 appearances with the Mets in 2025.

Latest on MMO

Kai Chang highlights the performance of Freddy Peralta in the Mets’ Thursday night loss to the Nationals.

Jorge Eckardt explains why A.J. Ewing might be the Mets’ new best prospect.

On This Date in Mets History

Born on This Date: Luis Torrens (1996), Jonathan Villar (1991), Erasmo Ramírez (1990), Joe Crawford (1970), Eddie Bressoud (1932).

The post Morning Briefing: Pete Alonso Never Had Final Conversation With Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

Quickly, the Mets traded away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and let franchise home run leader Pete Alonso walk in free agency. These moves largely drew the ire of fans (to say the least), and Stearns’ focus on run prevention was the obvious culprit.

By Fielding Bible’s defensive runs saved, Nimmo was the only one of the three to post a positive mark despite grading out with one of the worst arms of all left fielders. However, he was traded for Marcus Semien, who graded out better and plays second base, a much more valuable defensive position. McNeil moved around between second base and all three outfield spots, and, while the versatility was valuable, he was clearly below-average glove in the outfield and slightly above average on the dirt. Then there’s Alonso, who finished dead last among all first basemen in DRS. He can pick it, but he was dreadful in just about every other aspect of playing first base.

Statcast’s outs above average supports this as well. Nimmo (-1 OAA, 42nd percentile) and Alonso (-9 OAA, 2nd percentile) both graded out as negative defenders, and while McNeil (2 OAA, 72nd percentile) was a plus, he was only a plus at second base. Semien (7 OAA, 92nd percentile) was clearly better. McNeil simply didn’t have a position anymore.

The Mets quickly filled first base by signing Jorge Polanco and then, surprisingly, added Bo Bichette to play third base. They also traded for Luis Robert Jr., a well-known great defender, to play center field, but most of the attention was on Polanco and Bichette.

Polanco has played first base for one at-bat in the majors and zero at-bats in the minors, and Bichette has never played third base in the majors or minors. It’s natural to wonder how Stearns could preach run prevention and then sign Polanco and Bichette to play two positions they’ve never played before.

For fans who have that concern, though, fortunately, middle infielders move to the corners all the time. The changes shouldn’t be nearly as big a story as they have been.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

History of Players Moving to First

Let’s start with Polanco. Through parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues, Polanco has technically played all four infield positions. He has primarily been up the middle, spending over 4,000 innings at shortstop and 3,500 innings at second base, but also has over 200 innings at third base.

He isn’t and has never been a particularly good defender, but he has been playable enough for teams to routinely put him up the middle. Interestingly enough, this move to first base could provide him with an opportunity to change that. Don’t be fooled by the Ron Washington line from “Moneyball.” It can be done, and it is done very often.

There are seven players who appear in the top-12 in both DRS and OAA among first basemen in 2025: Matt Olson, Carlos Santana, Ty France, Spencer Steer, Ryan O’Hearn, Kody Clemens and Jonathan Aranda. Of those seven, five came up playing positions other than first base. The two that did are Matt Olson, who did occasionally play right field but has the vast majority of his career innings at first base, and Ryan O’Hearn, who came up as a first baseman but has played at least some outfield in most of his big league seasons.

Here are the other five:

• Santana: Made his MLB debut at catcher, and didn’t play first base until his second year in the league. He has just 4 and 1/3 career minor league innings at first base. He is now in the top 10 among first basemen in DRS since 2003, when The Fielding Bible first began.
• France: Technically made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter, but made his first start as a third baseman. He also played second base as a rookie, and made his first MLB appearance at first base in the second-to-last game of his rookie year, moving from second to first in the 9th inning as part of a slew of Padres defensive changes. Played a lot of both corner infield spots in the minors, but has over 1,000 more minor league innings at third base. First base did not become his primary position until his third year in the big leagues.
• Steer: Made his MLB debut at third base, and also started games at first base and second base during his rookie season. He has over 1000 career minor league innings at third base, over 700 at second base, over 400 at shortstop and just 17 at first base. He is now a primary first baseman, but has significant MLB innings in the outfield and has played up the middle as recently as 2024.
• Clemens: Made his MLB debut at second base, and also started games at third base and left field before he received one at first base. The vast majority of his minor league innings are at second base. He now has twice as many career MLB innings at first base, but still plays second base often, and in 2025 started games at first base, second base, left field and right field.
• Aranda: Made his MLB debut at second base, and also started games at first base and third base during his rookie season. Most of his minor league innings are at second base, but also has over 1000 career minor league innings at first base and over 500 at third base. His first full season in the big leagues was in 2025, and it was also the first time he only played first base.

There’s a good mix of origins among this group. Olson, who is the “purest” first baseman of the seven, is also one of the best defensive first basemen of all time. Santana is right there with him, despite basically learning first base from scratch when he was already in the majors.

Steer and France both made their MLB debuts on the other side of the corner infield, and Clemens and Aranda both made their MLB debuts at second base. All four of them spent significant time in the minor leagues playing up the middle, with first base either being a clear second fiddle or, in Steer’s case, almost not a thing at all.

While Clemens has generally been a good defender wherever he’s put, France, Steer and Aranda weren’t very good at the other infield spots. All were able to become plus defensive first basemen.

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

History of Players Moving to Third

As for Bichette, he has primarily been a shortstop in his big league career. In fact, when looking at his Baseball Reference page for his historical fielding stats, only one position shows up: Shortstop. Of course, everyone remembers him moving to second base on the fly during the 2025 World Series, but even then, he had at least 262 career minor league innings to draw on as experience.

There’s no sugar coating it here with Bichette — he’s a bad fielder. But bad fielding shortstops often move to third base and do just fine.

There are seven players who appear in the top-12 in both DRS and OAA among third basemen in 2025: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Maikel Garcia, Ernie Clement, Ryan McMahon, Nolan Arenado, Matt Chapman and Nacho Alvarez Jr. Of those seven, four came up playing positions other than third base. Hayes, Arenado and Chapman are third basemen through and through.

Here are the other four:

• Garcia: Made his MLB debut as a shortstop, didn’t play third base until his second year in the league. He has over 3,000 minor league innings at shortstop and under 100 minor league innings at third base. He even has one more minor league inning at second base than he does at third base. Now, the vast majority of his MLB innings come at third base, but he also started games at shortstop, second base, center field and right field.
• Clement: Made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and his first MLB start as a second baseman. He split time between second base and third base as a rookie. He has over 2,000 career minor league innings at shortstop, a little over 350 at second base, and a little over 200 at third base. He has played third base the clear most as a big leaguer, but is still used as a utility infielder. In 2025, he made 66 starts at third base, 49 at second base, 19 at shortstop and six at first base.
• McMahon: Made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter and his first MLB start as a first baseman. Most of his minor league innings came at third base, but he didn’t become a primary third baseman until his fifth MLB season due to sharing an infield with Arenado. While he now has by far the most career innings at third base, he was moved around between first base, second base and third base early in his career, initially spending by far the most time at second base.
• Alvarez Jr.: Made his MLB debut at second base. Has over 1,500 career minor league innings at shortstop and about 500 at third base. In his 64 career MLB starts, 56 have come at third base.

Arenado, Chapman and Hayes are elite defensive third basemen who have eight Platinum Gloves between them (Arenado with six and Chapman with two), and while the two veterans have slipped a tad defensively at this point in their careers, Hayes is in his defensive prime and could easily win a Platinum Glove of his own.

Aside from the three generational third base defenders, though, the rest continue the pattern of former middle infielders moving to a corner. McMahon’s path to third was blocked by Arenado, but he wound up playing a very good defensive second base while he waited for his turn at the hot corner. Garcia, Clement and Alvarez Jr. are all former shortstops who moved off the position once in the majors. Garcia moved for Bobby Witt Jr., Clement moved for Bichette, and Alvarez Jr. mainly just filled in for an injured Austin Riley at third base in his limited MLB action.

Overall outlook for the New York Mets

The Mets have a good infrastructure in place to help Polanco and Bichette make these transitions. The Mets hired Kai Correa to be the new bench coach, who is well known for helping players improve their defense. Eno Sarris of The Athletic noted that Correa “helped JD Davis into his best time at third base defensively,” and that “he’s really good at this.” Davis, the former Met, struggled mightily at third base throughout his career in Queens.

Much has also been made about Bichette’s subpar arm strength, but that’s also overblown. The throw from shortstop is longer than the one from third base, and he had the same arm strength last season as Alex Bregman, a widely accepted good defensive third baseman. As long as the throws are accurate, the arm strength won’t be a big deal.

Yes, Polanco and Bichette have both been bad fielders throughout their careers. Polanco is below average, and Bichette, to put it kindly, has been one of the worst shortstops in baseball. But the Mets don’t need them to turn into great fielders; they just need them to be fine. Both were signed, first and foremost, for their bats. Defense is important everywhere, but it’s the most important up the middle. There, the Mets have greatly improved with the additions of Semien and Robert Jr.

As stated earlier, Alonso was dead last in DRS among first basemen in 2025. As long as Polanco doesn’t do the same, he will be an improvement. At third base, Mark Vientos was dead last in DRS among all third basemen, despite playing fewer innings at the position than Baty. As long as Bichette doesn’t do the same, he will be an improvement. Yes, Baty was a plus defensive third baseman, and it’s fair to think he will continue to be one in 2026. Baty playing third base while Bichette is the DH is a lineup configuration that could occur fairly often.

Neither Polanco nor Bichette has played in their new position before, but it’s a common transition for players. The examples above are recent, but there are plenty more. Bregman was mostly a shortstop coming up through the minors, and while every time he’s played shortstop, he’s been nothing more than average, he’s a great defensive third baseman. Manny Machado (1,768 minor league innings at SS, 36 at 3B) is one of the best defensive third basemen of the last few decades, and he’s very firmly a bad defensive shortstop. Eugenio Suárez came through the minors as a shortstop and struggled mightily defensively whenever he played there in the majors, but played a solid third base for many years.

Even longtime Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, who was worth -64 DRS at second base over his career (the third worst since 2003), was worth positive-26 DRS at first base (the 20th best since 2003).

Over and over again, middle infielders prove they can handle a corner. If you can survive up the middle, as Polanco and Bichette have for many years, then you have a very good chance of at least being playable at a corner. Will they be among the best defenders in baseball at their new positions? Probably not, but there’s a very real chance they’re better than they were up the middle, and the bar is low for them to be an improvement on what the Mets had in 2025.

Most importantly, this is normal. Asking middle infielders to move to the corners is normal, common, and bordering on a non-story — the opposite of what it has been.

The post Polanco, Bichette Could Be Fine Defensively appeared first on Metsmerized.

Kyle Tucker, OF

Position: OF, B/T: L/R

Player Data: Age: 28 (01/17/1997)

2025 Traditional Stats: 136 G, 597 PA, .266/.377/.464/.841, 133 H, 22 HR, 73 RBI

2025 Advanced Stats: 136 wRC+, 14.7 K%, 14.6 BB%, .282 BABIP, .382 xwOBA, 4.5 fWAR

Rundown

After being drafted by the Houston Astros in 2015, Kyle Tucker went on to develop into a star. Despite some early struggles in Houston, Tucker ended a seven-year career with a line of .274/.353/.516/.870 with 125 HR and 417 RBI with the Astros. From 2021 to 2024, Tucker ranked 11th in baseball in wRC+ and 14th in fWAR, cementing himself as a staple in the major leagues. Tucker played a vital role in winning the 2022 World Series over the Phillies. However, with an impending free agency on the horizon, Tucker was traded from Houston to Chicago prior to the 2025 season. After being traded to Chicago this offseason, Tucker had a rollercoaster of a season with the Cubs.

Through the end of June, Tucker looked like he was heading towards an incredible free agency, tying Pete Alonso for fifth in wRC+. However, after a very rough second half of the year, some injury issues, and a mediocre playoffs, 2025 looked like just a very solid year from a very solid player. At first glance, the underlying metrics for the 2025 season look great. Elite xwOBA, fantastic chase rate and BB%, very strong batted ball profile. However, Tucker posted a career low in hard hit rate, a low max exit velocity, and a league-average exit velocity. These may be related to the lingering hairline fracture in his hand sustained in June, but still not super encouraging. It is fair to believe these results may be outliers and bet on the previous consistency of the fantastic previous four seasons.

Overall, the 2025 season was still a good year, and his xBA (.282) and xSLG (.500) tend to suggest that he was potentially a little unlucky. Tucker has produced 20+ homers in each of the last five seasons, with All-Star appearances in the last four. Of concern is his recent injury bug. Tucker played only 78 games in 2024 and, despite playing 136 games in 2025, experienced both hand and hamstring injuries. Still, Tucker enters free agency as a premier player in the sport with tons of upside. While his best defensive days may be behind him (-2 OOA), he profiles as an elite middle of the order hitter for any team.

Contract

Tucker enters the offseason widely regarded as the top UFA bat on the market. Spotrac gives Tucker a market value of $40.2 million average annual value (AAV) and a projected contract of 10 years, $401.7M. Those values for AAV and total contract value would rank Tucker fifth and fourth, respectively, in the major leagues. As the crowning jewel of the 2026 FA class, all of the big-market teams will be in on Tucker. Outside of Cody Bellinger, there aren’t many other great options for major impact outfielders.

Despite some injury issues in the past two seasons, Tucker is a cornerstone piece of a franchise and can step in immediately to improve any franchise for years to come.

Recommendation: Worth Checking In

After the 2024 season, David Stearns said that “pretty much the entirety of the player universe is potentially accessible to us”, and with the contract Juan Soto just signed, I believe him. It is reasonable to assume that an outfielder, specifically center field, is a pressing area of need for the Mets. Cedric Mullins is a free agent and likely will not be brought back, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto are locked into long-term deals, which could end up seeing some DH time sooner rather than later, and Tyrone Taylor did not play well enough to earn a starting job in 2026. However, I am not sure if a Tucker deal makes sense for the Mets.

As great as Tucker has been in the past, it is difficult to assemble a team with three long-term deals of over $34 million AAV each. Committing $125 million or more annually to three players limits financial flexibility and roster flexibility, two things that I am not sure Stearns wants to do. I think the Mets will check in and monitor the situation, which I believe is the correct thing to do. Undeniably, Tucker is a great player who makes any team better. The Mets should be involved in his free agent process, but if the contract numbers approach the Spotrac projections, I don’t know if it’s a move that the Mets should make.

Would Tucker make the Mets a better team? Absolutely. Inserting Tucker into the Mets lineup for the rest of his career would drastically improve their offense. However, for the price tag that he is likely going to cost, the Mets might be better off spending the money he would require on other parts of the team while other free agents hold down the fort for Carson Benge.

The post Free Agent Profile: Kyle Tucker, OF appeared first on Metsmerized.

Regardless, there are still going to be spots up to grab throughout sprinting training. Two intriguing candidates for that bullpen are two individuals who spent 2025 in the minor leagues. Read more about each below.

Ryan Clifford. Photo by Steven Wojtowicz of MMO

Ryan Clifford

With the loss of slugger Pete Alonso to Baltimore, the Mets have a gaping hole at first base. Free agent signing Jorge Polanco is projected to fill out some of those reps, however, there should still be many to be had. One individual who may factor into those plans at some point is first base prospect Ryan Clifford.

Clifford, who was acquired in the Justin Verlander trade with Houston, has shown strong pop throughout his time in the minors. Over his last three professional seasons, Clifford has hit 24, 19, and 29 home runs, respectively.

Specifically, last year across 367 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton he posted 43 extra-base hits and an .848 OPS. Clifford also had a 15.5% walk rate resulting in a strong .355 on-base percentage despite a middling .243 average. The 22-year-old has a strong eye and a boatload of power.

There are some concerns with Clifford, though. Throughout his minor league career he has always had massive strikeouts numbers. His strikeout rate was as high as 31% early on. Luckily, that number has slowly crept down (17.6% in 2025). Additionally, he did struggle in his first run at the Triple-A level.

Success for Clifford starts with cutting down that strikeout rate. If he can do that a tad, while keeping the strong eye and plethora of power, there’s a chance he see some major-league sometime this season.

Dylan Ross

Dylan Ross, 25, was called up at the end of the 2025 season but did not make his major-league debut. The 13th-round pick in 2022 played across three different levels of minor league baseball in 2025.

He was special for Triple-A Syracuse as he struck out 39 across 32 innings. He posted a 1.69 ERA across those 32 innings. Overall, in 2025, he posted a 2.17 ERA across 54 total minor-league innings. His 3.32 FIP and 3.25 xFIP each told a story that his strong performances were warranted.

The only issue with Ross in 2025 was his control at points. Ross posted a 14.7% walks rate which is troublesome. That figure was elevated to 17.3% with Triple-A Syracuse.

If Ross, who was extremely close to making his major-league debut in 2025, can limit that walk rate in 2026, there is a real chance the 6-foot-5 right-hander can emerge as a vital part of the Mets’ bullpen in 2026.

Ryan Lambert. Photo by Rick Nelson

Ryan Lambert

Ryan Lambert, 23, was an eighth-round pick in 2024. The right-handed thrower endured his first full professional season in 2025 after finishing up his collegiate career in 2024.

Across 50 innings between the High-A and Double-A levels, Lambert posted a 1.62 ERA with 81 strikeouts. His 2.13 FIP and 2.86 xFIP further backed up how unreal he was last season.

Last season, 1,859 pitchers threw at least 40 innings in the minor leagues. Here is how Lambert ranked among them in some key statistical categories:

• ERA: 30th
• FIP: 13th
• xFIP: 49th
• K%: 7th

Bottom-line, he was one of the best pitchers in the whole minor-league baseball system last season.

At only 23 years old, and the fact he has yet to play any Triple-A baseball, there is a chance the Mets want to get him some time with Syracuse. However, it is likely we see Lambert in the big leagues at some point. With him being arguably the team’s best relief pitcher prospect, there is a real chance he emerges himself as a staple in the Mets’ bullpen by season’s end.

Jack Wenninger

Starting pitcher Jack Wenninger continues to quietly climb up the organizational rankings. The sixth-round pick in 2023 has by far the best year of his professional career in 2025.

Playing exclusively at the Double-A level, Wenninger posted a 2.92 ERA across 135 2/3 innings. He struck out 147 and only walked 42. The 13 homers he allowed worked out to a 0.9 HR/9. The 23-year-old struck out hitters, didn’t walk many, and avoided the long ball; a recipe for success at any level. His 3.36 FIP and 3.05 xFIP also further shows how his performances in 2025 were earned.

Wenninger is only 23 and he has yet to throw a pitch past Double-A. Given this, an appearance in the big leagues would seem unlikelier compared to the others on this list. However, if he puts together another strong season, a major-league impact sometime during the season shouldn’t be completely out of the question.

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