Carson Benge
It is unfair to say New York Mets fans who had given up faith were overreacting. The start of the season could not have gone worse, and it was on the heels of another late season collapse.
Mets fans who don’t believe now are not overreacting. This team is in last place with a 17-25 record. The Atlanta Braves have the best record in baseball, and the Philadelphia Phillies have righted the ship after elevating Don Mattingly to manager.
Still, the Mets are in a good spot right now. They are playing better baseball, and even with the Francisco Álvarez torn meniscus, things are calming down. We can say that after Juan Soto’s x-rays came back negative.
On the pitching front, the Mets have the third best FIP in baseball and second in the National League. They’re fourth in K/9 and eighth in ERA.
They’re doing well from a pitching perspective, and we see there is still some upside from the current staff. You win with pitching, and the Mets are pitching well.
We’re seeing some bats come alive. Mark Vientos has been better, and we’re starting to see some red on his Baseball Savant page. Carson Benge has figured out Major League hitting. A.J. Ewing looks like a big threat out there.
Bo Bichette snapped a long 0-fer streak. We’re heading to the time of the year both he and the rest of this team take off. With health luck from Soto, the Mets offense is about to put together a big stretch.
Really, this team is in a position where they can get to .500 or better by the All-Star Break. After that, Francisco Lindor and Alvarez come back as the Mets will be primed to make some damage.
Remember, no more west coast trips. They will have 35 games against teams currently under .500. They will get six cracks at the Braves. This is a schedule you can see a 2016 or 2024 type run emerging.
The 2026 season started worse than we could’ve imagined. At times, the Mets appeared snakebit. One player returns and another leaves.
And yet, despite that, the young players are energizing the team. They’re pitching very well. The bats are coming around with great players coming back. The schedule is set up for success.
The Mets are fine and will be competing for the postseason this year.
With Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Mets now have to figure out who will be their Opening Day first baseman. With the team giving all indications they were interested in moving on from Alonso, it would appear the team can now set those plans in motion.
The suggestion of Paul Goldschmidt was just bad. Goldschmidt was barely a league average hitter with a 104 OPS+. That was his second straight season at that mark.
Defensively, he dropped to a -2 OAA. That’s far better than Alonso, but it’s still below average. You can’t be a below average first baseman and not hit.
There was the Willson Contreras suggestion. This is an interesting one, and it is one that could potentially be a fit.
Now, Wilson was a surprise defensively with a 4 OAA at first. That does marry with David Stearns’ run prevention mantra. He’s still at a 123 OPS+ marking the fourth straight season he was at that mark or better.
Contreras has only two years remaining on his deal, and that would seem to marry the Mets vision of not having deals larger than three years added to the payroll this offseason.
Contreras would make the Mets better. Certainly more that they are at the moment. However, it is the trade aspect that is a problem.
The Mets are looking to eventually have a youth movement. Nolan McLean is already the staff ace. Carson Benge is already in discussions to be the Opening Day center fielder. They are looking for the when and where with Jett Williams.
They are also bracing for a potential salary cap after this season, and/or more stringent constraints on their ability to flex their financial muscle. Certainly, it cannot be a coincidence the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are focused on three year deals this offseason.
If that is the case, why not give Mark Vientos a shot at first base. Why waste prospect capital? Why not hand the reigns to someone who has hit 27 homers for you and has had a great postseason. Moreover, the Mets were ready to give him the job last year if Alonso did not take the job.
We can all admit 2025 was a bad season for Vientos. It was for the 2025 Mets, but one bad year is a dumb way to form judgments on players. Players have ups and downs, and we should not judge a player off one bad season. If that was the case, Alonso would have been gone after the COVID year.
In 2025, Vientos still had strong exit velocity numbers, and he had the same launch angle. He has also admitted his approach entering the 2025 season led to some of his struggles. There were also the injuries.
Defensively, the Mets have moved on from him at third, and that is understandable. That said, he was always best suited for first base. That was never quite a discussion because he was blocked by Alonso. Not anymore.
We can’t really look at the 0 OAA at first last year because he had all of six attempts. Instead, we need to look at his skill set. The best thing about Vientos has always been his soft hands. That will play very well at first.
Vientos has the skill set to be good at first, and he has the bat. This is a Mets team in transition, and when you are in transition, you let players like Vientos step up and prove themselves.
If he steps up like he did in 2024, you have a potential All-Star at first base. You have first base figured out for the long term without having to waste any prospect capital.
If you’re wrong, well, you still have players like Ryan Clifford forcing their way to the majors. You can sign a 1B/DH for insurance. You can insulate yourselves.
However, in the end, if you are building more for 2026, Vientos getting a chance is the best option. We know what a game changer he can be, and he can be the one to put the Mets over the top.