Major League Baseball released their Opening Day lineup and starting rotation projections for every team headed into spring training.
The best season in the world is upon us: baseball season. Spring training is right around the corner and pitchers and catchers have begun reporting, with tons of position players also reporting to their respective facilities a week early.
Most teams are likely done making offseason moves and are setting their sights on who is currently on the roster. The New York Mets have made lots of moves to reconstruct their roster after a disappointing conclusion to the 2025 season and both the starting lineup and rotation have vastly different looks.
The Mets overhauled one-third of the roster and saw several franchise cornerstones move on to different teams this winter. The players that are with new teams were replaced with better defenders, as defense was a big issue last season. In doing so, they lost a ton of firepower in the lineup.
Star slugging first baseman Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles, left fielder Brandon Nimmo was traded to the Texas Rangers and second baseman Jeff McNeil was traded to the Athletics. These guys were pivotal pieces of the lineup, but one could argue that the projected lineup for this season is more well-rounded and less power dependent.
MLB.com released projected Opening Day lineups and rotations for every team. Here are the Mets’ projected lineup and rotation:
Lineup:
1. Francisco Lindor, Shortstop
2. Juan Soto, Left field
3. Bo Bichette, Third base
4. Jorge Polanco, First base
5. Luis Robert Jr., Center field
6. Brett Baty, Designated hitter
7. Marcus Semien, Second base
8. Francisco Alvarez, Catcher
9. Tyrone Taylor, Right field
Rotation:
1. Freddy Peralta, Right-handed pitcher
2. Nolan McLean, RHP
3. Clay Holmes, RHP
4. Sean Manaea, Left-handed pitcher
5. David Peterson, LHP
6. Kodai Senga, RHP
The lineup could look different, as Lindor underwent surgery on a stress reaction in his left hamate bone and is expected to be out for at least six weeks. While six-to-eight weeks is standard recovery time for hamate bone injuries, players almost always take longer to fully get back to their normal selves.
That injury makes it difficult to grip a bat and impacts power, so while the organization is optimistic Lindor won’t miss Opening Day, he might not be the same player, or he will take a little more time to make sure he’s healthy for the long run.
Bichette and Polanco act as protection for Soto, creating a dynamic top four. A change of scenery may be what Robert needed to get back to All-Star form, and hitting fifth behind those guys is a great opportunity for the 28-year-old.
The bottom of the lineup has sneaky pop and could be one of the better bottom-thirds in Major League Baseball, especially if top prospect outfielder Carson Benge makes the team out of spring training.
The rotation has a new ace in Peralta, and the one-two punch of Peralta and McLean may end up being the best duo in MLB by the end of the year. New York loves the idea of a six-man rotation, and they have other options to go to in Jonah Tong, Tobias Myers and Christian Scott as well if Senga doesn’t have a strong spring.
The Mets improved in the areas they set out to improve, and they have the potential to be one of the top teams in the National League.