New York Mets’ combination of ascending young talent and willingness to try anything to win make them an MLB.com choice for a quick NL East turnaround.
Definition of "disaster," per The American Heritage® Dictionary: "a total failure."
People can quibble whether or not that word can truly define the 2026 season for the New York Mets, what with the team learning that homegrown talents Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Francisco Alvarez, and possibly Christian Scott, Zac Thornton and Jonah Tong, are legitimate major-leaguers.
But with a record of 73-85 heading into the final four games of a season that started with such high hopes and a record-setting payroll of more than $350 million, "disaster" is certainly much closer than "success" in describing a campaign that began with a "playoffs or bust" mentality.
The reasons for the Mets' fall from grace, which came on the heels of a 10-17 collapse over the final month of 2025 that cost them a playoff berth, are many. The headline-grabbing off-season trades for pitcher Freddy Peralta and second baseman Marcus Semien were busts; the free-agent signings of infielder Bo Bichette and closer Devin Williams have been "meh" at best; injury-prone free-agent first baseman Jorge Polanco has as many IL stints as home runs (2); and the fruitless trade for another IL magnet, outfielder Luis Robert Jr., have all contributed to the lost season.
The Mets' two biggest stars have also struggled at times. Outfielder Juan Soto has overcome early-season injuries and has put up decent numbers (.276 average, 27 home runs, 68 RBIs) for a normal human being, but nothing that can be described as Soto-esque, as attested by his 3.1 WAR (as of Thursday), which is well below his 5.4 average WAR from 2019-25.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor was out from April 23 to June 24 with a calf injury. Since his return he has been nowhere near his typical self with a .224 average, .730 OPS and 1.9 WAR (as of Thursday), which is only slightly more than the 1.3 WAR he compiled during the COVID-abbreviated 60-game 2020 season and well off his 5.1 average WAR from 2015-2025.
Even with all of the disappointing performances and the black cloud that has seemed to follow the team throughout the 2026 season, baseball always allows hope to be rejuvenated quickly. As a nearly daily endeavor (162 games played over 186 days), one bad game can be erased with a better performance just 24 hours later. Likewise, once the season wraps up in late October or early November, the grind toward the next immediately begins and it's just a few short months until spring training arrives in February.
Couple that with a more thoughtful and measured approach in how to allocate owner Steve Cohen's billions in regard to player acquisition and retention and continued growth from the young nucleus, and there's every reason to believe that 2027 can be much better than 2026 for this franchise.
One person who has already purchased a ticket on the bandwagon for the Mets' "2027 Redemption Tour" is MLB.com writer Will Leitch. In a report posted on the site on Sept. 21, Leitch listed the Mets as the NL East team most likely to rebound in 2027.
"We already wrote [on Sept. 16] about the Mets and why it makes sense to be hopeful, but in case you missed it, or need to hear it again, we're happy to repeat it," he wrote. "The Mets have played much better in the second half of the season, and they did so largely because of launch seasons for rookies Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean, all of whom should be expected to take further steps forward next year. They should have full seasons of Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto in 2027, and Soto has to win an MVP Award one of these years, right? The Mets are highly motivated, have exciting young players and will do what it takes to try to win every year."
Excited? If so, mark your calendars for Friday, Feb. 19, when the Mets are scheduled to host the Miami Marlins in their first spring training game of 2027. That's a short 148 days, or just more than 21 weeks, from now.
