Mets' Major Weakness Is Now One Of Biggest Strengths Under New Leadership

There’s been no shortage of storylines surrounding the New York Mets in 2026, but one that deserves more attention is the defensive flip they’ve undergone throughout the duration of the season. Beginning the year as a negative in the field, the Mets are now in the top half of baseball in terms of defensive value.

The flip occurred in July, when they ended the month with a positive fielding run value for the first time all year. New York started the first few months of the year with a run value of negative two or three before the calendar flipped to July, when they seemed to turn a corner.

It’s hard not to notice the turn comes right around the time when manager Carlos Mendoza was fired at the end of June, with key lineup and positional choices certainly contributing to their newfound plus defense since interim Andy Green took over.

Of course, getting shortstop Francisco Lindor back from injury played a significant part in the infield’s defensive improvement, allowing Bo Bichette to slide back to third base in a less demanding role. Still, the real value has come from a few of Green’s own decisions.

Juan Soto is one of the best hitters baseball has seen, especially with his track record at his age. Still, it’s no secret that defense is far from his strong suit, and the Mets have learned to minimize the hit from that. Since Soto’s return from injury on August 29, he’s played defense out in left field just five times while being the designated hitter eight times. Compare that to the month of June, when Soto was the DH just six times while playing in left field 19 times.

So Soto’s weakness is being hidden at a higher rate, but it's the other outfielders who provide him that opportunity. Rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge have been huge additions to the outfield at Citi Field in 2026, and their defensive tools give Soto the room to stick mostly to hitting. The third outfielder has been a rotating cast of Brett Baty, Christian Pache, and Nick Morabito in the past couple of months – not ideal, but it’s gotten the job done.

The increased use of catcher Luis Torrens behind the plate has also greatly boosted the Mets’ defensive value, with Torrens ranking in the 92nd percentile in catching run value. New York’s catching runs are the third-best in the league, largely thanks to Torrens.

Since the start of July, the Mets have been a top-nine defense in baseball with an 11 FRV. From Opening Day through the end of June, their -12 FRV made them a bottom-five defensive team in the National League.

A flip has switched in New York in the last couple of months under new management, and it’s undoubtedly a big factor in why they have a winning record since July 1. It’s too late to save this season, but a continuation of this newfound plus defense is a must as the Mets look to return to the postseason in 2027.