The New York Mets have been very busy over the last week, and the front office’s recent work has changed many perceptions about what was seen as a very disappointing offseason earlier this month.
NY Mets President David Stearns and his team had a lot to prove this offseason. The team they built for the 2025 season turned out to be a huge disappointment, collapsing late in the season despite having an MVP candidate in Juan Soto on the roster. Change was always expected, but it was far different from what fans got early on.
Instead of adding to the core of a roster that got to the NLCS in 2024, Stearns blew it up. He sent Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil out of town in a pair of trades. And they let All-Stars Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso walk in free agency.
The first month of the offseason sent a clear message to NY Mets fans. Stearns and his team wanted to either get younger or players on short-term deals, improve the pitching, and get far better on defense. Those plans made sense, but the way the organization went about doing that didn’t excite fans. Well, that was until the last seven days.
After failing in their pursuit of the top player in free agency this offseason, Kyle Tucker, they quickly responded by boosting their lineup by signing Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Bo Bichette. Then they followed that up by getting the veteran they wanted in the outfield, and even more defense, in a trade for Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
That momentum continued on Wednesday night, when the NY Mets landed the front-line starter they coveted when they acquired Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. After the trio of major moves, all of a sudden, the NY Mets’ offseason looks a lot better, and there is renewed excitement about the 2026 season.
Let’s take a look at what the projected new lineup and starting rotation will be for the club, as well as grade for their offseason as a whole.
2026 NY Mets lineup projection
The NY Mets not only lost the best home run hitter in team history (Alonso), but they also moved on from a proven on-base machine (Nimmo) and traded a former batting champion (McNeil), who was also a versatile option in the field. However, the players they added this offseason give them a better lineup than they had in 2025.
They still have stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto near the top of the order. But you add one of the best-hitting infielders in the league (Bichette), and another proven veteran bat in Jorge Polanco. They will hope for bounce-back seasons for Marcus Semien and Mark Vientos (which is very possible), and the bottom of the order has massive upside.
Luis Robert Jr. has shown he can be an All-Star at the plate. Alvarez has power and a potential-rich bat, while Carson Benge is, arguably, their top minor league prospect.
However, improving the defense was a major goal this offseason. While there are concerns about Bichette and Polanco, they added a 2025 Gold Glove at second and an elite defender in center. Furthermore, Benge has upside in left. This defense is far better in 2026.
- 1. Francisco Lindor, SS
- 2. Bo Bichette, 3B
- 3. Juan Soto, RF
- 4. Marcus Semien, 2B
- 5. Jorge Polanco, 1B
- 6. Mark Vientos, DH
- 7. Luis Robert, CF
- 8. Francisco Alvarez, C
- 9. Carson Benge, LF
2026 NY Mets starting rotation projection
Getting a front-line starter or ace was a top goal this offseason. Having a big-time arm who could stop losing streaks was something they badly lacked in August and September. However, they now have that in Peralta. His addition pushes every other starter down in the rotation and makes them above-average options in those slots.
Nolan McLean looked like a superstar during his short stint late in the season. There is no guarantee he can do that again. But if he is the No. 2 or 3 starter, he looks like a strong player in that spot. All-Star David Peterson is a better fit at No. 2 or 3, especially if he can perform at the level he did in the first half for the entire season.
Kodai Senga has looked like an ace at times during his three seasons with the NY Mets, when healthy. If he can stay on the field and look more like the player fans saw in his first two seasons, he is an excellent option as the fourth starter. After him, the NY Mets have three fascinating options for their fifth — and maybe sixth — starter.
Manaea is a solid back-end of the rotation pitcher and could be great if he can look more like he did in 2024. Clay Holmes was impressive during his first half-season as a starter, but he clearly was exhausted by the end of the year. Plus, some around baseball feel Jonah Tong can be better than McLean. Holmes and Tong could also be options to bolster the bullpen in 2026 as well.
- Freddy Peralta
- Nolan McLean
- David Peterson
- Kodai Senga
- Sean Manaea
- Clay Holmes
- Jonah Tong
NY Mets offseason grade
A month ago, NY Mets fans were beside themselves about how the offseason was playing out. However, when you combine the above-mentioned moves with the signings of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver for the bullpen, the 2026 version of the NY Mets looks pretty good.
There are certainly concerns. There are questions about whether Bichette or Polanco will be good defensively in their first full-time seasons at third and first, respectively. They will also hope that Robert Jr. can turn his career around at the plate. If not, he could be a rally stopper at the bottom of the lineup. Peralta could also end up being a rental since he is in the final year of his contract.
Nevertheless, they improved their defense in a major way, but most importantly, they addressed a locker room that was reportedly a mess late in the season with some strong leaders. The team’s offseason isn’t necessarily a homerun, but it looks much better than it did two weeks ago because they have huge potential if certain players have bounce-back seasons or strong rookie campaigns in 2026.
NY Mets offseason grade: B+
