One of the Mets' only reliable relievers, star closer Edwin Diaz, is a Los Angeles Dodger. The back end of the bullpen now consists of Devin Williams and Luke
Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn ImagesFreddy Peralta has been brought in to be the starting rotation’s ace, Nolan McLean has shown all of the makings of a future ace in training, and Clay Holmes looks to be a reliable mid-tier starter.
Kodai Senga has elite stuff when he is healthy, but that hasn’t been the case for the majority of the last two years. It appears he worked past the mechanical issues that led to his demotion to Triple-A last season, but relying on him for a full season is difficult until he actually shows he can survive. David Peterson starts as the lone lefty in the rotation, and his All-Star first half in 2025 made way for a final nine-game stretch that saw him post an 8.42 ERA. Three of those starts went 3.1 innings or fewer. Waiting in the bullpen to potentially create a six-man rotation is Sean Manaea, whose velocity dip this spring was cause for concern after struggling mightily upon his return from an oblique and elbow issue that wiped out the first half of his campaign last year.One of the Mets’ only reliable relievers, star closer Edwin Diaz, is a Los Angeles Dodger. The back end of the bullpen now consists of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, both of whom struggled mightily with the Yankees last season. Stearns is hoping that those issues were an anomaly, as the underlying stats continue to suggest that both arms are shut-down-worthy options to close games out. Brooks Raley, the reliable southpaw, returns as a potential left-handed set-up man late, and the organization has high hopes for the versatile Tobias Myers. AJ Minter’s impending return will also certainly help bolster the later innings, as his surgery early last season created a void that the organization simply could not fill despite its trade-deadline swings for Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley.The first year of Juan Soto’s 15-year deal with the New York Mets provided one of the best all-aroundin franchise history: .263/.396/.525 , a career-high 43 home runs, 105 RBI, and league-bests in stolen bases and walks .He is putting the two-time defending holder, Shohei Ohtani, on notice. “I’m going to be there every year, too,” Soto said. “So he better keep doing what he’s doing, because I’m coming.” It is almost unfathomable to think that there is another level to the lefty’s offensive production, but if the Mets are going to go anywhere this year, he is going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting.More than 60 home runs and 220 RBI left with Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo’s departures this winter, and Stearns responded by piecing together their replacements in an attempt to construct a deeper lineup. But a lot has to go right to out-produce last year’s unit, which was top-10 in the majors in both runs scored and OPS. Luis Robert Jr. has to stay healthy in center field, which he has only done once in his six-year career. Marcus Semien’s offensive regression from last season has to be a flash in the plan, and he has to resemble something like the 25-home-run, 80-plus-RBI talent he had been over the majority of the previous five years. Bo Bichette has to be the .300-plus hitter that has made him one of the best in the American League, and Jorge Polanco has to find the same sort of power that saw him eclipse the 20-home-run mark for just the third time in his 12-year career. The youngsters have a part to play in it all, though. Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty put together strong second halves last season, suggesting they are ready to take the next steps. Carson Benge will also be viewed as a potential sparkplug toward the bottom of the lineup.Despite all of Stearns’ talk about wanting to improve his defense, he has left a significant portion of it open to interpretation. Robert is an elite glove in center field, and Benge seems plenty reliable in right. Soto’s defense in left is what it is — a plus arm but below-average range. The infield is far more questionable with its four middle infielders. Polanco has never played a full regular-season inning at first base, and Bichette is a natural shortstop who has moved to third partly because of a previous knee injury and below-average range and arm strength. Each corner of the infield is a premium position, and slow starts from either at their respective spots will turn up the heat early on Stearns.Joe Pantorno has been the executive sports editor of amNewYork since 2020. He covers the New York Mets and is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America . He is also a member of the Pro Hockey Writers’ Association and has covered the New York Islanders for nearly a decade. His previous stops include Bleacher Report and Metro New York, while his work has been featured in the New York Post, Newsday, and Yahoo! Sports.Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning Presents Memory Vault – the Culminating Exhibition of JCAL’S 2026 ARTWorks FellowshipMamdani appeals CityFHEPS lawsuit, breaking campaign promise to drop suit and expand rental assistance to thousandsYankees can finally hit reset button as 2026 season arrives Pigeon petition: Thousands of advocates want NYC’s giant pigeon statue to stay perched at the High Lineconstruction
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