For the Mets, the slate is officially clean after last season's epic and extended collapse resulted in a shocking postseason miss.
Sep 21, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hits a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images For the Mets , the slate is officially clean after last season’s epic and extended collapse resulted in a shocking postseason miss.
Hope springs eternal, and Opening Day at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon provides the first step of a new era in Queens. Old franchise cornerstones are gone, new, intriguing faces have taken their place, and the postseason is at the bare minimum of expectations in 2026.1) Francisco Lindor, SS There was not much doubt that Francisco Lindor would make it back in time for Opening Day after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left hamate bone in February, but the star shortstop’s availability undoubtedly provides a sigh of relief for the Mets. While there will be no captain’s “C” to dole out, this is officially the 32-year-old’s team to lead, and he’ll have to put a complete season together to do just that. That means flirting with another 30-30 campaign.Facing his second year with the Mets and smack dab in the middle of his prime, the sky is the limit for the superstar outfielder, who is coming off a debut campaign in Queens in which he set career highs in home runs and stolen bases . A 40-40 season could very well be in Soto’s sights as he tries to chase down Shohei Ohtani for the National League MVP.Bichette was one of just seven players in Major League Baseball last season who hit over .300. He overcame a late knee injury to star for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, and will not be at the heart of a Mets lineup hoping to make a deep postseason run of its own in 2026. This will be his first time playing third base, and his transition during spring training has gone well enough.Another newcomer at his position, Polanco has been a middle infielder for all of his 12 years in the majors. He started working at first base during workouts and pregame drills with the Seattle Mariners and has shown enough comfort for the Mets to move forward with him as Pete Alonso’s replacement. At the dish, he’s not known for his power, but he is coming off a 26-home-run season last year. With some protection around him, he could replicate that output.The threat of a big bat has always been there for Luis Robert Jr. Over his six-year career, he has a 162-game average of 29 home runs with 84 home runs. In 2023, he hit 38 home runs in 145 games. The problem is that he’s been unable to stay healthy for the other five years. He has missed 114 games combined over the last two seasons due to lower-body injuries, though the Mets have been proactive in making sure he strengthens the areas of concern. At his best, he could be one of the best all-around center-fielders in the game, but that’s a big if.The signing of Bichette, coupled with the trading of Jeff McNeil, has made Baty the super-utility option for Carlos Mendoza. The natural third baseman will be a backup at the hot corner, but will also see time at second base, first base, and even right field. It is the only way to ensure a regular number of at-bats for the 26-year-old, whoSemien’s glove is elite at second base, but injuries last year led to one of the worst offensive seasons of his career. He does not need to be the 40-home-run threat he was earlier this decade, but his career average would do wonders in lengthening the Mets’ lineup.The organization’s No. 2 overall prospect checked all the boxes necessary to make the big club out of spring training. He has already built a reputation for working deep into counts, has above-average speed, and has held his own so far in right field.The 24-year-old backstop is healthy after an injury-riddled 2025, which also featured a demotion to the minors. His power after hamate bone surgery came back late, batting .276 with a .921 OPS, eight home runs, and 21 RBI in his last 31 games. If that sort of production can be spread out across an entire season, he is this team’s x-factor.For now, the Mets are going to go with the five-man unit of Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga. Should the schedule become more demanding, the option of a six-man unit could come into play with Sean Manaea starting the year in the bullpen. Peralta will get the ball on Opening Day in his Mets debut, fresh off his best season as a pro: 17-6 with a 2.70and 204 strikeouts in 33 starts. He finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He is one of just two pitchers to record at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons and ranks second in the majors with 40 wins since the start of the 2023 season. McLean will serve as a star-caliber No. 2 in what will be his first full season in the big leagues. He is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year after a blistering eight-start MLB debut last season in which he went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA.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! 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