Photo Credit: yahoosports.com
After replacing nearly a third of last season’s roster, the Mets are finally back after pitchers and catchers reported to camp yesterday.
This transition involved saying goodbye to several household names, including Brandon Nimmo’s smile, Pete Alonso’s mammoth home runs, and Edwin Diaz’s iconic trumpets.
However, this paved the way for a bunch of new faces to enter Queens, such as Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams, and Marcus Semien.
The expectations that the Mets have entering spring training remain the same as last season: Compete for a chance to win the NL East, make the playoffs, and be a World Series contender.
There will be multiple versions of these predictions based on factors such as new injuries, setbacks, good/bad performances, and any other signings the Mets make after today.
With that said, here is my initial 26-man roster prediction for Opening Day.
Starting Lineup
Francisco Alvarez: C
Jorge Polanco: 1B
Marcus Semien: 2B
Francisco Lindor: SS
Bo Bichette: 3B
Juan Soto: LF
Luis Robert Jr: CF
Carson Benge: RF
Mark Vientos: DH
In this prediction, right field appears to be Carson Benge’s job to lose, as David Stearns has repeatedly hinted that Benge will break camp as a member of the Opening Day roster.
Also, his primary position has been right field in the minor leagues, as his experience and cannon of an arm make this an easy decision for the Mets.
Soto moving back to left field is another smart move, as he has expressed that he’s very comfortable playing the position, as he continues to ramp up for the WBC.
Lastly, barring a setback, Francisco Lindor remains on track to return by Opening Day, even with his recent surgery on his hamate bone.
Bench
Brett Baty: UTIL
Luis Torrens: C
Tyrone Taylor: CF
Vidal Brujan: UTIL
First off, Brett Baty is (kind of) being groomed as another Jeff McNeil-type player. This means that he can provide versatility and become a utility player wherever the Mets need him to play.
This could be at second base, third base, or a corner outfield spot, as David Stearns has emphasized that the team is comfortable with Baty playing right field if Benge can’t win the job or gets injured.
Torrens will always be a reliable backup option at catcher, as he’s stepped up when Alvarez goes down with an injury and shows a good rapport with the starters.
Tyrone Taylor is a good fourth outfielder who could provide defense at the end of games, while Brujan is another player who could give the team more positional flexibility.
Starting Rotation
Freddy Peralta
Nolan McLean
Sean Manaea
Clay Holmes
David Peterson
Kodai Senga
The addition of Peralta significantly upgrades this rotation, as it has two potential aces in it (McLean/Peralta), while also showing a very high ceiling if everything goes right.
Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea remain question marks, as they both struggled with ineffectiveness and injuries during 2025.
If they can both return to their top forms, it would transform this group into a top 10 staff, as both guys have proven that they can be elite when counted upon.
David Peterson looked dominant (2.83 ERA in first 21 starts) before he faltered after surpassing his career high in innings, while Clay Holmes exceeded expectations in his first year as a starting pitcher since 2018.
The rotational depth is also very intriguing, as the team has options in Jonah Tong, Christian Scott, Jack Wenninger, and Jonathan Santucci.
Photo Credit: NJ.com
Bullpen
Tobias Myers: LR
Craig Kimbrel: MI
Adbert Alzolay: MI
Luis Garcia: MI
Brooks Raley: SU
Luke Weaver: SU
Devin Williams: CLS
The Mets’ bullpen is filled with several new faces, as only one member pitched for the Mets last season (Brooks Raley).
Myers is a guy who has shown success in the bullpen before, as he recorded a 1.91 ERA as a reliever in 2025.
Alzolay and Garcia are two sneaky guys who could become high-impact relievers. The former recorded a pristine 3.00 ERA in the bullpen as a Cub, while the latter played on 3 different teams and had a 3.42 ERA.
Weaver is a proven set-up guy, while Williams will be attempting to reclaim his throne as a top closer in the game and proving that his time in the Bronx was an outlier.
Kimbrel is a wild card, as he is 37, but has shown success over the last few seasons with the Dodgers, Phillies, and Astros.
Some other options for the bullpen include Dylan Ross, Ryan Lambert, Joey Gerber, and Jonathan Pintaro.
My name is John Pagnotta and I live in Queens, NY. I am a freshman at St. John’s University and I am majoring in journalism. I am a huge fan of the Jets, Mets, Islanders, and Knicks. I started following sports when I was around 7 years old and I have not lost love for it ever since!
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