It’s time to be blunt about the 2026 New York Mets.
Yes, they have dealt with a severe amount of injuries this season, especially to key players such as Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Clay Holmes, and Jorge Polanco.
However, the ineffective and underwhelming performances of a majority of players have dealt a stronger blow to this team than injuries.
To start, there have been several positive and encouraging performances.
Juan Soto has looked generational in a pitiful offense, while Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have looked comfortable in their rookie seasons.
Clay Holmes was on pace for a dominant year before he fractured his right fibula, having a 4-4 record, 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and generating 1.8 WAR through his first 9 starts.
Jared Young has been a consistent hitter in the Mets’ lineup, and M.J. Melendez had a hot streak in May that kept the Mets’ offense afloat.
Lastly, most of the bullpen has been nothing short of phenomenal, as Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Huascar Brazoban, Brooks Raley, and Austin Warren have all performed steadily.
Transitioning from the successes, it’s important to examine the negative aspects of this team.
To start, Bo Bichette has been red hot in his last 15 games (.322/.344/.593, 3 HR, 13 RBI), but his failure to step up while Lindor and Soto were injured massively hurt this offense.
He still has a mediocre .247 BA and .664 OPS, but his recent hitting could put those early struggles in the rearview mirror.
Marcus Semien has provided some pop (9 HR, 26 RBI, 6 SB), but he’s definitely been one of the worst players in baseball this season.
His regression as a hitter (.215 BA, .621 OPS, 74 OPS+) has been well-documented over the last few seasons, but the larger concern is his fielding.
Semien’s already recorded 3 errors, a -5 DRS, and a -3 OAA, which is not what the Mets envisioned when they swapped outfielder Brandon Nimmo for Semien in the offseason.
The rotation has been a total mess, as Christian Scott looked very promising in his first batch of starts, but Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean have been way too inconsistent.
McLean had a dominant start before struggling for the last month, while Peralta has been a different pitcher every start.
For example, Peralta had a very good outing with the Mariners, giving the team 6 quality innings while allowing 1 run and striking out 6.
In his next start, he struggled against the Cardinals, allowing 6 runs in 6 innings while striking out 5.
Simply put, Peralta isn’t an ace. He is a solid #2 starting pitcher on a playoff team.
Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat haven’t lit the world on fire in Milwaukee, but this trade hasn’t gone the way that David Stearns imagined.
With Peralta becoming a free agent after the season, the Mets’ current position, and the starters’ desire for an 8-year contract, the team should try to trade him and strengthen the farm system.
Now, here are the four players who have been an absolute disaster in 2026:
Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Mark Vientos, and Brett Baty.
With Senga starting last night, my expectations were very, very low.
He has not been the same pitcher since he strained his right hamstring last June, going on a completely downward spiral.
His 6 major league starts (0-4, 9.00 ERA, 1.88 WHIP) and his struggles on his recent rehab assignment haven’t given the team any encouraging signs.
David Peterson has struggled in every situation that Carlos Mendoza has tried to deploy him in this season.
He had significant problems as a normal rotation arm, then as a starter following an opener, and now as a bulk innings/mop-up pitcher.
In a 9-0 blowout Tuesday night, he proceeded to give up another 4 baserunners, including a 3-run homer to J.J. Bleday.
It is a stark and stunning contrast to the budding ace that threw a complete game shutout on June 11, 2025.
Brett Baty has regressed significantly after his breakout season in 2025, reverting to the low-average, low-power, and strong-groundball-rate hitter.
If Baty hit for a .280 or higher average, I would have no complaints.
But you have to pick a side. Either hit .280 or provide some pop. Baty has done neither of those things.
Lastly, it has been long overdue to end the Mark Vientos experiment, and quite frankly, I don’t understand how he’s still on this team.
This is a player who effectively lost his first-base job to Jared Young.
Sure, Jared Young deserves his flowers. He’s hit more home runs than Brett Baty in 137 fewer plate appearances, provided solid defense, and is actually consistent!
In Vientos, this is a guy who looked like a future star in 2024, as he hit 32 combined homers and would hit in the heart of the order behind Juan Soto.
Even in 2026, the hope was that Vientos would regain that power and replace the impact of the departing Pete Alonso.
It has been everything but that. Vientos is hitting an awful .215 with 7 HR, 27 RBI, .613 OPS, a -5 DRS, and a -1 WAR, making him one of the worst all-around players.
All these struggles lead to a central problem facing the New York Mets.
This is a roster filled with non MLB-quality players, and these four players should not be on a team with a $334 million payroll.
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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