NEW YORK METS
2025 finish: 83-79 (2nd in NL East)
Manager: Carlos Mendoza (172-152, 3rd season)
Leading the front office: David Stearns, president of baseball operations (3rd season)
DOLLARS AND SENSE
Largest luxury tax hit: OF Juan Soto ($51 million)
Top returning players: SS Francisco Lindor (6.3 fWAR), Soto (5.8), INF Brett Baty (2.3)
Top returning starting pitchers: LHP David Peterson (3.1), RHP Clay Holmes (1.9), RHP Tylor Megill (1.5)
Top returning relievers: LHP Brooks Raley (0.8), RHP Huascar Brazoban (0.4), LHP A.J. Minter (0.3)
ROSTER WATCH
Key additions: RHP Freddy Peralta (trade), 3B Bo Bichette (free agent), 1B Jorge Polanco (free agent), 2B Marcus Semien (trade), OF Luis Robert Jr. (trade), RHP Devin Williams (free agent), RHP Luke Weaver (free agent), RHP Luis Garcia (free agent), LHP Bryan Hudson (purchased), RHP Tobias Myers (trade), OF MJ Melendez (free agent), C Austin Barnes (minors), OF Mike Tauchman (minors), INF Christian Arroyo (minors), INF Vidal Brujan (purchased), RHP Robert Stock (minors), RHP Craig Kimbrel (minors), RP Carl Edwards Jr. (minors), RHP Nick Burdi (minors),
Key losses: 1B Pete Alonso (free agent), RHP Edwin Díaz (free agent), OF Brandon Nimmo (trade), OF Cedric Mullins (free agent), RHP Tyler Rogers (free agent), RHP Griffin Canning (free agent), 2B Jeff McNeil (trade) LHP Gregory Soto (free agent), OF Starling Marte (free agent), RHP Ryan Helsley (free agent), RHP Ryne Stanek (free agent), RHP Frankie Montas (free agent), OF Jesse Winker (free agent), OF Jose Siri (free agent), INF Nick Madrigal (free agent), RHP Drew Smith (free agent), RHP Brandon Sproat (trade), INF Luisangel Acuña (trade)
Baseball America top-100 prospect(s): RHP Nolan McLean (8), OF Carson Benge (19), RHP Jonah Tong (44), OF A.J. Ewing (83)
New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
KEEP AN EYE ON
The Mets have made the postseason just twice in five years as Steve Cohen as the owner and have advanced only as far as Game 6 of the 2024 NLCS, despite ranking in the top five in payroll the last five years and first or second the last four years. A new-look team has said goodbye to 1B Pete Alonso, 2B Jeff McNeil and OF Brandon Nimmo and remade its infield with 3B Bo Bichette, 2B Marcus Semien and 1B Jorge Polanco.
The Mets also traded for a new No. 1 starter in RHP Freddy Peralta, who has already been tapped for opening day. The 29-year-old won an NL-best 17 games last year (2.70 ERA) and reached 200 strikeouts for a third straight year. He’ll be a free agent after the season.
OF Juan Soto led the majors with 127 walks and was two steals shy of a 40-40 season (.921 OPS) in his first year under his 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest in professional sports history.
Fangraphs projection: 89.5 wins