New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is unlikely to run things back with the 2025 roster that shockingly missed the postseason, regardless of its star power.
While the starting rotation and bullpen will need a considerable revamp, the starting lineup faces the very real possibility of some notable faces departing. Pete Alonso’s future in Queens feels like it will come down to a coin flip. Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio could be deemed as expendable resources on the trade market. Young prospects could break camp with the big-league roster, and not just in the rotation.
Stearns is preaching run prevention, meaning the defense has to get better. But consistency at the plate could go a long way, particularly building a bottom of the lineup that is not the black hole it was in 2025.
We are only at the forefront of Major League Baseball’s hot-stove season, and things could change in a blink. Still, we took some time to drop our way-too-early prediction of how the Mets’ Opening Day lineup will look come Spring.
Mets 2026 predicted Opening Day lineup
Francisco Lindor, SS
The 2024 season proved that Lindor was made for the Mets’ lead-off position, and so did the first half of 2025. But then the injuries struck. Not only did he play through a broken pinky toe, but he was also dealing with an elbow injury that ultimately needed surgery after the season. Despite all that, he posted a 30/30 season for the second time in the last three years.
Juan Soto, RF
Blockbuster acquisitions more often than not have struggled in their first season with the Mets. Soto sputtered during the first half, but if a “down year” is 43 home runs, 105 RBI, 38 stolen bases, 127 walks, and a .921 OPS, imagine what 2026 and beyond will be like.
Alex Bregman, 3B
Entering his age-32 season, Bregman remains a steady fielder at the hot corner and the offensive prowess to post .800-plus OPS, 25-plus home-run seasons, especially in a lineup that will offer him far more protection than what he had with the Boston Red Sox in 2025. While Alonso likely wants six or seven years at around $200 million, Bregman could be seen as a more affordable option at five years, $140 million, or six years at approximately $170 million.
Cody Bellinger, 1B
By now, you’ve come to the conclusion that Alonso has signed elsewhere. With it comes the signing of the versatile Bellinger, who has a strong glove in the outfield, but can also hold his own at first. He’s coming off a 29-homer season with the Yankees, and his market will be crowded because of it — he could get something along the lines of five years, $150 million. The Mets have already shown interest, and his bat has enough pop to, along with Bregman, soften the blow of losing the franchise’s home run king.
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Nimmo will be 33 come Opening Day, but his game keeps changing. He is coming off a year in which he posted career-highs in home runs (25) and RBI (92), but his on-base percentage was a career-worst .324. Once a top-of-the-order guy, he’s best as a mid-to-bottom-third of the lineup option, and one who could help set things up for the lower portions of the attack.
Francisco Alvarez, C
Some might be surprised to see Alvarez this high in this lineup, but consider this: Despite being sent down last summer and contending with an onslaught of injuries, he was ridiculously good during the second half of the 2025 season. In his final 41 games of the season, he slashed .276/.360/.561 (.921 OPS) with eight home runs and 21 RBI. That’s a 162-game pace of 21 home runs and 83 RBI. His right-handed bat breaks up some of the lefties in the middle of the order, and that kind of production makes the middle of the lineup that much more imposing.
Munetaka Murakami, DH
The Mets have yet to find a legitimate and sustainable designated hitter since it was introduced to the National League in 2022. Murakami could help fill that void, especially considering his defense at either corner of the infield is nothing to write home about. The 25-year-old Japanese star holds the NPB single-season record with 56 home runs in a season, so it’s clear that his power is undeniable. There are, however, concerns with his plate discipline and his ability to catch up to high velocity. Those things are fixable in the right setting.
Brett Baty, 2B
He’s proven more than capable of handling second base without an issue, and his bat has finally come around after multiple failed auditions. Across his final 64 games of the season, Baty slashed .292/.357/.479 (.836 OPS) with 10 home runs and 22 RBI. If the Mets don’t sign Bregman, the third-base job is his, as he has become the priority over the likes of Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuna.
Carson Benge, CF
Stearns has already made it clear that the 22-year-old will have an opportunity to make the team out of spring training. The Mets have been unable to find a defensively sound every-day center fielder, and last year’s failed Jose Siri/Cedric Mullins experiment only fortified their need to figure it all out. Benge doesn’t have a ton of experience in center field, and his bat struggled when he was promoted to Triple-A last year, but Stearns and the Mets obviously see something in him. He possesses quick bat speed at the plate, a good feel for the strike zone, and the blend of power and speed that should see him be a perennial 20/20 guy, at the very least. Stearns would be more inclined to give Benge a shot, considering he trusts backup Tyrone Taylor, specifically on the defensive side of things.
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