Wednesday catch-all thread (2/11/26)
Please use this thread all week to discuss any Mets-specific topic you wish.
On Tuesday it was announced that Juan Soto was moving to left field, which probably makes the Mets a better defensive team immediately, as it’s generally easier to play left than right. Former Mets manager Terry Collins felt like RF was a particularly tough spot to play in Citi Field and Soto’s defensive numbers last year don’t do anything to refute that belief.
So, all good, right? Maybe. The thing that concerns me is that it seems less likely that the Mets will install Brett Baty as their full-time starter in right field. And it’s my belief that Baty should be a starter. Earlier, it was proposed that Baty could be a super-sub and get 500 PA while playing multiple spots. Sure, that’s possible. But when’s the last time a player on the Mets logged that much playing time while performing more than 25 games at three positions?
The first player that jumped to mind was Jeff McNeil and he essentially turned the trick in 2019. That year, McNeil started 45 games in LF, 38 in RF and 24 at 2B. For good measure, he made 16 starts at 3B, too McNeil had 567 PA and a .916 OPS in 2019. He should have had more PA - and played just one position - but the Mets traded for Robinson Cano in the offseason, forcing McNeil into the super-sub role.
McNeil made the All-Star team in 2019. So, perhaps it’s not a death sentence for Baty. Still, it’s fair to wonder if Baty is athletic enough to pull off the super-sub role to the extent that McNeil did once upon a time. He performed better than expected last year at 2B yet not to a level where anyone would describe his play there as average, much less good.
In 2019, McNeil was a +1 FRV at 2B, a +3 at 3B, a (-1) in LF and had a 0 FRV in RF.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how Carlos Mendoza fills out his lineup card in 2026, especially if Francisco Lindor needs to miss time with his hamate injury. It’s among the possibilities that if Lindor is out that Mendoza will play Baty at 3B, with Bo Bichette starting at SS.
Regardless, it’s not a good omen for the injury-train to get revved up before Spring Training even gets underway. May Lindor’s injury not keep him out of too many regular-season games.
I know that I will catch grief for this, but should Lindor miss time my solution is Semien to SS and Baty to 2B. Bichette was below average at SS and needs to learn 3B. Semien already knows 2B, and was above average there making him at least close to average at SS. Baty can play a position he’s good with.
I think the switch to LF for Soto makes sense but as mentioned by others, that leave a hole in RF, where the fielder needs to have a much stronger arm for throws to third base. While McNeil did an adequate fielding job in the outfield, he never had a strong arm, so we were lucky for his time in RF. No idea if Benge has a strong arm but I am already thinking that Tyronne Taylor might get a chance to lose that position if Benge is not ready. And I am certainly willing to give Baty a try out there since I believe in 2025 he proved that the Mets need his bat in the lineup. I see Vientos as the RH DH. Great comment on Bichette possibly being a one year rental and that Baty needs to be kept to move to 3B next year if needed. Also, now with Lindor faciing surgery, it would make sense for Bichette to slide to SS and Baty to 3B which of course flies int he face of David Stearns and his run prevention goal. These new Mets better hit or its going to a long year.