The Mets don’t have an elite club

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
The Mets don’t have an elite club
Credit: Credit: Houston Chronicle

The Mets had an off-season of two halves. First, there was the end where the New Yorkers lost plenty of guys (Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo, all crowd favorites) to be replaced by the Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco of this world.

Then there were the recent days, when Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Freddy Peralta joined the club.

Do the Mets have a good ball club? When you look at it, yes, the Mets are good. And they possibly have a club that can make the playoffs.

But do they have an elite club that can compete with the Dodgers? A club that can live up to Papa Cohen's financial commitments? A club that will maximize the best years of Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor? No.

In reality, if all goes well, the Mets will have a good season. But since when does a ball club not have injured or underperforming players? When did everything go right in a Mets season?

An organization must limit uncertainties to win. And right now, there are plenty of uncertainties in town.

  • Will Nolan McLean have a big first full season on the mound behind Freddy Peralta?
  • Can David Peterson redeem his difficult end to the 2025 season?
  • Can Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga return to their former form?
  • Can Devin Williams replace Edwin Diaz?
  • Do the Mets have enough depth in the bullpen?
  • Can Marcus Semien give more offensively?
  • Can Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco get used to their new positions?
  • Can Luis Robert Jr. stay healthy?

That's a lot of questions for one club—especially for a team with big aspirations. And the question of health isn't just for Robert Jr.

Bo Bichette has been placed on the injured list five times in the last three years, and Jorge Polanco is also a regular on the injured list. They're replacing guys who were known for staying healthy.

We're not saying the Mets will suck. But with so many changes (will the chemistry in the locker room be good, by the way?) and with so many guys unsure if they can take the pressure of New York, we wonder if the cake will rise early in the season.

These are questions that arise for a club that had a… difficult locker room in 2025.

This content was created with the help of AI.

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