The Mets’ 2026 season was ugly enough that an F grade would have made perfect sense. After all the offseason spending, the year still wound up feeling like a waste, another season gone for Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor without the payoff New York wanted.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield still stopped short of that bottom mark, giving the Mets a D- instead. And the reason, as he explained, came down to four people who kept the season from slipping all the way into total collapse.
“What keeps the Mets from receiving a failing grade, however, is they at least have been respectable under interim manager Andy Green -- so much so that the interim tag was removed and Green was given a three-year deal on Tuesday -- and rookies Nolan McLean, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have performed well, providing a much-needed influx of young talent,” Schoenfield writes.
Green’s rise has been one of the few stabilizing developments in a season that went sideways after Carlos Mendoza was fired. Since taking over, he has done enough to convince the organization he is the manager of the future, and the Mets acted on that by removing the interim label and handing him a three-year deal on Tuesday.
The young talent has mattered just as much. Nolan McLean, a rookie whose 2025 production already created confidence in what he could become, has posted a 3.18 ERA with 189 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP this year. He has not been as overpowering as he was before, but he has still given the Mets a real foundation.
Carson Benge has added another bright spot. At 23, he hit .277 with 19 home runs, 62 RBIs and a .764 OPS, while also providing quality defense.
A.J. Ewing has been part of that same encouraging wave. His line sits at .257 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and a .705 OPS, and while there is clearly more growth ahead, his rookie season gives the Mets something to build on.
That mix of Green, McLean, Benge and Ewing is why the Mets avoided the absolute worst label. The season was still a disaster, but those four names at least gave it a pulse and offered a reason to think about 2027 and beyond.
In Other News...
Brandon Nimmo Just Reopened A Mets Debate Fans Arent Settling
Brandon Nimmos move from Queens to Texas may be in the rearview mirror, but his latest comments make it clear the discussion around his departure is still alive for Mets fans. The veteran outfielder, now with the Rangers, said he did not view his exit alongside Pete Alonsos as the front office looking for scapegoats, but as a decision rooted in what the organization believed its future should look like. Even with the change of scenery, Nimmo has been steady in Texas, while Alonso has put together a strong season in Baltimore, a reminder of how much talent still filtered out of the picture.
What makes Nimmos take land is the way he framed the current Mets beyond the breakup. He praised the clubs young outfield depth and suggested this version of the team could still be dangerous, even after another year without a playoff berth. For a fan base still sorting through what was lost and what was gained, that leaves the bigger question hanging in the air: was this really about blame, or simply about the Mets choosing a different timeline? [Read more 🡒]
Mets Front Office Search Just Took An Intriguing Turn
The Mets search for front-office help has started to widen, and one name that has surfaced is Derek Falvey, the former Twins president of baseball operations. Falvey spent nearly a decade in Minnesota and helped guide the organization through multiple postseason appearances while also pushing analytics deeper into the clubs day-to-day work, making him an obvious fit for a team that has shown interest in modernizing how it operates.
If the Mets decide to bring him aboard, Falvey would likely work either as general manager or in a consulting role under David Stearns, which would add another experienced voice to a leadership group that is still being shaped. His availability after leaving the Twins in January 2025 makes him an appealing option, but the bigger question is how far the Mets want to go in adding another layer to their front office structure. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Kept Answering In Texas As Rangers Threats Went Nowhere
The Mets opened their trip through Texas by taking advantage of what the Rangers gave them, and they did plenty with it. Defensive mistakes helped create openings, Juan Soto and Francisco Alvarez delivered RBI hits, and a productive sixth inning gave New York the separation it needed in a 6-3 win. Sean Manaea and the bullpen did their part, too, keeping the Rangers from turning their chances into a sustained threat.
For a club that has spent plenty of nights looking for timely offense, this was the kind of game that travels well. The Mets answered every early push, then kept the Rangers from building anything lasting as the middle innings wore on, leaving Texas with a result that felt controlled even when the score was close enough to invite trouble. [Read more 🡒]