After a 74-win year that left them buried in the division, the Mets have plenty to fix this winter. Pitching is part of the shopping list, sure, but the offense needs help too - and first base was one of the clearest trouble spots. That position was mostly handled by Jared Young and Mark Vientos, and Mets first basemen put up just a .667 OPS, which ranked 28th in MLB.
That’s why Jake Bauers has popped up as a suggested fit. The Brewers first baseman looked like a legitimate breakout case in 2026, finishing with a 143 wRC+ that ranked seventh in MLB.
On paper, he checks boxes. The problem is that the Mets may already have a player who fills a very similar role.
Jared Young and Bauers line up in a lot of the same places. They’re both left-handed hitters, both first basemen who can also spend time in the outfield, and both had to fight through years of being more replacement-level than reliable. Both also seem capable of helping the Mets.
Young’s first extended run in the majors came in 2026, and he made it count. In 342 plate appearances, he hit to a 113 OPS+, added 17 doubles and nine home runs, and showed enough in the underlying numbers to suggest there may be more power still waiting to come out. His Statcast percentiles sat around league average, but his hard-hit rate landed in the top quartile.
JARED YOUNG!
The Mets' first hit and baserunner of the night is a home run! pic.twitter.com/UhmntN3gQ7
- SNY (@SNYtv) June 2, 2026
Bauers had the stronger offensive line, and the biggest reasons were his better launch angles and a much higher walk rate at 16.3%. Young, though, handled whiffs and strikeouts better. There’s also a major difference in cost and control: Young remains under club control through 2032, while The Athletic projects Bauers to land a deal near $60 million.
For a team trying to get back to playoff contention, that matters. The Mets seem to be moving toward a different kind of roster-building strategy - one that leans less on the biggest-name free agents and more on what’s already in-house.
In that sense, first base may not need to be solved with an expensive outside addition. It may already be sitting there in Jared Young, if the club gives him enough runway to prove it.
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