The Mets opened Friday night with a chance to settle in against Boston after the Red Sox were delayed by plane issues and stuck in Chicago until just a few hours before first pitch. Instead, New York walked away with a 6-2 loss and a familiar kind of frustration: 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, seven men left on base, and a promising start from Nolan McLean wasted.
The game turned early when Juan Soto let the first ball in play slip away. McLean didn’t allow an earned run, but the Mets immediately put themselves behind the eight ball with a routine fly ball dropped by Soto.
Juan Soto drops routine fly ball. pic.twitter.com/JrGZwdp5vU
- New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) July 11, 2026
It was the kind of mistake that can change the shape of a game before it really gets going. Soto has now made two miscues to open games, a jarring trend for a player who is usually so steady.
The numbers still say his left field work has been better this season, with a 0 OAA after posting -12 last year in right field for the Mets. But the broader picture is less flattering: New York’s defense has been sloppy enough that these kinds of errors are standing out more and more.
The Mets have committed 63 errors, third-most in baseball. That doesn’t capture everything about their defense, but it does underline how often they’ve given away extra outs. Last season, they finished with 79 errors, and they’re already moving toward that territory again.
Amid all of that, Brett Baty keeps finding ways to stay in the mix. He’s hit safely in 10 straight games, and Friday’s solo homer was a welcome break from the string of singles that have fueled the streak. Baty started at third base in place of Bo Bichette, and even with his batting average sitting at .226, his place on the roster looks secure.
These days, Baty has been working mostly at second base, and his run at the plate may not have happened without the Marcus Semien injury opening the door. With the rest of the roster built the way it is, he might not have gotten this many chances otherwise.
The Mets entered the season planning to use Baty as a utility piece, with right field and maybe first base in the mix. Francisco Lindor’s injury shifted him back to third base for a good stretch of the year.
There’s also a chance he sees more first base time if Luis Robert Jr. somehow returns from injury, which could move A.J. Ewing to second.
Defensively, Baty has shown he can handle the other spots. First base is still open, and every extra rep only adds to his value next year - or on the trade market if the Mets decide to sell.
Not every arm in the bullpen is holding the same shine. A.J.
Minter has finally been tagged with an ERA after allowing a couple of runs recently, including two on Friday night. That said, his trade value probably isn’t taking much of a hit because he’s more of a reputation arm than anything else.
Cionel Perez is a different story. Picked up off the scrap heap by the Mets, the left-hander now has a 5.40 ERA with the club. His 55.2% ground ball rate can only carry him so far in a trade discussion.
Perez was never likely to bring back much at the deadline anyway. The Mets might have been able to get something similar to what they received for Josh Walker in 2024, but teams could just as easily wait until he reaches free agency again. With no minor league options, he doesn’t offer much flexibility, either.
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