How Bad Was The Mets’ Defense Last Season?

A lot was made of run prevention in president of baseball operations David Stearns press conference. When asked about the starting pitching, one of the main factors Stearns brought up in talking about the struggles was the team’s defense. Just how bad was it in 2025?

As a team, the Mets ranked 19th in Fangraph’s overall defensive metric, 19th in fielding run value (FRV), 21st in outs above average (OAA), and 15th in defensive runs saved (DRS). These aren’t exactly horrific numbers, but much worse than David Stearns’ created teams usually rank.

The notable players making up the struggles were Mark Vientos (-10 DRS, -7 OAA), Pete Alonso (-9 DRS, -9 OAA), Juan Soto (-7 DRS, -12 OAA), Francisco Alvarez (-6 FRV), and Jeff McNeil when playing in the outfield (-5 DRS, -2 OAA).

There is a real possibility both Alonso and Vientos may not be returning next season while Alvarez’s struggles had a lot to do with his injury. Additionally, it would not be surprising if the team decided to designated hit Soto more given his defensive struggles. Or, if Alonso does return, that he gets more of a run in the designated hitter role as well.

There is a legitimate evidence behind David Stearns’ claims about run prevention was a major issue for the Mets in 2025. It is very likely that will be an area of focus in the offseason. Of course, the Mets need to address their starting rotation, however, by playing better defense, it would help their starting pitching immensely.

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