Inside the Mets’ New-Look Lineup

It’s been a busy January in Queens. After losing out on the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, the Mets pivoted quickly, signing Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal with opt outs. The front office didn’t stop there, acquiring longtime trade target Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. To cap it off, the Mets added Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers, sending top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat in return.

Bichette and Robert Jr. join Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco as everyday players acquired from outside the organization for the 2026 Mets. If top prospect Carson Benge (ranked No. 2 in the Mets system and No. 16 overall by MLB Pipeline) spends the bulk of the season in left field, the club would feature five new regulars in the lineup.

It represents a near overhaul of an offense that posted strong overall numbers in 2025, but too often faltered in key situations and struggled to generate consistent production against left-handed pitching.

To address those issues, the Mets made a clear effort to balance the lineup with more right-handed hitters, and they’ve done exactly that. Semien, Bichette, and Robert Jr. all bat right-handed, while Polanco adds flexibility as a switch-hitter.

The underlying track records against left-handed pitching are encouraging: Bichette slashed .308/.345/.546 against southpaws in 2025, Polanco posted a .305/.345/.543 line, and Robert Jr., even in a down season, still managed a .258/.369/.472 slash.

Beyond simply adding right-handed bats, the acquisitions of Bichette, Polanco, and Semien reflect a clear organizational strategy under David Stearns: prioritizing hitters who consistently put the ball in play.

In 2025, those three ranked in the 86th, 83rd, and 74th percentiles in strikeout rate, respectively. When paired with Francisco Lindor (70th percentile) and Juan Soto (62nd percentile), the front half of the Mets’ lineup projects to significantly reduce swing-and-miss and apply constant pressure through contact, a meaningful data point for a Mets team that struggled to manufacture late-game offense despite solid overall production.

While there has been an influx of contact-oriented bats, it is not a strict prerequisite for playing time. The projected back half of the lineup still features considerable swing-and-miss in Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, and Robert Jr. Yet each player carries significant upside in their own right.

Baty is looking to build off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he posted a 111 wRC+ with strong underlying metrics. While his strikeout rate (26th percentile) remained in the lower tier of the league, both that figure and his improved discipline (71st percentile chase rate) represented meaningful progress from his last qualified season in 2023, when he ranked in the 18th and 55th percentiles, respectively. Even with the whiffs, Baty’s quality of contact was well above average (80th percentile barrel rate, 72nd percentile hard hit rate) and simply maintaining these marks would support another productive season in 2026.

Alvarez has always struck out at a high clip at the major-league level, but his 124 wRC+ ranked seventh among all MLB catchers who had at least 250 plate appearances in 2025. Entering his age 24-season, Alvarez still possesses considerable power upside, particularly if his approach continues to mature.

As for Robert Jr., he is likely the Mets’ biggest strikeout liability. His 19th-percentile strikeout rate marked his best finish since 2022. While a change in scenery and a new coaching staff could help trim that number, the Mets are unlikely to be counting on a dramatic shift. Robert Jr.’s value is derived from his power-speed combination and strong defense in center field, and as long as he can stay on the field, he should represent a meaningful upgrade to the roster.

Benge, who most think will hit eighth or ninth if he makes the team, offers a contrasting profile. He features an above-average hit tool and does not project as a high swing-and-miss player. According to Prospect Savant, Benge ranked in the 76th percentile among all players who saw at least 300 pitches at the Triple-A level.

The 2025 Mets were already a relatively low-strikeout team, averaging 8.18 per game, 10th fewest in Major League Baseball. Even so, there appears to be room for further improvement. Of the six teams that struck out eight or fewer times per game last season, four reached the postseason. The Toronto Blue Jays, who came within inches of a World Series title, ranked second in MLB at just 6.82 strikeouts per game. Notably, departures Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo were both below league average in strikeout rate last year.

Taken together, the Mets’ offseason moves have transformed the 2026 lineup. The team is now more right-handed, more athletic, and more contact-oriented than it was in 2025, giving it the tools to handle left-handed pitching, generate runs in key situations, and sustain rallies throughout games.

The Mets could still add a bench bat to supplement Tyrone Taylor, Mark Vientos, and Luis Torrens, or they could rely on internal options like Jared Young or Ronny Mauricio. Either way, the heavy lifting is largely done. If this group performs as expected, this iteration of the Mets could be one of the most dynamic and well-rounded in recent franchise history.

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