2026 Mets Positional Outlook: Corner Infield

Spring training is right around the corner and the New York Mets’ Opening Day roster will begin to take shape. Multiple positions are still up for grabs and with Francisco Lindor undergoing hamate surgery it is possible some of the team’s infield depth could be tested early on in the season.

Major League Starters

Bo Bichette (3B)

Age: 27

Contract: 3 years, $126 million, with two opt outs

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Bo Bichette is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career slashing .311/.357/.483/.840 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs in 139 games. He brings to the Mets an elite hit tool and a positive clubhouse presence full of energy and grit. Even though he does not possess high-end exit velocities, he hits the ball consistently hard with elite selectivity traits. His 91 mph average exit velocity was in the 76th percentile. He has shown an innate ability to preform in high leverage situations and with runners in scoring position and works long at bats looking for his pitch to drive.

Bichette will be playing third base for the first time in his career, and his defensive skillset projects well there. His range is in line with third baseman Matt Shaw and his arm is in line with Alex Bregman. Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic wrote that the Mets have targeted specific changes in Bichette’s footwork that they believe will help him take that next step defensively. Mets bench coach Kai Correa previously helped former Met J.D. Davis improve his defense at third base with the Giants. Bichette will also be moving down the defensive spectrum with the move.

Bichette brings one of the best contact tools in the game with more power potential than one may expect. If he is even a 45 level defender at third base he will easily be one of the three best third basemen in the sport in 2026.

Jorge Polanco (1B/DH)

Age: 32

Contract: 2 years, $40 million

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Jorge Polanco had a huge bounce back season in 2025 slashing .265/.326/.495/.821 with 26 home runs and 78 RBIs in 138 games. He split his time on the field between second base and third base and spent the summer learning first base from the Mariners coaching staff. Polanco is a 12-year veteran who has hit as many as 33 homers in a season, preforms well with runners in scoring position, and routinely takes competitive at-bats.

Unlike Bichette, Polanco prioritizes pulling the ball with a 49.1% pull rate (95th percentile) and 19.6% pulled fly ball rate (19.6%). His 86% zone-contact was in the 70th percentile and all of his exit velocity markers were above average. He also rated above average across selectivity metrics.

Defensively, Polanco began his career as a shortstop and has added to his defensive versatility throughout his career. As mentioned before, he spent the summer of 2025 learning first base with the Mariners coaching staff so he is not truly a novice at the position. Like Bichette he is moving down the defensive spectrum. Polanco will likely split time between first base and designated hitter and could take some reps across the infield as needed.

Major League Depth

Brett Baty (3B/2B/1B/OF)

Age: 26

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Brett Baty took a step forward in 2025. After a red hot spring training, Baty struggled his first 10 games slashing .111/.111/.148/.259 but on April 12 he said he found the feel for his swing and from that point forward he slashed .265/.327/.456/.783. Baty moved further back in the box in 2025 letting the ball come deeper while utilizing his plus bat speed. This seemed to help him recognize pitches better and improve his swing decisions improving across all selectivity metrics. He also hit the ball harder than he did in 2024 with all of his exit velocity markers ranking in the 77th-to-89th percentiles.

Baty does still have some red flags offensively. In 2025 he seemed to trade contact for power dropping from an 83.6% zone-contact (51st percentile) to a zone-contact rate of 79.8% (21st percentile). He whiffed on pitches 27.3% of the time (30th percentile) and ran a 25% strikeout rate (25th percentile). He walked less than he did in 2024 though he did chase significantly less at 24.8% (71st percentile). If Baty can find a balance between his plate discipline and pull rates from 2024 with his power gains from 2025 he could be primed for a big breakout. 2026 will also be a test if he continues to produce despite his swing-and-miss or if there is some regression there.

Defensively, Baty shined across the infield. He profiled as an above-average defensive third baseman ranking 13th in outs above average despite logging significantly less innings at the position than most of the names above him. He picked up second base quickly and ranked as a roughly league average defender there. He spent the 2025 offseason learning first base and continued to learn the position in the 2026 offseason. Baty also has some experience in left field and the Mets have discussed potentially using him in the corner outfield spots as needed in 2026.

Baty could start the season splitting time at first base and designated hitter with Jorge Polanco but he may be best suited for a role that involves getting 500 plate appearances moving around the diamond as a super utility player at first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field.

Mark Vientos (1B/DH)

Age: 26

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Mark Vientos took a big step back in 2025 slashing .233/.289/.413/.702 with 17 HRs in 121 games. There were signs in 2024 that some regression could happen in 2025 – in the last two months he slashed .243/.298/.460/.758 – but he took a bigger step back than expected. At the time of writing Marks spot on the roster is far less clear than it was last year. President of baseball operations David Stearns’ comments about Mark having the opportunity to earn at bats makes it seem that he is not currently penciled into an everyday role. He is very limited defensively and has struggled with both right handed pitching and high velocity at times which also impacts his effectiveness off the bench. He could build a role for himself if he can dominate left handed pitching in 2026. This was a skill he flashed in 2024 when he put up an .884 OPS against left handed pitching.

A lot of Mark’s batted ball profile from 2024 was still in place for 2025. His 91.5 MPH average EV and 106 MPH 90% EV were almost identical to 2024. His 11.2% barrel rate was down from 13.5% in 2024, but it was still in the 73rd percentile. His 51% hard hit rate (86th percentile) was actually better than his 48.2% in 2024. He also cut his strikeout rate from 29.7% to 24.8%. But he still struggled heavily to make contact with a 9th percentile zone-contact rate 6th percentile whiff rate and 19th percentile chase rate. The new Mets coaching staff will likely work with Mark on making adjustments to improve his contact and swing and miss in 2026.

Defensively and on the base paths Vientos does not offer much. At third base Mark looked borderline unplayable for most of the season placing in the bottom 6% in outs above average. It is unclear if he will be an option there in 2026 with multiple other Mets better suited for the position. He has worked to learn first base and this year may be the true test on if he can handle that position better than third base. Mark is also one of the slowest runners in the game which limits his ability to play elsewhere in the field and on the base paths.

David Stearns described Vientos as a bat first player and said he will go as far as his bat takes him. Mark likely over-preformed him metrics in 2024 and under-preformed in 2025 so maybe in 2026 he settles somewhere between those two years.

Ronny Mauricio (3B/SS/2B)

Age: 24

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-man roster

After post surgery complications in 2024, Ronny Mauricio returned in 2025 from his 2023 ACL injury. 2025 was very much a mixed bag which ended with him slashing .226/.293/.369/.663 across 61 games. Most of the final month of the season Mauricio was on the bench. Injuries to major league players as well as a hot July performance kept Mauricio in the majors throughout the summer and if they sent him down in September he would have only had around 50 plate appearances of regular time there. Keeping him on the roster as the 28th man in September afforded the Mets the opportunity for up to a full season where they can have him spend getting regular at-bats in Triple-A. He only spent nine games there in 2025.

Mauricio did perform well against right handed pitching slashing .265/.336/.447/.783 but struggled heavily against left handed pitching slashing .083/.132/.083/.215. He also struggled heavily against breaking pitches hitting .150 against them.

His 74.1% zone-contact was in the 2nd percentile, his 33.9% whiff rate in the 3rd percentile, his 39.9% chase rate in the 4th percentile, and his 29.5% strikeout rate in the 4th percentile. He does hit the ball hard and he pulls the ball consistently. Mauricio will need to improve his plate discipline, selectivity, and pitch recognition if he wants to have sustained success in the majors.

Defensively, he profiled well at third base while capable at second base and shortstop. His range was not as strong as it was pre surgery and time will tell if he gains some of that back further removed from the procedure. Barring Lindor missing opening day, Mauricio likely begins the season in the minors working on his refining his skillset and getting regular at bats.

High Minors Depth

Ryan Clifford (1B/OF)

Age: 22

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

President of baseball operations David Stearns stated that Ryan Clifford will begin the season at Triple-A. He described him as a viable option in the outfield and Baseball America wrote that he is a, “quality defender at first base.” Clifford hits the ball harder than most players in the minors and could be a 30-home run bat in the majors. He has some potential platoon and three true outcome concerns but his contact rates overall took a big step forward in 2025. He could very much impact the major league club in 2026.

Clifford’s 54.3% hard-hit rate was in the 97th percentile, his 93.6 mph average exit velocity was in the 99th percentile, and his 11.1% barrel rate was in the 88th percentile. He slashed .237/.356/.470/.826 with 29 home runs across 139 games, and his metrics and .274 BABIP argue that he was unlucky with that slash line.

Jacob Reimer (3B/1B)

Age: 22

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Jacob Reimer makes good swing decisions and with good contact rates and has above average power projections. Reimer ended the year in Double-A and could reach Triple-A early in the 2026 season. In 2025, he optimized his swing to pull the ball in the air more, leading to some of the best exit velocities in the minors. He has mostly played third base and first base, but he has sprinkled in some left field.

Christopher Suero (1B/C/OF)

Age: 22

Contract: Pre Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Chris Suero has interesting defensive versatility that could help him carve out a role in the majors in the not too distant future. He ended the year in Double-A and did struggle to a .221/.374/.324/.697 slash, but he lit up the Arizona Fall League to a .283/.353/.567/.920. He improved his framing enough to be a catcher in the majors and has experience at first base and the outfield. He brings power and defensive versatility with him to any roster he is on.

Spring Training Non Roster Invites

Vidal Bruján (3B/SS/OF)

Age: 28

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Vidal Bruján debuted in 2021 as the No. 50 prospect per MLB Pipeline but has struggled in the majors since slashing .199/.267/.276. He did seem like he could have taken step forward in Atlanta in 2025 slashing .268/.362/.317/.679 though that could also just be small sample size noise. He does make consistent contact with an above average whiff rate, but the quality of contact is poor. He has experience defensively at every position on the diamond except catcher.

Grae Kessinger (3B/1B/SS)

Age: 28

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Grae Kessinger has only played 49 games in the majors serving mostly as a defense first bench piece. He provides above average defense at every infield position and has maintained at least a 10.2% walk rate at each stop in the majors or Triple-A. Offensively, that is largely where his skill set ends.

Christian Arroyo (3B/1B)

Age: 30

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Christian Arroyo has been an above average hitter in the majors even as recently as 2022 when he slashed .286/.322/.414/.736 in 300 plate appearances for Boston. He spent the last two years in the minors and slashed .314/.367/.485/.869 in 45 games for the Phillies’ Triple-A club. He hits the ball hard but his contact profile is below average and he does not walk much. He is capable of playing every infield position as well as right field but he is not a plus defender anywhere.

Jackson Cluff (3B/2B/SS)

Age: 30

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Jackson Cluff has yet to debut in the majors and slashed .242/.349/.422/.771 with the Nationals’ Triple-A club in 2025. He can draw walks and barrel the ball but he struggles to make consistent contact. He is a plus defender throughout the infield and he can steal bases, swiping 23 bags in 103 games in 2025.

Coming Soon

Randy Guzman (1B/OF)

Age: 20

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

If there is one Mets minor league player to challenge Ryan Clifford for the best power is it Randy Guzman. He sits among the leaders in the minors across all exit velocities and consistently makes contact in the zone, but he chases far too much. He is still young and can develop more plate discipline, but this is the main thing that separates him and a borderline top 100 prospect like Clifford. He will likely be a first baseman long term, but has some corner outfield and third base experience.

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