Overview
- David Stearns publicly acknowledged his errors on Wednesday, saying “I don’t get mulligans” and accepting responsibility for roster-construction choices that hurt the club.
- The Mets finished 74-88 and last in the NL East despite opening 2026 with a franchise-high $358 million payroll.
- Pete Alonso signed with Baltimore and delivered a career year with 43 home runs and 113 RBIs, a contrast that highlighted New York’s failure to replace his production.
- New York’s first-base group managed only 18 home runs, 77 RBIs and a .667 OPS while Jorge Polanco missed significant time because of physical issues.
- Owner Steve Cohen’s hire of Derek Falvey is being read as a sign of impatience and sets up a pivotal offseason to add first-base power, shore up the rotation, increase roster flexibility, or face larger front-office changes.