Copyright Yardbarker
When billionaire Steve Cohen bought the New York Mets in 2020, he brought with him a surge of enthusiasm — and a staggering amount of capital. But that early excitement has largely faded as the Mets have continued to whiff on championship opportunities. That’s not to say Cohen hasn’t put his money to work. Last winter, he handed Juan Soto a 15-year, $765 million contract, one of the most lucrative in sports history. The result? The Mets missed the playoffs entirely. Offensively, the team wasn’t bad, finishing with the sixth-highest OPS in the majors (.753). Their real problems came from the pitching staff — an area Cohen invested little in addressing. Even so, the lineup still needs upgrades. And with pitching expected to be the front-office priority this offseason (think Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Shota Imanaga or a re-signed Edwin Díaz), here’s what a best-case, yet realistic, Mets lineup could look like. 1. SS Francisco Lindor With another 30-30 year (31 home runs, 31 steals) in the books, Lindor has proved to be a magnificent acquisition since the Mets extended him before the 2021 season. As the primary leadoff hitter in 2025, he slashed .267/.346/.466. 2. RF Juan Soto The beating heart of the batting order, Soto (.263/.396/.525 with 43 home runs in 2025) combines raw power with ultra-high on-base percentages. Soto had both hot and cold streaks but still excelled in these categories and somehow stole 38 bases. The team's success will depend on bringing him around to score. 3. DH Kyle Schwarber Coming off a career year with the Philadelphia Phillies (56 home runs, .240/.365/.563 slash line, 132 RBI), Schwarber — now a free agent — is the best run-producing option on the market. He could slot easily into the lineup behind Soto, as the Mets currently have no dedicated DH. 4. 1B Pete Alonso Alonso, again a free agent, has had considerable success with the Mets. While the first-base market is bustling with great options, Alonso, with his consistently impressive power production (.272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs), seems to make the most sense. 5. LF Brandon Nimmo Nimmo is coming off another solid year with the Mets (.262/.324/.463 with a career-high 25 home runs). Though his once-impressive on-base percentage numbers have fallen sharply, he is gaining power and fits neatly into the middle of the batting order. 6. CF Harrison Bader The free agent has experience with the Mets, though it didn’t go too well (143 games, .236 BA in 2024) for Bader. However, New York is seeking to improve its defense, and Bader is an exceptional center fielder. In 2025, the former Gold Glover battled through injuries to post a solid .277/.347/.449 slash line with 17 home runs for the Twins and Phillies. Bader should come relatively cheap, allowing Cohen to spend capital elsewhere. 7. 2B Brendan Donovan Like Bader, former Gold Glover Donovan also fits the team's need for defense. However, Donovan’s main selling point is his offense — he hit .287/.353/.423 with 10 home runs in 2025. Donovan, who will turn 29 on Jan. 16, would replace Jeff McNeil, 33, who has been trending downward since his days as a batting champion. Currently with the St. Louis Cardinals, Donovan wouldn’t require a hefty prospect package, allowing the Mets to conserve their prospect capital for other, higher-priority targets. 8. C Francisco Alvarez Alvarez packs plenty of power but hasn’t produced consistently for the Mets. Though he spent considerable time on the IL and in the minors in 2025, he slashed a respectable .256/.339/.447 with 11 home runs. The Mets also have Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger waiting in the wings should Alvarez not work out. Alvarez hit 25 home runs in 2023 and offers upside, so the Mets should keep him. 9. 3B Brett Baty / Jett Williams After struggling since 2022, former top prospect Baty started producing, hitting .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs in 2025. The Mets have indicated they will offload poor defenders, making it likely they will keep Baty, as Vientos performed poorly on both sides of the ball.
