3 NY Mets players who need to play as much as possible for the remainder of 2026

Is the rest of the 2026 New York Mets season…pointless? It depends who you ask. The casual fan craving nothing more than a championship is probably going to take up a new hobby. The diehard who never misses a game will find entertainment coming from the broadcast booth. The team will try to find the benefit of self-discovery.

In the next three months, the Mets will have a chance to play differently than expected. It’s no longer about winning every game possible (sadly). This is more about the future. The 2027, 2028, and beyond Mets matter more than the 2026 team. With this in mind, certain players need to play as much as possible.

While one could say A.J. Ewing belongs in this discussion, it really isn’t a discussion with him. He is the team’s starting center fielder. Even if Luis Robert Jr. was to come back from the IL, the only playing time he gets is before the trade deadline to increase his value. It has been confirmed by Andy Green that Jared Young will play a lot of first base, too. Somewhat important, there are a couple others whose playing time or roles are more valuable.

We should see as much of these Mets players as possible for the rest of 2026

1) Ronny Mauricio

The Mets need to figure out what, if anything, Ronny Mauricio can do for them. He’s getting an opportunity now with Marcus Semien sidelined. Whether it’s second base or somewhere else, Mauricio has to participate in as many Mets games as possible for the remainder of the season. He was present for a good chunk of the end of 2025, but relegated to the bench for the purpose of saving his final minor league option in 2026. There’s not much more that could have to steal away his trade value. Other teams either like him or they don’t. Far from an ideal bench candidate, the Mets need to give it one last try to see if Mauricio is actually a big league player or not.

2) Zach Thornton

Two starts into his MLB career and Zach Thornton hasn’t looked so bad. His debut back in May against the Washington Nationals wasn’t horrific while his second start against the Philadelphia Phillies was incredibly promising. As non-trade deadline buyers, Thornton needs to start regularly for the Mets for the remainder of this season to get a better idea if he actually is worthy of competing for a rotation spot next spring. Just a 4.80 ERA in Triple-A this season, Thornton could use added seasoning. Let it happen in the major leagues this year. Although optioned on Saturday, it's only a matter of time before he's back. Expect it to happen the next time the Mets need a starter due to a lack of off-days or once they find a taker for Freddy Peralta ahead of the trade deadline or they move on from Kodai Senga.

3) Francisco Alvarez

Hasn’t he had enough of a chance? It’s amazingly still too early to tell with Francisco Alvarez, this season can be career-defining at least in terms of where he belongs in New York. The team has already extended Luis Torrens and has shown a tendency to prefer him behind the plate instead of Alvarez. If Alvarez is going to be a DH and sometimes catcher, it handcuffs the Mets in many other instances. A day-to-day player can’t slot in, the roster construction suffers, etc. Alvarez is most useful to the Mets if he is a competent defensive player which, at times, he hasn’t been. For the remainder of 2026, Alvarez should get a few chances to DH, but more so, his role should be as a catcher. It's time to know if he is a solution or an extended question behind the plate.

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