How Jorge Polanco compares to past NY Mets DH plans that failed miserably

Ever since the universal DH showed up in the National League, the New York Mets have treated the spot like a junk drawer. Need a little power? Toss in Daniel Vogelbach. Need a right-handed platoon bat? Dig around for Darin Ruf. Need vibes, a short fuse, and a hot streak? Welcome, Jesse Winker. Sometimes it worked for a minute. Usually it turned into a monthly scavenger hunt.

That’s what makes the Jorge Polanco move feel different. Not because he’s some perfect, no-notes DH solution — Mets fans know better than to trust “problem solved” banners in December — but because Polanco arrives as an actual middle-of-the-order bat coming off a real season, not so much a renaissance. The Mets didn’t inherit him after a collapse. They went toe-to-toe with the Seattle Mariners and lured him away. 

Let’s rewind to the greatest hits of Mets DH chaos.

Mets’ Jorge Polanco signing quietly fixes a recurring problem

In 2022, Vogelbach was the good version of the idea: 55 games, an .830 OPS, and a 139 OPS+ — basically the perfect “run into one and jog” specialist when deployed correctly. By 2023, Vogelbach’s shine dulled (.742 OPS), and the Mets kept cycling through the concept instead of locking down production.  J.D. Davis had his moments around that stretch too — a solid bat when used right — but that’s the point: the Mets kept relying on “moments” from guys who weren’t built to be a steady everyday answer. 

Winker is the recent example of the Mets chasing a spark. He didn’t exactly light Citi Field on fire in the regular season, but he did give them some clutch juice, enough that they brought him back on a one-year deal. Still not a stable foundation.

Polanco, though, is walking in with momentum: .265/.326/.495, 26 homers, a 134 OPS+, and a 132 wRC+ in 2025.  It wasn’t smoke and mirrors — his strikeout rate fell dramatically and his power came with real thump. 

He also gives the Mets something their failed DH plans rarely did: options. Polanco can DH, he can move around the infield, and even if the whole “first base” experiment is a little chaotic, that flexibility will do wonders for the roster. 

Two years, $40 million isn’t nothing — but compared to the Mets’ recent DH roulette, it’s a pretty reasonable price to stop playing offense on hard mode.