First NY Mets game without Juan Soto didn’t become the controversy it could have

Life without Juan Soto can look ugly for the New York Mets. The absence of such a presence as he will undoubtedly trickle down to the rest of the lineup’s look even when things are going well. After revealing Saturday’s lineup, Mets fans had some questions.

No Luis Robert Jr. or Francisco Alvarez a day after homering twice had their reasoning. The Mets are carefully planning on when they play Robert and as a catcher, Alvarez is bound to sit when there’s a day game scheduled after. Frustrating yet understandable, it was a matter of bad timing because Soto wasn’t there either.

Jared Young hitting sixth and starting in left field satisfied no one this early in the season. Everyone else two through five seemed to just move up a spot, only delivering happiness that the Mets haven’t seemed to buy into Marcus Semien breaking out of his slump yet either. When lineups like this come out, we usually expect the worst. Why not push back the rest day for Robert or Alvarez? It didn't matter.

Mets hitters have responded to the loss of their best player

A 9-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday kept a theme going. Since Soto left, the Mets have been scoring runs. Is it a coincidence or are they just facing an inferior Giants club with a manager that might end up as an MLB punchline?

We didn’t get to see how available Robert may have been in this game. Alvarez went unneeded for a late pinch hitting spot because of the early lead, 3 in the second inning alone. Wins like this couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. They get to rest their starting center fielder, red hot catcher, and the player who spent more time in left field than anyone else finished with 4 RBI.

Young didn’t make it from start to finish, allowing Tyrone Taylor to finally contribute with a 3-run home run to put the game away midway through. His first hit of 2026 was timed well just as the continued production from Mark Vientos has continued to make him tough to sit. Although 10 plate appearances behind most of the regulars, Vientos has been the team’s best hitter.

The game wasn’t without alarm bells already ringing continuing to chime. Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco each went 0 for 5 with a pair of strikeouts. Carson Benge went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts, too. While he singled twice, Bo Bichette K’d just as much.

Thanks to the pitching of Clay Holmes and finishing touch by Tobias Myers, the story wasn’t one of panic at any point. Mets fans continue to hold their breath waiting for the best when it comes to Juan Soto. It appears we’ll find out the next bit of information on Tuesday.

Until then, hope for a Kodai Senga encore (or better) on Sunday and the team can figure out Logan Webb. Thus far in 2026, hitters haven’t had much trouble.

The Mets escaped this one without controversy, but should be flexible in the future to maybe delay any of those planned off-days. Polanco's day-to-day status and need to be a DH throws an added wrinkle into the equation right now. We're seeing the Mets care more about longevity than the best chance to win each and every game. It's not a bad stance for them to take. Having Robert and Alvarez available for Sunday for a better pitching challenge is indeed the wiser move. It'll also go forgotten thanks to some of the bats lying over coal to get the job done.