Updated NY Mets lineup with Brandon Nimmo out, Marcus Semien is far from finished

Brandon Nimmo’s drop from the leadoff spot actually made a lot of sense in 2024. No longer an elite OBP guy and with Francisco Lindor needing a new role for the New York Mets, it became a staple of the ball club over the last year and a half.

The problem was Nimmo wasn’t ideal in the middle of the order. Although he improved his power, it never felt quite ideal especially with Jeff McNeil often hitting behind him. Nimmo wasn’t the problem. The way the rest of the team around him was structured had him fitting in less perfectly.

It’s only one move but already we can feel the ramifications of what the Mets lineup could look like in 2026 following the Nimmo for Marcus Semien swap.

The current Mets lineup remains a work in progress

This is what FanGraphs' Roster Resource has loaded for the Mets at the moment:

1)Francisco Lindor, SS
2) Marcus Semien, 2B
3) Juan Soto, RF
4) Mark Vientos, 1B
5) Jeff McNeil, LF
6) Francisco Alvarez, C
7) Brett Baty, 3B
8) Ronny Mauricio, DH
9) Tyrone Taylor, CF

We can see clear deficiencies in this lineup. Semien second isn’t even all that appealing considering his offensive output. Soto moved down to number three only seems temporary. If the team was as committed as they were to batting him second last year as they showed, he’s not dropping to third. Unfortunately, there isn't much to really move around with this starting nine at the moment. It's about as good as they can do.

Clearly there’s room for some improvements. Mauricio isn’t going to be the DH on Opening Day. McNeil in left field makes the Nimmo trade perplexing. Even Vientos at first base feels like a shallow move.

We understand what this trade really meant for the Mets. It’s a precursor to something(s) else. They’re going to add a slugger of some kind. They now have an opening in a corner outfield spot, too.

Two spots in this lineup are guaranteed to be different with a possibility of reaching as high as four. A .305 OBP last year after a season at .308 makes Semien a better fit for the bottom half of the lineup rather than the top. Re-sign Alonso and bring in a corner outfielder. Drop Semien to five, six, or even seven.