There is one pro for the NY Mets if Jorge Polanco continues to slump in 2026

A 2 for 4 performance with a double and a home run to finish off the series against the Cleveland Guardians had many getting ready to play a different tune about Jorge Polanco. Maybe that was the spark to ignite him. Now 0 for 7 with a pair of strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the disastrous New York Mets free agent signing is getting sympathy phone calls from passengers who were on the 2013 “poop cruise.” It’s that bad.

A .136/.190/.229 slash line and even worse numbers since coming off the IL, those are at .097/.138/.177, a man signed for multiple purposes has not met even the lowest of expectations. Whether you believed he was replacing Pete Alonso or Brandon Nimmo’s offense, this free agent deal is trending toward becoming an all-time bust. 

Is there a pro to it? If David Stearns is a sensible man, there is.

Jorge Polanco’s Mets struggles mean David Stearns can’t get away with an inferior lineup to start next year

Stearns did it his way and across the board nearly everything he did failed in 2026. Polanco as a DH with a chance to play first base is arguably the messiest of all even though it didn’t directly lead to the loss of any fan-favorites. A world can exist where he and Pete Alonso are on the same team.

We know Alonso is no longer an option, but what about the rest of the first basemen? Surely, the Mets have seen what Polanco has done up through this point and realized his health alone is enough to drop him on the depth chart. Even the strongest of believers need to understand a part-time DH role might be his peak.

Understanding defense will remain a priority of the Mets, we do see some clear choices. Ty France signed a split contract with the San Diego Padres. He leads the leagues in OAA at first base with an .862 OPS. Pretty even splits against righties and lefties, he’s the guy to go out and get if they keep things simple.

Complicating the situation, the Mets can always look to move players out of position. They have multiple players on the big league roster who should take some ground balls by the end of 2026. The boldest positional move of all would be to move Juan Soto to first base and fill the left field void with your big offseason offensive addition. Ian Happ has multiple Gold Gloves to his name. Proven power from the right side and consistently good OBP numbers, he is a guy having a down year for the Chicago Cubs with enough of a track record to suggest a turnaround is possible. The scary thing with him is he’s striking out nearly a third of the time.

Whatever it is the Mets do, Polanco staying cold only furthers the sound of the alarm bells that more needs to be done. A positive turn in Polanco’s season is a desire of all, but don’t get fooled by it.

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