These NY Mets players have 7 weeks to prove they belong in David Stearns' 2027 plans

Believe it or not there are only 7 weeks left in the MLB season. It’ll go outrageously quick with the New York Mets spending the majority of their time giving players a chance to inch closer toward a 2027 Opening Day roster spot or remove themselves from David Stearns’ 2027 plans altogether.

In the next 7 weeks, players like Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien have a chance to tell us they’ll be better. Bo Bichette can make his last ditch effort to increase his free agent market to give him the numbers to justify opting out. Mark Vientos will try to get through his rehab and onto the field to at least showcase how he can hit left-handed pitching.

In the final weeks, these five currently active Mets players need to prove they should be in next year’s plans.

These Mets can play

1) Brett Baty

If anyone has a track record of tricky shot callers in the Mets organization ready to do it again, it’s Brett Baty. His added positional versatility and affordable contract can buy him an extra life. There’s also a quietly unspoken minor league option remaining although that seems only likely to get used if Baty gets off to a horrific start. Sending him to the minors wastes everyone’s time because he’s pretty much a AAAA player.

2) Kodai Senga

This one is fascinating. With Kodai Senga getting leverage innings for the Mets as a reliever, it feels as if there is an opportunity for him to actually stick around. His $15 million contract for next season will be tough to move and to end up with even just a trustworthy arm for the seventh inning at that rate, it would feel like a hollow victory.

3) Zac Thornton

Pitching surprisingly well thus far, Zac Thornton is still one of those young arms who could work his way down the depth chart heading into the offseason. He might even be trade bait. As much as we’d love to see a trio of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Thornton next year, the likely chances it also contains Sean Manaea limits them to only one winter addition. This isn’t implausible especially with Stearns’ refusal to go long-term with free agent starting pitchers. Thornton is probably slightly more likely to make the Mets roster than not if only because he’ll be the guy who replaces an injured starter. So far, he has looked every bit ready for a roster spot next year.

4) Everyone in the bullpen not named Devin Williams

Didn’t you hear, it’s open tryouts. The Mets are going to see what a variety of players have to offer. Lefties Jefry Yan and Nate Lavender are intriguing. Daniel Duarte has a chance to linger. No way Chayce McDermott actually makes the team next year, right? The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t have possibly handed us something of value beyond eating up some 2026 innings. Let’s not forget Jonathan Pintaro either or even Zach Franklin (from the Huascar Brazoban trade) as someone who could land on the big league roster by season’s end.

5) Francisco Alvarez

This is the big one. While Francisco Lindor has trade speculation that’s sure to carry into the offseason, so does Francisco Alvarez. Lindor is a salary dump or swap. You trade Alvarez to fill a different need. Alvarez has hit a lot this year, but also come up small plenty of times in clutch situations. His defense continues to be a head scratcher. With plenty of questions surrounding him, the Mets can remake a big part of their roster by choosing to bail on Alvarez in a trade. 

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