If Kodai Senga wasn’t such a smooth criminal and picked Beat It as his closer entrance music, would his reputation arc feel so satisfying? It’s certainly early in the Senga for closer experiment. Nonetheless, he is helping to set an example for all New York Mets players about what it could take for a redemption.
He’s hardly the only player who needs one. Sean Manaea’s already underway, several more Mets players could use a little something before the year is through or, if they must, wait until 2027.
How these Mets can redeem themselves without the help of the King of Pop
Mark Vientos - increase his trade value by mashing lefties
It’s hard to picture any way where Mark Vientos is on the Mets roster again next year. He can’t possibly fool them again. Even if he ends up thrown out with a non-tendered contract, the roster has gotten tight for the positions he plays. However, if he is able to come back from the IL and at least mash some lefties, maybe he can increase his trade value. Vientos has hit .281/.316/.539 against southpaws this year with 6 of his 11 home runs against them. If he wasn’t atrocious at playing first base, there’d be a spot for him.
Brett Baty - do one thing efficiently on offense
Another guy who doesn’t seem like he’ll ever reach his potential, Brett Baty has one of the league’s worst offensive numbers across the board. Other than a hot finish in 2025, he hasn’t had any lengthy period where he has been a feared major league hitter. Doing just one thing efficiently on offense would help his redemption arc. Hit for power, average, or walk a bunch of times. Your pick, Mr. Baty. Just don’t be so mild in every way possible.
Marcus Semien - win a Gold Glove in 2027
There’s no saving his reputation this year and we know Marcus Semien is in all likelihood going to stay in 2027. What if he’s the one to end the Mets’ Gold Glove drought? Even if Luis Torrens or Nolan McLean (a realistic pitcher for the award) snags it first, a Gold Glove-winning season out of Semien in 2027 will at least give us the comfort of knowing the Mets got something out of this trade. After such a poorly rated defensive season in 2026, you are warned not to hold your breath.
Devin Williams - stop making us dig for good things
A 4.66 ERA this season with the Mets, he has been slightly better at run prevention than he was last year with the New York Yankees. Yet somehow this season has been far worse. Worth -0.6 bWAR vs. -0.3 bWAR last season, one must go digging around for the truth of who Williams is. While the FIP is still top-notch at 3.09, he has allowed an outrageous 10 hits per 9 innings this year. A 1.65 WHIP is simple to understand and explains enough of what has gone wrong for Williams. He needs to make us stop searching for the good things and have simply satisfying results on the field.
Bo Bichette - remove the doubts
Apologies for the vagueness. With Bo Bichette, the season has been okay in some regards and shameful in others. His first two months were so bad that salvaging this season has become impossible. Currently working on his third strong month albeit with July being more batting average focused than anything else, Bichette needs to remove all doubts that he is indeed meant to be a solution for the Mets. At third base, in the middle of the lineup, and most importantly as protection in front of and/or behind Juan Soto, there is no one singular achievement for Bichette to redeem himself. We’re just going to know it when we see it. While it's not 100% he'll be back next year, that seems to be the latest understanding.
Jorge Polanco - find a part-time role and do it well
Nobody rightfully wants Jorge Polanco to sign up for a starting role with the Mets in 2027. They’d be foolish to go into the year expecting him to bounce back well enough. Polanco can still fill in as a good part-time player/bat off the bench. Let him be a switch-hitting alternative to Jared Young in whatever capacity those two end up in. If the 2027 season ends and we can describe Polanco as “useful” it’ll feel worthy of a festival.
