Predicting the first NY Mets spring training lineup for 2026, it’s coming in 2 weeks

The New York Mets play their first spring training game on February 21 against the Miami Marlins. Two weeks away! It’s unbelievable.

While the snow continues to lounge on the ground all over the northeast, actual games will take place down in Florida beginning with the Mets taking on the Miami Marlins.

Last year’s Mets lineup included plenty of regulars. What will this year’s look like?

Predicting what the first Mets spring training lineup of 2026 will look like

Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto both played in game number one last spring. Surely, they’ll have to do it again this year. There’s no Brandon Nimmo to sit out the start of spring training to freshen up for the start of the year. With all of the changes the Mets have made to the roster, we’ll have to get used to whatever the habits are of these new guys.

Using an educated guess, here’s my best guess:

1) Francisco Lindor, SS
2) Juan Soto, RF
3) Bo Bichette, 3B
4) Jorge Polanco, 1B
5) Mark Vientos, DH
6) Marcus Semien, 2B
7) Francisco Alvarez, C
8) Carson Benge, LF
9) Tyrone Taylor, CF

The Mets regulars get (mostly) into the lineup to start the year. Brett Baty is missing. It’s easy to forget how he ended the year with an injury that shouldn’t affect him heading into this year. If there’s a case for anyone to ease into playing time based on how things ended in 2025, it’s him.

Last year’s lineup didn’t include all of the regulars. This one is without Baty as well as Luis Robert Jr. We’ll get Tyrone Taylor in center field instead with Carson Benge over in left field to kick off his attempt to make the team.

Sometimes the most random spring training choice of all is who gets to start the first game. Last year it was Clay Holmes. I’d expect them to hold off on him a little bit coming off of his first year starting. Let’s give the ball to Jonah Tong instead. He has been one of the most frequently spotted players in Mets spring training thus far. He won’t make the major league roster out of camp, but he’ll be the first to throw a pitch in spring training.

Lineup number two should be a lot different with more of the regulars sitting. The Mets are the road team against the New York Yankees, likely many of the non-regulars already traveling to Tampa ahead of time. Expect Luis Torrens batting cleanup with Justin Hagenman toeing the rubber. The game-winning hit will go to number 73 who’ll require a Google search.