As new wave arrives, 3 former Mets prospects could be key to '26 hopes

The Mets enter 2026 in a period of transition after saying goodbye to a significant portion of their veteran core. Amid that turnover, excitement is building around a new wave of young talent, with top prospects Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, Jett Williams, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat all expected to impact the big league club this season.

But while attention is on those newcomers, a trio of players from the previous class of Mets prospects could have an outsized impact on the team’s hopes in 2026: catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty and first baseman Mark Vientos.

Each of the three has appeared in parts of four seasons with the Mets and showed promise along the way, but significant questions remain about all of them entering 2026.

Francisco Alvarez, C

Biggest question: Can he put it all together?

MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect at the time of his MLB debut in September 2022, Alvarez has dealt with injuries and inconsistency throughout his time with the Mets. The 24-year-old has shown the tools on both sides of the ball to be an elite catcher, but he has yet to put it all together over a full season.

From a WAR perspective, Alvarez’s best year came in 2023 (3.0 fWAR), when he was one of baseball’s best pitch framers and added 25 home runs over 423 plate appearances. But even with the pop, his overall production lagged (96 wRC+) as he slashed .209/.284/.437. Alvarez continued to fare well as a framer in 2024, but his blocking regressed significantly, and his power also dropped off after he underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb that April.

Alvarez had another procedure on his left hand last March after fracturing his hamate bone and struggled upon his return from the IL, prompting the Mets to send him to the Minors for a month. The backstop made some notable swing adjustments that sparked an offensive surge once he was recalled, as he hit .276 with eight homers and a .921 OPS over his final 41 games. But even then, not everything was rosy. His framing slipped in 2025, and he also missed several weeks down the stretch with yet another hand issue, this time a sprained ligament in his right thumb.

If he's firing on all cylinders in 2026, Alvarez could be one of the game's best catchers. But nothing is guaranteed.

Brett Baty, 3B

Biggest question: Was his strong finish in 2025 a sign of things to come?

The Mets gave Baty ample opportunity to cement himself as their starting third baseman in 2023 and ’24, but after he put up a 71 wRC+ in that span, he fell behind Vientos on the depth chart and only made the club’s Opening Day roster in ’25 after a Spring Training injury to Jeff McNeil. It was more of the same for much of last season, as Baty slashed .228/.288/.399 over his first 91 games while bouncing between second and third.

But just when it seemed like he might be running out of chances, the former first-round Draft pick suddenly turned it on, producing a .312 average with seven homers and an .880 OPS over his final 39 games. Baty also made notable improvements to his bat speed (74.8 mph), hard-hit rate (46.9%), barrel rate (12.8%) and chase rate (24.8%) on the year, offering further evidence that he’s ready to become a more consistent force for the Mets.

One way or another, the Mets are going to find out if Baty can be their long-term answer at the hot corner in 2026.

Mark Vientos, 1B

Biggest question: Where did his power go in 2025?

Among this trio of former Mets prospects, Vientos arguably faces the steepest challenge. Although replacing Pete Alonso’s production will be a collective effort, Vientos is poised to carry a significant share of that burden as the Mets’ primary source of right-handed power. Adding even more pressure, he’s also looking to rebound from a down year that paled in comparison to his breakout 2024 season.

Vientos actually outproduced Alonso in 2024, both in wRC+ (132 to 121) and fWAR (2.9 to 2.1). Taking over as the club’s regular third baseman as Baty struggled, he went deep 27 times over 111 games that year, slashing .266/.322/.516 along the way. He was unable to keep it up in 2025, however, recording 17 homers, a 97 wRC+ and 0.4 WAR over 121 games. His 70-point drop in isolated power was especially concerning, leaving the 26-year-old with much to prove going into 2026.