LAS VEGAS -- This past season, Mets second basemen combined to produce a .629 OPS, which ranked 26th in the Majors ahead of only the Orioles, Angels, Reds and Nationals.
President of baseball operations David Stearns doesn’t anticipate making any major changes to that position this winter. He does, however, expect his second basemen to be more productive in 2027.
“It’s not a specific position we are looking to add to right now,” Stearns said this week at the General Managers Meetings.
At least some of Stearns’ optimism stems from the fact that he believes Marcus Semien can be better at age 36 than he was at age 35. Last year, Semien ranked 134th out of 135 qualified Major League hitters in OPS (.620), 131st in on-base percentage (.280) and 132nd in slugging (.340). For Semien, that was the steepening of a multi-year decline. Since the start of 2025, 118 players have accumulated at least 1,000 plate appearances. Among that group, Semien ranks 117th in OPS (.644).
Defensively, Semien went from being a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman in 2024 to a well-below-average one this past year. From ’24 to ’25, he regressed in almost every aspect of his game. From ’25 to ’26, Semien did so again, which isn’t uncommon for players his age. Over the past 10 seasons, only 12 players aged 36 or older have amassed at least 50 plate appearances with a league-average OPS+ or better.
History is against Semien’s bid to become the next.
Still, Stearns said: “This is an extremely motivated player … who works as hard as anyone, who believes in his own ability and who I know is going to get everything out of what he has.”
Semien is also under a guaranteed contract for two more seasons and $46 million, which gives the Mets significant incentive to squeeze production out of him.
“Adjustments aren’t easy,” Stearns said. “We’ll see where we are come Spring Training and as we get to the season, but we’re not ready to close the door on [Semien].”
Another reason why the Mets feel comfortable standing pat at second base is Brett Baty, who appeared in 25 games there in 2026, performing capably on defense while providing a left-handed complement to the right-handed Semien. With Bo Bichette returning at third, there’s a world in which the Mets use Baty and Semien in a second-base platoon. Though Semien did not post a strong season against left-handed pitching either, his OPS was at least 46 points higher versus southpaws.
More than anything, though, Semien and Baty give the Mets a veteran baseline at second while they wait for their prospects to develop. Often in the past, Stearns has noted that the best teams tend to keep room open for young players to contribute, as he did this year for Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing in the outfield. Heading into 2027, the farm system looks as deep at second base as at any position.
In the wake of the Mets’ Trade Deadline selloff, the crown jewel of their farm is now Jefferson Rojas, their top-ranked prospect and the No. 68 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. Following a power binge to end the season, which continued into a stint in the Dominican Winter League, Rojas has advanced enough that he could compete for a big-league job next spring. If nothing else, he’s a solid bet to enter the second-base equation by midseason.
“How close it is? He’ll tell us,” Stearns said. “He had a great second half of the year after we acquired him. He’s playing winter ball and doing really well. Another guy I’m excited to see at camp, and he’ll let us know when he's ready.”
Beyond Rojas, No. 4 prospect Mitch Voit and No. 10 prospect Émilien Pitre also profile as players who could help in the first half of 2027. Voit, the team’s first-round Draft pick last year, possesses the higher ceiling of the two but hasn’t yet played above Double-A Binghamton. Pitre, one of the return pieces on the Freddy Peralta trade, could be ready to crack the Majors sooner.
Rather than relying on just Semien, then, the Mets are banking on the idea that some combination of Semien, Baty, Rojas, Voit and Pitre will be able to help them in 2027. If all goes well, they could even turn a weak position into one of relative strength.