This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
NEW YORK -- For the Mets, 29 games remain. They’re out of contention, sure, but in professional sports, every player is in a constant state of proving himself. That means Mets players have 29 more chances to show what they’re all about.
Some have more to prove than others. Here are five Mets who would do well to flash some spark in September:
Bo Bichette
The Mets’ most pressing question heading into the offseason will be whether Bichette opts out of his contract. For months, an opt-out seemed unlikely, considering Bichette was slumping badly enough to make the idea of giving up two guaranteed years and $84 million seem foolhardy. Yet Bichette, who left Wednesday's game in the fifth inning after fouling a ball off his left ankle, owns close to a .900 OPS in August, and is batting over .300 since the start of June -- numbers that, if he had maintained them all year, would be in line with his career rates.
When asked about his opt-out, Bichette tends not to answer directly. Instead, he talks about the talent the Mets have and how he feels they will be better next year -- the types of things one might not say if he planned to leave.
At any rate, if Bichette can continue hitting well through September, he’ll give himself more of a choice. If he slumps, he may lose the ability to opt out and have it make any sort of financial sense. In either case, the Mets’ 2027 plans will depend heavily on what Bichette decides.
A.J. Ewing
A month ago, it might have seemed shocking for Ewing’s name to appear on this list. On the morning of July 30, Ewing was batting .273 with a .761 OPS -- respectable numbers that had many believing he, Carson Benge and Juan Soto would roam the Mets’ outfield most nights for years to come.
To be clear: Mets officials still believe that. The fact that Ewing has slumped since then, going 13 consecutive games without an extra-base hit and striking out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances since late June, has not sullied their opinion of him.
To the contrary, the Mets are curious to see how Ewing will respond to this downturn. If he reacts like Benge did, struggling throughout April only to evolve into one of the game’s top rookies, the Mets will have one less worry heading into the offseason. But if Ewing’s skid lasts through September, team officials will have to have at least a modicum of anxiety about his future. Clearly, the league has adjusted to Ewing, as it eventually does to every rookie. It’s time for him to make the counter-adjustment.
Kodai Senga
The Mets’ Kodai Senga experiment isn’t really about whether he’s equipped to close at the big league level. It’s about whether he’s equipped to pitch in the Majors at all.
If Senga succeeds as a closer over a seven-week sample to end the season, he will give the Mets plenty of incentive to carry him in their 2027 bullpen. After all, it’s not exactly easy to find pitchers who throw in the upper 90s with an elite secondary pitch. But if Senga stumbles, as he did in the rotation, the Mets may need to think hard about moving on from him this winter, either via the trade market or by putting him on waivers. With only $15 million left on Senga’s contract, the money owed is no longer onerous.
So far, Senga has offered some intrigue at the back of the bullpen, but he has yet to prove he can throw on consecutive nights with any level of effectiveness. That will be the next test for him as he looks to extend his stateside career as a leverage reliever.
Jonah Tong
There’s an alternate universe in which Tong pitched brilliantly for the Mets in Spring Training, made the Opening Day roster, thrived all summer and established himself as a cog of the rotation for years to come.
The reality, of course, has been far different for Tong, whose lost season has seen his arm slot drop from one of the most extreme over-the-top angles in professional baseball to a more conservative three-quarter look. As recently as mid-July, Tong held a 6.00 ERA over 15 starts at Triple-A Syracuse.
He has since recovered, pitching to a 2.65 ERA over his last seven outings, which should at least tempt the Mets to give him a September callup. If Tong gets that chance and makes the most of it, he can still position himself as a legitimate contender for a 2027 rotation spot. But if he sputters, Tong will face an uphill climb for another opportunity.
Jared Young
While first base has been a mess for the Mets this year, Young has been a bright spot, from his surprise inclusion on the Opening Day roster to his .800-plus OPS against right-handed pitchers.
At this point, Young has almost certainly done enough to merit inclusion in the Mets’ 2027 plans. The only question is whether that will be as their primary first baseman against right-handed pitching, or as more of an accessory.
Remember, Jorge Polanco will be back next year, ostensibly fully healthy. It’s unclear if Mets officials will roll with those two, or look for significant help from outside the organization. How Young fares in September should color that decision.