PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – Spring Training is supposed to be about hope — clean lockers, clean slates, and clean ERAs. But every March also comes with a dose of cold water. And in 2026, that splash is landing squarely in Port St. Lucie.
The New York Mets didn’t nibble this offseason — they cannonballed. They brought in Bo Bichette (3 years, $126 million) to lengthen the lineup behind Juan Soto, added veteran infield depth in Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien, fortified the rotation with Freddy Peralta, and handed the ninth inning to Devin Williams. It was bold. It was expensive. It was very Steve Cohen.
But bold doesn’t mean bulletproof.
1) Freddy Peralta: Ace or Mirage?
Peralta’s 2.70 ERA and elite strikeout rate last year screamed “front-line starter.” This spring? Command has wavered, hard contact has crept in, and the fastball hasn’t had quite the same bite. It’s March — but velocity and location don’t lie.
2) Bo Bichette: Adjustment or Alarm?
Bichette hit .311 with 94 RBIs last year. Mets fans are expecting Citi Field fireworks. Instead, early at-bats have produced more soft liners and defensive swings than lasers into the gap. New league. New role. New pressure. The National League East isn’t forgiving.
3) Devin Williams: Closer Concerns
Williams is supposed to stabilize the ninth after Edwin Díaz’s exit. But remember: he posted a 4.79 ERA last year and temporarily lost his closer role before rebounding. This spring has been uneven — electric one outing, scattered the next. That’s not calming when you’re protecting one-run leads.
4) Luis Robert Jr.: Defense Travels… Does the Bat?
The glove is real. The speed is real. The 2025 slash line (.223/.297/.364) is also real. If the bat doesn’t wake up, you’re paying premium dollars for late-inning range and hoping Soto drives him in.
5) The Veteran Depth Gamble
Polanco, Semien, bullpen flyers, minor-league lottery tickets — the Mets are betting experience beats youth volatility. So far? It’s been a mixed bag of strikeouts, long innings, and “he’s just working on things.”
Which brings us to the reality check.
Spring Training stats can lie. But expectations don’t. Mets fans are talking division crown. They’re talking deep October. They’re talking parade routes down the Canyon of Heroes.
Here’s the part nobody wants to say out loud: this roster is built on calculated risk. If the bounce-back guys don’t bounce back, if the high-price bats don’t mash, if the bullpen roulette wheel lands on red instead of black — this could look a lot like 2024 with a higher payroll.
We’ve seen this movie before at MTM HQ. The Mets win the offseason. The back pages scream. The vibes are immaculate.
And then April shows up with a calculator.
The Mets didn’t buy certainty. They bought upside.
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