For the second consecutive season, the New York Mets failed to live up to their championship aspirations, missing the playoffs once again.
The failure to return to October baseball has caused a sense of outrage and frustration among Mets fans. And it's hard to blame them. After all, New York finished nine games worse than it did the previous year.
It's why many are entering this offseason with their guards up, unwilling to let any sense of false hope creep back in and get invested in this team again. However, whether fans want to hear it or not, the Mets' championship window is actually just opening.
And perhaps the biggest reason to believe that comes from a telling response Juan Soto gave at the end of the season.
The arrival of a promising young core
After Game 162, as the Mets started packing up and said goodbye to a disastrous season, Soto spoke to reporters before departing for home. The Mets superstar was asked what gave him confidence that New York would bounce back and return to contention in 2027.
Soto offered just a two-word response, "Carson Benge" (h/t SNY Mets on Twitter).
While many laughed at Soto's answer, the five-time All-Star cracked a brief smile before returning to a serious expression, suggesting there was some real belief behind his words. Well, what if Soto was onto something?
For the first time in years, the Mets have a young, athletic, and promising core that can support their established stars. A core that could help lead them to a championship.
The headliner is, of course, Benge, who became the first rookie in Mets history to record a 20-home-run, 20-stolen-base season. The 23-year-old has the tools to develop into a future superstar, along with a mindset that is well beyond his years.
The man to Benge's right in the outfield, A.J. Ewing, was just as impressive in his rookie season. Despite being just 22 years old, Ewing displayed elite strike zone awareness while constantly making adjustments at the plate. He saved his best for last, hitting .309 with four home runs and an .861 OPS in the final month of the season. And that's without mentioning his Gold Glove-caliber defense he played in center field.
Having both Benge and Ewing emerge at the same time is rare for any team. Both are uber-athletic players who play the game the right way on both sides of the ball. They only got better as the season progressed, and there's reason to believe they'll continue to improve heading into next year.
And those two may ultimately be overshadowed by Nolan McLean when it's all said and done. While McLean didn't quite live up to the NL Cy Young expectations some fans placed on him following his debut in 2025, he still put together an extraordinary rookie season, pitching to a 3.16 ERA with 194 strikeouts.
Behind McLean, New York has several other young, promising arms in Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, and Jonah Tong. Regardless of whether they all pan out as starters or some eventually move into the bullpen, the Mets having this wave of pitching talent emerge alongside Benge and Ewing is something not many teams get to experience.
And we can't forget that the Mets also have two top-tier talents knocking on the major-league door in Jonathan Santucci, who led Minor League Baseball in strikeouts last season, and top prospect Jefferson Rojas, whom they acquired at the trade deadline.
An influx of young talent arriving in the major leagues can make a huge difference. Look at the Chicago White Sox, whose young core helped transform a team that suffered three consecutive 100-loss seasons into a playoff team.
And the White Sox didn't even have two of the best players in the sport in Soto and Francisco Lindor.
Two superstars still in their prime
Sometimes it's easy to forget that the Mets have two future Hall of Famers on their roster, but that's what happens when both players deal with injuries and appear in fewer than 60 games together.
And that fact alone is a major reason for optimism heading into 2027. The Mets haven't really had the chance to see what a lineup featuring Lindor, Soto, Benge, Ewing, and possibly even Bo Bichette can accomplish together.
Lindor and Soto have both shown throughout their careers that they're capable of carrying a team to the postseason. Mets fans saw it firsthand in 2024, when Lindor hit a dramatic home run against the Atlanta Braves in Game 161, clinching New York's playoff spot in October.
While the two struggled to mesh in their first season together in 2025, reports indicated that their relationship improved considerably in 2026. With both superstars on the same page and a promising young core surrounding them, there's no telling what heights the Mets could reach in the future.
And that's what makes the next few seasons so important. Lindor remains under contract for another five years and will turn 33 in November. There's no telling how much longer the Mets will get elite production from their shortstop, making it all the more important to capitalize on their championship window now.
If the Mets return to October baseball, they'll have two proven postseason performers who can take over a series. Soto has hit .281 with 11 postseason home runs in his career, while Lindor has slugged .263 with eight homers.
However, none of this will matter unless the Mets address their most glaring needs this offseason.
The final pieces to a championship roster
Whether the Mets are truly built to win now will ultimately depend on what David Stearns accomplishes this offseason. New York has several pressing needs that must be addressed before heading into 2027.
The biggest move the Mets need to make to turn their World Series aspirations into reality is acquiring an ace, with Tarik Skubal staring right at them in free agency. Adding a proven frontline starter atop their rotation would give the Mets a much better chance of matching up with the top teams in the postseason.
A one-two punch of Skubal and McLean would be formidable for any opponent, especially if one of the Mets' other young starters takes another major step. Adding another mid-rotation starter would also be wise, providing much-needed insurance in case the young arms struggle or injuries arise.
New York also needs to address first base, where the team posted a dismal .690 OPS last season. Strengthening the bullpen should also be another priority. Outside of Devin Williams, the Mets lack experienced high-leverage options. The playoffs have shown how valuable a strong bullpen can be, especially with starting pitchers going fewer innings.
The Mets have spent the past two seasons falling short of expectations, but their best chance to win is still ahead. Their young core has already cracked open the championship window. Now, it's time to make the moves necessary to blow it wide open.
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