The New York Mets are building something real in 2026. But before a single regular-season pitch is thrown, manager Carlos Mendoza is already making the kind of quiet, disciplined decisions that separate smart organizations from desperate ones. Four key players—Luis Robert Jr., Brett Baty, Jorge Polanco, and Francisco Alvarez—won’t play in spring training games out of the gate. And I’m convinced this is exactly the right call.
Let’s be real. The temptation in spring is to rush everyone onto the field, generate buzz, and show fans the product they’re paying for. Mendoza isn’t falling for it.
Robert’s Body Is the Variable That Defines the Mets’ Ceiling
Luis Robert Jr. is the most fascinating piece of this equation. The talent has never been in question—when healthy, he’s one of the best center fielders in baseball. The problem is that “when healthy” qualifier. Robert has posted an 84 wRC+ in back-to-back seasons, a number that reflects how his injuries have disrupted his rhythm, timing, and overall offensive output.
I’m not buying the narrative that Robert is broken. What I see is a player whose body hasn’t been given the proper runway to build the kind of structural strength that prevents soft-tissue injuries from snowballing. The Mets are addressing that now. Prioritizing a strengthening program before he takes live at-bats isn’t caution—it’s strategy. A healthy Robert in September is worth ten at-bats in a meaningless March game against the Cardinals’ B-roster.
The Alvarez Are Smart To Take It Easy With Alvarez
Here’s what I don’t think fans fully grasp about Francisco Alvarez: this isn’t one bad hand injury. Over the past two seasons, Alvarez has torn ligaments in both thumbs and broken multiple bones in his hands and wrist. That’s a systemic pattern. Catchers absorb punishment on every single pitch, and the wear on Alvarez’s hands has been relentless.
The Mets’ decision to ease him into spring isn’t just medical caution—it’s financial sanity. Alvarez is the long-term answer behind the plate, and any setback now complicates how Flushing builds its roster construction for years to come. You don’t rush your catcher of the future over a Grapefruit League game or two in February.
Polanco’s Spring Pace Is About Protecting a Quiet But Critical Piece
Jorge Polanco doesn’t get the headlines, but he’s one of the smarter acquisitions this front office has made, even if he was on the expensive side. He’s a switch-hitter who gives Mendoza lineup flexibility against both right- and left-handed pitching, and his ability to play multiple infield positions makes him invaluable off the bench in October.
But Polanco’s injury history is real. The Mets aren’t going to apologize for treating him accordingly. A measured spring with gradual ramp-up puts him in peak condition for April, when the games actually matter.
Baty’s Hamstring Is a Minor Flag—But Minor Flags Become Major Problems
Brett Baty felt discomfort in his hamstring a few weeks ago. The Mets insist it’s nothing serious, and I don’t have reason to doubt that. But hamstring issues are notoriously unpredictable. The moment you push a player through soreness to prove a point in spring, you’ve traded two weeks of caution for two months on the injured list.
Baty is fighting for the right field job, and he’ll play regularly regardless of how that battle shakes out. There’s no reason to compromise his availability for a roster decision that will resolve itself in due time. The tape will be there when he’s ready.
The Bigger Picture: Mendoza Is Playing the Long Game
What I respect most here is the organizational coherence. The Mets aren’t managing each player in isolation—they’re building a system-wide culture of sustainable preparation. That’s how you compete in October, not March.
Fan frustration is understandable. You want to see the full roster firing on all cylinders from day one. But the Mets have invested too much in this group to let ego or optics override sound medical judgment. Mark it down: every day Robert, Alvarez, Polanco, and Baty spend in the weight room and training facility this spring is a day the Mets are building toward a pennant race they’re capable of winning.
The question isn’t whether this approach works. It’s whether it pays off when the lights are brightest in September.
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