New York Mets

New York Mets

Times' getting short for that, at least as far as I'm concerned. Paul [McCartney] and Ringo [Starr] are in their eighties, too. So I got to hit the gas here, but there's only so much I could control. But the 2026 season also provides one last opportunity to honor his father, the man who introduced him to baseball but never got to see him reach the immense heights in broadcasting he achieved.

While we talked about this year's men's tournament bracket and the unusually top-heavy crop of title contenders, we also talked about the stuff that will actually make the tournament fun to watch: the surprisingly varied styles of the teams that have been out ahead of the field all year, what a good college basketball roster looks like in this weird moment in the sport, how the transfer market actually works and why, and what has happened to the 5-12 upset.

The fan experience is our top priority, Katie Haas, executive vice president of ballpark operations, said. As the area around Citi Field undergoes changes, we're excited to offer fans more ways than ever to get to the ballpark. These new options provide greater flexibility today, and we're equally excited about the long-term vision for the area and what it will mean for the fan experience in the years ahead.

Stock, 36, has appeared in parts of five MLB seasons to this point in his career. A second-round pick by the Cardinals back in 2009, he made a strong impression with the Padres in 2018, his first season as a big leaguer. He posted a 2.50 ERA in 39 2/3 innings of work that year, but unfortunately he's struggled at the big league level since then.

Although Peralta has expressed openness to extension talks, he's targeting the kind of contract which the Mets have mostly avoided under president of baseball operations David Stearns. Peralta told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic earlier this week that he was looking for a long-term deal. He was more specific on Friday, telling Jon Heyman of The New York Post he's seeking "seven or eight years."

A lot of this stuff is sentimental, emotional and important to Tom's family. It's always a tough decision, and [the items are] going to go to people that are ultimately going to love, cherish, enjoy and display this stuff.

Forde graduated from St. John's with a dual bachelor's degree in psychology and sports management in 1994. She went on to spend 22 years in the Mets' media relations department, beginning as an intern in 1994 before rising all the way to senior director.

In an unbelievable display of "bend-don't-break" pitching, the Kentucky staff allowed St. John's to put runners on base in eight of the nine innings and still walked away with a shutout. That is incredibly hard to do. Between Friday's Jaxon Jelkin gem and Saturday's bulldog of an effort, the Cats have now allowed just one unearned run in 18 innings against the Red Storm.

When we acquired him, it was pretty clear that he was going to be pitching at the front of our rotation. He earned it. I'm excited. We're all excited. The 29-year-old right-hander gives the new-look Mets a frontline starter after their rotation struggled in the second half of a disappointing 2025 season.

He tells Anthony DiComo of MLB.com that he's about a month behind the other pitchers in camp. He hopes to get into a Grapefruit League game before spring training is done but isn't guaranteed to do so. The injury tracker at MLB.com lists his expected return as early May.

It doesn't appear there's any concern with Baty missing the start of the season. There's still over a month until Opening Day, so there's lots of time for Baty to get enough reps before the start of the schedule. Baty had a bit of a breakout in 2025, hitting 18 home runs and slashing .254/.313/.435 for a 111 wRC+. He also seemed to establish himself as a viable defender at both third and second base.

Losing will always put a strain on a clubhouse or a locker room, especially when that losing comes amidst a season that was supposed to have legitimate championship aspirations. New York Mets superstar Juan Soto finally hinted that something was off about last season's squad, which missed the postseason after an extended, three-and-a-half-month-long collapse. That's in the past, he said when asked if there was any carryover of those issues into 2026. We forget about it. We focus on 2026.

The Dodgers first acquired Rortvedt at the trade deadline in 2025, receiving him from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team deal. Rortvedt went straight to Triple-A, but quickly found his way to the majors. Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, L.A.'s first and second choice catchers, landed on the injured list within a week of each other in September, leaving Rortvedt as the Dodgers' starter.

For fans, the 2026 season was pronounced over on Dec. 12, when Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $160 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. For David Stearns, the winter was just beginning. Stearns, to the dismay of many fans, built a competitive roster that balanced talent and a positive work ethic. But still, questions remain. With a team as fresh as it is on paper, fans may have a plethora of questions to ask

In need of left-handed reinforcements for their bullpen, the New York Mets acquired Bryan Hudson from the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations on Tuesday. The 28-year-old southpaw owns a 2.83 ERA over three seasons with the Dodgers, Brewers, and White Sox, though the bulk of that solid stat line comes from the 2024 campaign with Milwaukee. In 43 appearances (61.2 innings) that season, Hudson posted a 1.73 ERA with 62 strikeouts. He posted a 4.80 ERA in 16 games last season.

So another word about tickets. They did finally announce single-game tickets were going on sale, but only for games though June. It's not enough to keep season plans limited to those requiring fans to buy more tickets than they can use, feeding the secondary markets which the Mets also get a cut of, but "make-your-own-plan" fans like me who've reliably occupied seats for decades,