A new report reveals a pair of New York Mets players who could have a much bigger impact on the team’s success in 2026 than fans realize.
After the turmoil of the last five months, there is new hope for what the NY Mets can do this season. After an epic collapse in August and September, then losing Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz in free agency, fans were angry and concerned about the club’s potential in 2026.
However, in January, the front office’s grand plan to improve the team came into focus after the additions of Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr. and Freddy Peralta. Those moves, along with other changes the team made earlier in the offseason, have created a narrative that this revamped NY Mets roster may have addressed the issues that led to their ugly end to 2025.
Although improving the defense was a goal this winter, the biggest unofficial priority was improving the locker room. After the season, reports emerged about issues in the clubhouse between various players, including some of the team’s top stars. The perception is that the departures of JD Martinez and Jose Iglesias took away veterans who had helped bring teammates together during difficult times.
The underappreciated roles of Shawn Manaea and Francisco Alvarez in NY Mets leadership
However, a new report has revealed two other bona fide members of the roster who didn’t have as much clubhouse influence last year as they did in 2024. But he could be an under-the-radar factor in the NY Mets making a big difference in 2026.
Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic report, “In diagnosing what went wrong at the end of last season, multiple sources inside the Mets pointed not only to some tough injuries, but how those injuries affected the mood inside the clubhouse.” “In particular, players like Shawn Manaea and Francisco Alvarez – who bring infectious energy – missed time at the beginning of the season and struggled to perform extensively afterward.
“It’s hard to be a clubhouse leader when you’re not performing. Alvarez brought some of that back upon his return from Triple-A last summer — ‘You notice the energy right away,’ a team source said that week — but a thumb injury sidelined him again in August,” he added.
Fans are well aware of Alvarez’s energetic personality. But interestingly, Mania also plays a major role in bringing positivity in the clubhouse. If both can have improved seasons in 2026, it could make a huge difference for the NY Mets on and off the field.
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