How New York Mets could approach center field

Center field was certainly a position that plagued the Mets this season. New York began the year planning on having both Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri (whom they acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays last offseason) platoon the position, but that plan did not pan out.

Siri's first year in Flushing was an unmitigated disaster. The 30-year-old missed over five months of the regular season after he fractured his left tibia, when he fouled a pitch off his left leg on April 15 against the Athletics.

Despite being activated off the injured list on September 8, Siri struggled both offensively and defensively, resulting in the Mets designating him for assignment on September 24. In just 16 games, he went a woeful 2-for-32 (.063) with no home runs, one RBI and two stolen bases.

While Taylor did step up nicely on defense throughout the season, his bat ended up plaguing the Mets and the bottom of their lineup. He slashed just .223/.279/.319 with two home runs, 27 RBI and an OPS of .598 in 113 games.

The Amazins' did believe, however, that when they acquired Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline, he would provide a much better bat even though his defense in center field was not elite.

Mullins' stint ended up a major disappointment, as he batted just .182/.284/.281 with two home runs, 10 RBI and a dismal OPS of .565 in 42 games. The 31-year-old's tenure with the Mets also saw him misplay a ball in center field against the Washington Nationals on September 20, resulting in an inside-the-park home run that was the deciding factor of the game.

Potential short-term options in center field for the Mets

With Martino reporting that the Mets would like a short-term plan in center field for the 2026 season, Taylor, at least for the moment, could be the team's starter next year due to his elite defense. The 31-year-old is also still under contract with the club through next season.

New York may also be expected to explore the free agent market to add a center fielder. Former Met Harrison Bader could be an option for them this offseason, but many teams may show a lot of interest in him after a tremendous second half with the Philadelphia Phillies. It would not be a surprise if the Phillies try to re-sign him.

The Mets may also consider internal options in center field, with one of those options being Jeff McNeil. He appeared in 34 games as the Mets' center fielder this season due to Siri's injury and Taylor's offensive struggles. But with McNeil showing his age and inexperience at the position throughout the year, that scenario seems unlikely.

Another option would be to have Brandon Nimmo play center field, which was his primary position for the Mets for several seasons until he was moved to left field during the 2024 campaign. However, this is also an unlikely scenario due to Nimmo's injury history, which included playing through plantar fasciitis during the 2024 postseason.

With the Mets wanting to see Benge develop more throughout the minor leagues next year after his impressive showing in 2025, it looks like it will be a wait-and-see on who will be the starter at that position when Opening Day arrives next March.