Mets coach sends message to those giving up on the team's 2026 season

The New York Mets have routinely been unable to overcome a noteworthy injury crisis that has impacted the club's lineup throughout the spring. 

While the Mets entered Thursday at 23-33 on the season, team director of major league hitting Jeff Albert remains confident that the club could still turn things around this year. 

Can 2026 Mets still be "very good?"

"We have a very good group that we’re putting on the field every day," Albert insisted during a recent chat with Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media. "I don’t think our thought process or expectations really change because every team goes through injuries and things like that. Everybody in the room is a professional, and we have a job to do, and everyone’s focused on trying to get that done." 

Little about the Mets has been good, let alone "very good," since the club was 7-4 on April 8. ESPN stats show that the Mets began Thursday tied for 25th in MLB with 214 runs scored on the season and tied for 28th with a .226 team batting average. The Mets failed to score more than two runs over six straight games before they earned a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. 

"It’s really hard to fight the feeling of — I don’t really like this phrase, but — trying to do too much," Albert explained. "Putting so much pressure on yourself to get the job done or get a hit versus keeping your focus on some basic things like seeing the ball, being on time, getting good pitches to hit."

Mets don't seem ready to punt on the season

Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor has been out of the lineup since he suffered a calf injury on April 22, and it's unclear when he may return to action. Some think that Lindor and other Mets players could be made available as part of a fire sale this summer. However, Albert suggested that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns and team owner Steve Cohen aren't ready to punt on the campaign quite yet. 

"We still have a lot of baseball to play," Albert added. "Just gotta keep working until we get the outcomes that we think we can produce."

The Mets next host the Miami Marlins (26-31) on Friday evening.