Mets top prospect earns impressive preseason ranking

In signing Bo Bichette, the New York Mets have their 2026 infield sorted out.

Bichette will man the hot corner, sliding over from shortstop to third base for the first time as he enters his eighth major league season. On the other side will be Jorge Polanco, who is expected to play first for the Mets despite never starting a game there in his 12-year career. In the middle will be two seasoned veterans Francisco Lindor and Marcus Semien, who will be tasked with leading the aforementioned two through the adjustment period at their new positions.

This is to say, there doesn't appear to be an immediate need in the Mets infield. But moving forward, it's fair to assume that Semien (35), Polanco (32), and even Lindor (32) could take a step back in the coming years. Bichette will be entering his age-28 season but is only signed to a three-year deal that includes opt-outs after the first and second seasons.

Assuming the Mets will pay the additional $5 million bonus on top of his $42 million AAV to keep him if he opts out, they could still be left looking for a long-term solution at third base come 2029. Prior to his signing, New York was dealing with a potential logjam of youth at the position in emerging major leaguers Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio. But with their chances to get on the field seemingly evaporating, it appears increasingly likely that one, if not two is traded this offseason to address other needs.

That bring us to the minor league system, which ESPN ranked 1st among all organizations back in August. This includes MLB's top ranked RHP prospect Nolan McLean and seventh overall RHP Jonah Tong, along with the club's number one overall prospect Carson Benge. But gaining traction behind them is potentially the perfect successor to Bichette at third base: Jacob Reimer.

Jacob Reimer named second-best third base prospect by MLB Pipeline

Reimer, 21, has played in 256 games for Mets minor league affiliates across four years, and holds a career .814 OPS. But last season is where the young infielder began to turn heads, slashing .282/.379/.491 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs in 122 games (61 in High-A, 61 in Double-A). Reimer's impressive campaign caught the eye of many, including MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, who ranked him second among all third base prospects.