Steve Cohen addresses possibly naming a Mets captain 

While star shortstop Francisco Lindor has been viewed by many outsiders as the New York Mets' unofficial team captain for years, there's never been any real sign that Mets owner Steve Cohen has come all that close to naming Lindor or anybody else the club's recognized captain. 

While speaking with reporters on Monday, Cohen seemed to make it clear that neither Lindor nor any other Mets player will be rocking a "C" on his jersey anytime soon. 

Mets will "never" do this under Steve Cohen

"My view is the locker room is unique, and let the locker room sort it out year in and year out," Cohen explained, per Andrew Tredinnick of NorthJersey.com. "There will never be a captain."

Last February, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that he "had some conversations with" team president of baseball operations David Stearns about eventually naming Lindor the fifth team captain in franchise history. More recently, a since-deleted MLB.com video from last summer teased that the Mets were preparing to name Lindor their first team captain since David Wright retired after the 2018 season. A team source later poured cold water over that claim. 

Lindor, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and first baseman Pete Alonso were often mentioned as favorites to eventually serve as a Mets captain. However, the Mets let Alonso reach free agency following the 2025 campaign, and he ultimately signed with the Baltimore Orioles. This past fall, the Mets traded Nimmo, a popular homegrown talent, to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien.

Steve Cohen looks "at things differently" than previous Mets regimes

"Having a captain in baseball doesn't happen often. It's actually unusual," Cohen said. "Whatever previous ownership did, that was their way of doing things. I look at things differently."

Lindor signed a 10-year contract extension worth up to $341M in the spring of 2021. In December 2024, the Mets signed outfielder Juan Soto to a historic 15-year, $765M contract. 

For better or for worse, Soto and Lindor are now seen as leaders for a team that moved on from familiar faces such as Alonso, Nimmo and utility man Jeff McNeil after the 2025 Mets allegedly dealt with clubhouse issues as they suffered a brutal collapse en route to missing the playoffs. 

"I think there's an opportunity in the locker room where people can really enjoy being with each other, and I think that only makes for a better team," Cohen added on Monday. 

Part of that process will involve the Mets not having a recognized captain under Cohen's watch.