The New York Mets star infielder, Francisco Lindor, reported to spring training this week, and that came with the tough news that he’s dealing with a hamate fracture in his hand and will miss time. However, Lindor indicated on Sunday that he’s optimistic he’ll be ready to go for Opening Day.
Also on Sunday, Francisco Lindor spoke to the media and answered the question of what he thinks about this year’s roster compared to last, and he had a strong assessment for it.
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What Did Francisco Lindor Say About 2026 Mets?
The New York Mets had one of the best offseasons in MLB. It started slowly because of the big subtractions of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz, who decided to depart in free agency.
However, David Stearns really got going towards the end of January and into February. After trading for Marcus Semien early in the offseason, the Mets then signed Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, and traded for Luis Robert Jr., Freddy Peralta, and Tobias Myers.
They are completely revamping in the infield, and the main focus this offseason was to improve run prevention.
Francisco Lindor thinks highly of this new look Mets team:
“This team is better than last year.” is Lindor’s assessment of the current Mets roster.
Getty(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
That’s a bold statement to make before the new team has even played one game with each other. The bullpen has a big void to fill with Diaz no longer being there to close games out, but Williams and Weaver are two solid signings.
The Freddy Peralta trade might have been the biggest of the offseason, as the Mets landed a true ace that will almost certainly make 30+ starts this season.
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Should the Mets Be NL East Favorites?
Due to the fact that there’s about a month until the start of the MLB season, it’s prediction and projection season. All these new additions have led to some books having the Mets as the favorite to win the National League East.
The NL East is likely going to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball this year, but a few negative injury updates for the Atlanta Braves on the pitching side of things, and a disconnect between Bryce Harper and the Phillies front office, make this the perfect opportunity for the Mets to win their first NL East title in over 10 years.
However, New York must remain healthy (including Francisco Lindor) and get ample contributions from newcomers like Bo Bichette, Devin Williams, and Jorge Polanco, who are set to fill big pairs of shoes.
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Francisco Lindor Gives 7-Word Assessment of Mets’ 2026 Roster