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4 reasons why Mets did not get an 'F' grade from ESPN for disastrous 2026 season
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- 4 reasons why Mets did not get an 'F' grade from ESPN for disastrous 2026 season
4 reasons why Mets did not get an 'F' grade from ESPN for disastrous 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The 2026 season was a terrible one for the New York Mets . It was completely wasted after some major offseason spending, as another year of Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor 's careers has come and gone.
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If one were to hand out a grade for the Mets' 2026 season, anything above an "F" might seem a bit unreasonable.
However, ESPN's David Schoenfield gave the Mets a "D-" grade for their 2026 season.
Schoenfield highlighted four reasons, or individuals, behind why this grade didn't drop to an F this season for the Mets. These four individuals (one coach and three players) have kept this Mets season from being a complete disaster.
4 reasons why Mets' 2026 season did not get an 'F' grade from ESPN
"What keeps the Mets from receiving a failing grade, however, is they at least have been respectable under interim manager Andy Green -- so much so that the interim tag was removed and Green was given a three-year deal on Tuesday -- and rookies Nolan McLean , Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have performed well, providing a much-needed influx of young talent," Schoenfield writes.
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The 2026 season has been a disaster for the Mets; there's no way around it. But it was not a total failure, thanks to Andy Green's emergence as the manager of the future since he took over for the fired Carlos Mendoza.
But Green alone wouldn't be enough to keep this Mets season from an F grade. The three rookies are playing a huge role in keeping the Mets from a failing grade in 2026.
Nolan McLean is a rookie, but his 2025 production was more than enough to feel confident in him moving forward. While he wasn't as dominant this year, he still has a 3.18 ERA with 189 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP for the year.
MORE: How Mets, Dodgers and Guardians all made same brutal trade mistake amid MVP races
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Carson Benge made his mark this year as well, with a .277 batting average, 19 home runs, 62 RBIs and a .764 OPS, with quality defense at just 23 years old.
Lastly, A.J. Ewing has a .257 batting average with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and a .705 OPS. There's more room for improvement for Ewing, but his rookie season is a solid starting point that should give Mets fans optimism moving forward.
Amid such a disastrous 2026 season, the presence of Green as the team's manager of the future, McLean as their future ace and the Benge-Ewing outfield duo are reasons to believe in the Mets in 2027 and beyond.
So much went wrong this season, but the presence of these four individuals has somewhat salvaged a disastrous year for the Mets franchise.
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