Who should Mets' first baseman be in 2027? Breaking down the internal and external options

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Who should Mets' first baseman be in 2027? Breaking down the internal and external options

Danny Abriano · SNY

Tue, Oct 20, 2026 ·

7 min read

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With the departure of Pete Alonsolast offseason, the Mets ' first base situation became unsettled for the first time since 2018.

New York attempted to address it in part by signing Jorge Polanco, whose ultimate role probably would've been to be the designated hitter pretty often. But Polanco struggled badly as he attempted to play through an ankle issue that eventually resulted in season-ending surgery, further complicating things.

While attempting to patch first base together, the Mets turned mostly to Jared Young(74 starts at first base) and Mark Vientos(58 starts), and also gave Brett Batya look there (16 starts).

Throughout the course of the season, Eric Wagaman, Christopher Morel, Gabriel Arias, and Luis Torrensalso saw time at first base.

As David Stearnsand the front office strategize, what seems apparent is that there will be some external help added this offseason to bolster first base.

Whether that's a bigger free agent addition or a lower-cost right-handed hitter who can platoon with someone like Young remains to be seen.

Who are the Mets' options at first base for 2027, and how should they proceed? Let's break it down...

The Internal Options

Jared Young

After bouncing around a bit over the first three seasons of his career, playing 44 combined games for the Cubs and Mets between 2022 and 2025 (Young spent part of the 2024 season in the KBO, posting a 1.080 OPS in 38 games), Young emerged as a key lineup cog for the Mets in 2026 in what was his age-30 season.

In 103 games, Young slashed .266/.330/.429 (.759 OPS, 113 OPS+) with nine homers, 17 doubles, and three triples across 342 plate appearances before his season ended in scary fashion on Sept. 17 at Citi Field, when he suffered a concussion during a collision at first base with Nolan McLean.

There are numerous things Young does well, including impacting the baseball and limiting strikeouts, but it's fair to wonder whether he has enough power to be the regular first baseman on a team that is expected to contend.

Young hit just nine homers this past season after hitting a combined six home runs over 44 games for the Cubs and Mets from 2022 to 2025. In the KBO in 2024, Young mashed 10 homers in 38 games while slugging .660. But the competition in the KBO is not viewed as stiff, so those numbers need to be taken with a big grain of salt.

Another mark against Young is that he hasn't fared well against left-handers in his big league career, with a .674 OPS. This past season for New York, Young's OPS against lefties was just .606.

Brett Baty

Stearns talked Baty up after the season, and it feels like he'll be part of the equation in 2027 -- whether it's as a semi-regular presence at first base or second base or as a possible super utility player.

But while Stearns remains bullish on Baty's potential, he has been clear about the need for more consistency.

With both Young and Baty being left-handed hitters (and Baty posting a .500 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2026), it's possible Baty is viewed more as a second base option or as a fit for the aforementioned utility role.

Jorge Polanco

There are three huge asterisks when it comes to Polanco.

The first is that his health is in question following season-ending surgery, with Stearns having no illusions about what to expect going forward .

The second is that his production in 2026 was dismal. Polanco posted a .431 OPS in 135 at-bats, though it's fair to believe a lot of that had to do with his physical limitations.

The third is that even if Polanco is healthy and productive in 2027 (two enormous ifs), he probably won't be a regular presence at first base given his recent health issues and lack of experience at the position.

Another potential option is Vientos, who is arbitration-eligible this offseason. But when you combine Vientos' worsening offensive production and continued fielding issues, it feels more likely he'll be traded or DFA'd this offseason than be a serious candidate for playing time at first base.

The External Options

Teruaki Sato

Sato will be posted by his Japanese team relatively soon, giving interested MLB teams the ability to sign him before the expected lockout begins on Dec. 1.

For the Mets, Sato would be a huge swing. And his upside is tantalizing.

Sato, 27, won the Triple Crown in Japan this year after slashing .306/.383/.609 with 39 home runs, 40 doubles, 100 runs scored, and 106 RBI in 143 games for the Hanshin Tigers. He hit .278/.345/.579 with 40 home runs, 34 doubles, and 102 RBI in 139 games in 2025 as he won the Central League MVP award.

Primarily a third baseman and outfielder in Japan, there are those who believe Sato's best defensive fit in the majors is first base, which would obviously work perfectly for the Mets.

While Sato's power is undeniable, there are questions about his swing-and-miss tendencies, which are not dissimilar to the ones that surrounded Munetaka Murakamibefore he signed with the White Sox. Sato fanned 164 times in 143 games this past season for Hanshin. While that strikeout rate is not alarming, it would figure to go up in the majors.

For reference, Murakami struck out 196 times in 127 games this past season for Chicago. In his final season in Japan, Murakami fanned 180 times in 143 games.

Ty France

In 133 games for the Padres this past season, the righty-swinging France slashed .295/.363/.502 (.865 OPS, 139 OPS+) with 21 homers and 24 doubles. Was it an aberration or a late breakout from a player in his age-31 season?

A look at France's advanced metrics shows serious improvement in his average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage , so what he did this season wasn't a fluke. At the same time, it's fair to expect some regression given the player he was before 2026.

What's not in question is how good France's first base defense has been the last two seasons. He won the NL Gold Glove in 2025 after being in the 96th percentile in OAA, and followed that up by being in the 93rd percentile in OAA in 2026.

A tier below France is Jake Bauers, who had a similar mid-career eruption, posting an .874 OPS in 144 regular season games for the Brewers.

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) bats a one run home run against Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. / © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Alec Bohm or Paul Goldschmidt

The Mets could theoretically add the righty-hitting Bohm or Goldschmidt to share the first base job with Young.

Bohm (.816 OPS against left-handers in 2026) and Goldschmidt (.967 OPS against lefties in 2026) aren't bad options, but the fit for Bohm would be curious given his poor defensive metrics and the fact that he remains an everyday player -- something he should not be with the Mets if signed.

***

A look at the Mets' roster right now shows that they're set at all three outfield positions as well as shortstop, catcher, and third base (unless Bo Bichettesurprises nearly everyone and opts out).

At second base, the answer will almost certainly come internally in the event Marcus Semien continues to falter .

That leaves first base and designated hitter as the logical places where improvements can be made this offseason, but Stearns has never seemed eager to clog up the DH spot (except for New York's brief flirtation with Kyle Schwarberlast offseason). That would leave first base as the spot to upgrade.

While New York could conceivably make first base work by adding a right-handed hitting complement to Young, they shouldn't be aiming to just get by.

The goal here should be to make a serious improvement and make the position a plus, whether that comes in the form of Sato, France, or someone else who isn't yet on their radar.

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