Chelsea Janes Fan Q&A: Covering the Mets, offensive issues, how good is this team?

Thu, Apr 2, 2026

On the latest episode of Mets Mailbag, SNY host Michelle Margaux is joined by SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes to answer fan questions about the Mets following the first week of games. Chelsea reveals what she's looking forward to covering this season, her thoughts on early offensive struggles and questions at first base, plus what she's seen in the clubhouse and with the ABS replay system so far.

Video Transcript

I think in general, I think they're gonna be a really good team.

I think they're gonna be deeper than last year, probably better than last year in many ways.

because of that, I think it's gonna be a really fun, interesting season, probably with some interesting trade deadline activity.

So I'm excited and, and I expect to have, yeah, a lot of fun following them.

Welcome to Mets Mailbag, the show where we answer your questions.

I'm your host, Michelle Margo, and today I'm joined by SNY's MLB insider, Chelsea Janes.

Chelsea, obviously a ton of experience in baseball, but how have the first couple games been for you on the Mets beat so far?

They've been a lot of fun.

They've been extremely dramatic.

I think we had two extra-inning games- in my first three, which is fitting of what I know of this team and what I've heard, and how they kinda draw your soul in for a few hours every day.

So yeah, it's been awesome.

Everything I would expect and, and, just as kind of chaotic as I, I had hoped.

When you first said dramatic, I heard traumatic.

But then what you said made me realize you said dramatic.

so I'm glad- Not yet, not yet not Yeah, yeah.

we're only a couple games in.

Totally.

just a reminder before we get started, every week you can go to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to look for a post from SNY's account or my account @MMargo8, asking to submit your questions to the show.

If you're watching on YouTube, you can also drop your questions in the comment section below.

All right, so let's get started with our very first question, Chelsea.

So Dan B. on Twitter said, "What are your expectations in your first year covering the Mets?"

Yeah, I have, I have very few and also many.

I think, as usual, you know, it's impossible to kinda know where this year will go, so just kinda trying to, yeah, not overreact to anything.

And then my expectation is that I will overreact and we all will overreact- and, draw, you know, too much from a small sample and all that stuff.

But I think in general, I think they're gonna be a really good team.

I think they're gonna be deeper than last year, probably better than last year in many ways.

because of that, I think it's gonna be a really fun, interesting season, probably with some interesting trade deadline activity.

So I'm excited and, and I expect to have, yeah, a lot of fun following them.

Love that.

Joe Cantone on Twitter said, "What should the Mets do with Mark Vientos, play him consistently or trade him?"

Obviously, he started first base against the, series finale against the Cardinals, got a hit.

Yeah, I mean, he's He came up with a big hit the other night too.

You know, it's really tough to do that when you get as few chances as he's gotten, so I think you really have to respect that he's been able to kinda hang in there.

It's tough.

I mean, Brett Baty's looked really, really good, and I think you could argue that you don't need both of them, even though Vientos hits from the right side.

But you know, I think, and I might be wrong here, because I, I don't know this for sure, that if there was a good deal to be had for Mark Vientos, it probably would've been had.

You know?

I think he's probably got a little bit to prove, over the next few weeks and early months of the season, before he kinda becomes a marketable trade ship, if that's a route you feel like you need to go 'cause you have enough depth.

So I think you kind of play him and, and let him, give him a chance to kinda play his way into the rotation.

Clearly from what we've seen the first few games, Carlos Mendoza is not afraid to shake things up, put different people at first.

I also think you're probably gonna see less of Jorge Polanco at first base in the immediate future because of his Achilles, and maybe long-term than we thought when he first came here, just because he hasn't looked as comfortable and Baty's looked really comfortable and Baty's hit.

So I don't think there's, you know, no room for Vientos to get starts there.

but it'll be interesting.

I, you know, I think, I think for now you give him a little runway, keep him around, and, and he has chipped in, so I think for the first few days at least you can justify that.

Yeah, of course, if, if, if someone's gonna hit, they're always gonna find a way to play.

I mean, I do wonder how much, JD Martinez being in the front office has anything to do with Mark Vientos.

I don't know, that's pure speculation.

But I do wonder, you know, if they, if they have JD Martin- Martinez, you know, planning to, to help Vientos with hitting at all because he helped him so much a couple years ago.

Steven Gay on Facebook, "Are the Mets going to look into the first base market early into the season, guys like Ryan Mountcastle or Yandy Diaz?

Currently I feel the platoon we are running is not going to be able to withstand an entire season."

Sort of follow up- You know, it's a fair, fair question.

I think they're, like, a little crowded now, probably wanna see what they have, especially in Baty.

I might be reading the signals wrong there, but it just seems like he looks very comfortable at first base.

I know defensively he's probably the most comfortable of Vientos, Young, certainly Polanco right now.

So you know, I, and I think he's hit enough to believe that you don't necessarily need to platoon him.

So I don't know.

I don't see that happening in the immediate future, but again, it, it feels like it's all a little bit of an experiment early on, right?

Like, how much do you want Polanco at first?

How much do you wanna DH him?

Where should Baty play?

You know, who can handle what?

you know, we haven't seen Simeon hit that much.

Does that start to come into play if he's having trouble?

I don't know.

But all of that is to say they have a lot of options right now, and I think until you sort through those options and know you don't have one that sticks, you probably don't make a move like that.

But you know, we're a few months away from a time where that could certainly change, and those are, are names that could obviously help, you know, pretty much anyone.

We're gonna get to Marcus Simeon in a second, but before that, Albert E. Lewis on Twitter asked, "Do the 2026 Mets lack home run power?"

Obviously, they lost, one of the best premier home run hitters in the league, when Pete Alonso went to the Orioles, but do, do you think that they do?

I actually think they're gonna be fine in that department.

It has not looked that way early, obviously.

I think as of this moment they've hit two home runs this year.

and maybe that continues, but Alvarez has looked like, two home runs, sorry, outside of, opening day.

and you know, I think Alvarez, if he hits the way he has looked early on, I mean, I don't know, that could be 20, 25 homers from him, and I don't think that's much of a stretch.

I think Baty's looked like someone who can give you-15 to 20, you know, Luis Robert Jr., if he's right, I mean, that's a 30/30 candidate.

We know Lindor is that.

You know, we know what Soto is.

Bichette can, can give you, I think, 20 or so.

So I think that's a They've got a pretty deep lineup of guys who can do it.

You might not have the sort of one A/B threat that you had in Pete Alonso, but I think they're in pretty good shape, especially if lvarez and Robert are offensively what we have seen, you know, early on because I think they've both given you reason to believe that they're gonna hit, hit a lot of bombs this year.

Let's go back to, to Marcus Simeon.

@JackLP on Twitter said, just a statement, it's not a question, so.

Marcus Simeon has no chance of having a .650 OPS or better.

I guess I'll ask the question, do you agree with that?

I don't agree.

I understand the concern, though.

I just He has not shown a lot of life in the way he's hit the ball early.

Something I haven't had a chance to ask him yet, and I'm curious about, is what it means that he's hitting the ball in the air a lot and hitting it to center a lot.

I think on paper, those are two things that in the early going you look at with Marcus Simeon, you think, "Okay, ball in the air, that's what he needs to do."

You know, launch angle looks good, looks higher than last year, which I think is something that's positive.

Ball going to center field, he's in the middle of the field.

Again, positive.

But it's not going anywhere.

So I don't know if that comes in time with him, I don't know if he's working on something, and I'm eager to find out because I, I think it's still in there with him somewhere, and he's a really smart player and a really hard worker, but we haven't seen a lot of, you know, positive signs yet.

So y- you know, you might be right.

It might be that he's just in offensive decline and, and all the playing over all the years has really kind of slowed him down.

but it also might be true that he figures something out and the Mets help him figure something out.

So I think there's a chance, that he has a higher OPS than .650, and I also think there's a chance that, you know, he really struggles and they, they have to maybe even consider giving those at bats to, to other people at some point.

I think relatively speaking, just big picture, s- Simeon included, a lot of these guys just have to adjust to their new team and to playing at Citi Field.

Like, the, the season just started.

I know that he's not necessarily saying, like, what he'd seen out of Marcus Simeon, there's no way.

But it's also just, there's a lot of new guys, there's a lot of new gelling.

you know, a couple of guys were, in the WBC.

Like, the- there's just takes time, I feel like.

So I don't know.

he didn't ask my opinion, though, so it doesn't matter.

Okay, Brandon Clark on Twitter , "It's pointless to argue about Lovelady or any other DFA considering the impending return of Minter, but when the Mets do opt to reinforce their bullpen, and they will, are they more likely to pursue an internal or external option?"

This is interesting.

And they will.

yeah, I agree, they will.

but I love the confidence.

Yeah, I, I think there are some internal options.

I think, we saw Lambert coming up throwing a million miles an hour.

You know, I would not be stunned to see him sooner than we might have thought, even at the beginning of spring training.

I think that's gonna be a top option.

you know, Craig Kimbrel, I guess, is sort of still on the radar.

I, I he wouldn't be a fit, you know, if they need a lefty, obviously.

but he's there.

I, you know, I think there are some internal options.

I think ultimately there will be moves for external options certainly.

I mean, even if Minter comes back fully healthy, you know, you're not gonna get this entire bullpen through the next three months without somebody underperforming, someone struggling, someone getting hurt.

So, and this is a team that expects too much of itself to kind of pin it on guys who haven't proven it in the big leagues.

So I think they'll give chances to guys like Lambert, but I do think once you get to the deadline, there's, you know If there's no chance Marcus Simeon hits, has an OPS over .650, I would put it at no chance the, the Mets go through the trade deadline and don't add a reliever because I just, I don't see it.

I love that.

I love that so much.

Good callback.

TJ Lab on Facebook, "Do you think Bo Polanco and Simeon transitioning to NL pitching has been difficult?

Kinda like Stanton when he transitioned to AL pitching."

That is a fascinating question I had not thought of.

I don't think it's as big a deal with the balance schedule as it used to be when you were playing your division 50 times a year, it felt like.

Bo is probably the most interesting one.

He's, you know, I like, I don't really know.

It might even be as much of a transition just who's hitting around him.

I think, you know, he's only ever hit with Latty in that lineup.

So there's just kind of a lot of variables, and it would be hard to see, you know, what the change is.

I think Polanco looks like he's seeing the ball really well.

He's taking a lot of walks, so I don't think he's having too much trouble adjusting.

Simeon, I think, is adjusting to a lot of things.

I don't know if he's You know, I- it's the same thing.

There's a lot of variables at play.

He told me in spring training he was working on, you know, a little bit of something with his posture in the batter's box, so that could still be something that's slowing him down as he experiments with that.

And I think Bo's just probably trying too hard, like you said.

But, it could be part of it.

I think certainly, like, adjusting to n- National League East pitching is, is something that you're gonna have to do, 'cause it's different than the American League Central, for example.

but, you know, Simeon's been around enough.

Bo's played in the hardest division, other than the NL East, in baseball, so I don't think it's necessarily that, but that does not mean that transitioning to the Mets has not been difficult so far.

For the fans watching and listening, can you just give context to what you just said about the NL East pitching being different than, for example, AL Central?

Yeah, I think it's just deeper.

You know, I think with all the big market teams, maybe that's unfair.

Maybe, you know, I have sure fans who have watched, you know, the Guardians kind of make their living off pitching for years would disagree.

But it's just bigger names, you know, higher profile guys day in and day out.

The rotations are deeper.

yeah, I just think it's a, it's a slightly different animal in terms of, depth certainly, like who you have kind of coming out late in games, it's different too.

It's just they're deeper staffs with bigger names.

Maybe not always bigger stuff, but-But a lot more experience at the top and r- the rotations, and I think also in the back end of bullpens.

Yeah, I think that was well said.

Elliot Smilowitz, is next up on Twitter.

It's a two-part question.

How long, does Maniah piggyback for before that you'll go to a six-man or make a roster move?

And then the second part of the question is, in what month do you predict Tong is back up with the big club?

Wow.

Well, as you know also, it's hard to see Sean Maniah in a position that maybe he doesn't want to be in 'cause he's such a nice guy.

Like, it's hard to see him to Like, that's just a hard thing.

'Cause he- you kind of know the person he is, and you can see he's uncomfortable answering the questions about, you know, how do you feel coming out of the bullpen?

When were you gonna be used?

You know, nothing about this is ideal for him.

That being said, like, the stuff just isn't quite there.

It doesn't mean he can't pitch with it, but when you got five guys with for whom the stuff is sharp and the velocity is high, he just isn't one of their top five starters as he has shown so far.

So, you know, what does that mean?

I think there's probably a game every three, four, five days where he can help you and eat some innings.

Is that best for him to eventually try to ramp back up?

You know, you don't wanna lose the innings build-up that he's already gone through.

You know, even if his stuff isn't that sharp and he's not one of your top five options, he's probably one of your top eight options, and so you're gonna need him.

You know, is- it would certainly be a hard thing, I think, for everyone to swallow to have to, you know, have him start somewhere else.

You know, it's, it's hard to even imagine kind of s- asking him to go, you know, take starts- Yeah in triple A or something.

But, you know, I don't think they're at that point yet certainly, but it's just a really complicated question.

Number one, because, you know, he's had success in the past, they're giving him a lot of money.

You know, he's someone they want to be a part of things.

And two, 'cause you just root for him.

You know, you don't wanna see him struggle.

So, um- Well, also paying him a lot it'll be interesting.

What'd you say?

We're paying him a lot.

Totally.

Yeah, you're rooting for him for many, many reasons.

Uh- Yeah but I think, yeah, it's tough.

It's tough.

But they don't seem too worried about the money part, and shouldn't be if they wanna win.

No.

So it'll be interesting, but someone will get hurt soon.

It just, it happens, and when that happens, the dynamics will shift, and I'm sure this will not seem as complicated as it does right now a few weeks from now.

But right now it's a, it's a tough spot.

so before you answer the second part of that question, I'm gonna ask a, a different question first.

Who do you think, if for some Maniah, whoev- whoever else goes down, whoever the first person is to go down, who do you think is gonna be the first person to get called up?

Jonah Tang, Christian Scott?

Like, who, who is your guess?

Yeah, I think probably Christian Scott.

I mean, I think he just looks ready.

it's sort of a no-brainer.

I think Tang is working on a lot.

You know, it seems like he's still working a lot on command and, you know, working in some pitches and stuff, and I thought Scott looked, like, ready to go.

so it's no knock on anyone else to just say that's an easy person to slot in.

So that would be my guess.

but you know, I could also see a world where a starter gets hurt and they just say, "Sean, you're in the rotation," and we pull up a reliever.

So, I think both of those scenarios are in play.

But I wouldn't, I wouldn't To the second part of the question, I don't necessarily think there's a reason to pull Tang before you absolutely need him, and I think they have enough depth that they may be two to three injuries away from absolutely needing him.

Chelsea did not answer the question, which is what month do you predict that Jonah Tang will be back with the big club?

That's good.

That's good pinning me down.

No, I would say, like, probably August.

I feel like you totally dodged it.

Yeah.

No, you got it.

You got it.

Okay.

I was evading for sure, by design.

yeah.

Okay.

I think August, September probably.

I just don't see them needing him before them unless a whole lot of things go wrong.

And, and if they do, like, that's a really good person to have.

So I- they're pitching depth is really solid, and talking about this is firming that up in my head a little bit.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Sorry, we are on the same team just so you know.

in case you had any question.

Right, you gotta do it.

Keep me sharp.

Dennis Lyons, next question.

Do you see AVS as a positive, and should it be used on all pitches?

Wow.

so I definitely think it is a positive.

I think it's been a lot of fun.

I will say, and I think people feel this way, but I have not heard it said a lot, I really feel for the umpires.

I You know?

Like, they kind of just get destroyed, and everyone kind of cheers for them.

And I think, you know, in some cases there are people in that profession who, who deserve it based on how they conduct themselves toward everyone around them, but I think by and large it's kind of a hard thing to watch.

so that is one of my thoughts that was not asked for.

But I think other than that, it's, it's really, really positive.

It's been great for the game.

It introduced this whole new strategy level, and you can kind of watch guys.

Like, the other day Brett Beatty, like, went like this, and then you could see him, like, fight his brain on the inside- and say, "No, no.

This is not the time."

And I asked him about it later and he was like, "Oh, it was so close.

Like, I had to hold my arm down, but I knew it was a front hip sinker, and that means I wouldn't see where it came over the plate as clearly, so I..." And it's like the thought processes- Wow that this is introducing in these split second moments are, are fascinating.

so yeah, I think it's a positive.

I, I think there will come a time where we will all agree it should be used on all pitches simply because if you have a way to get to the right answer, our world is kind of funneling us all towards that being the way we do things.

It's It There's no sort of need for human error.

I don't think that's coming soon though, and I think the way that MLB has set it up has been deeply thought out and allows you to get calls right when it matters most, or to be kind of an emotional firecracker and cost yourself as you would in other ways.

And I think that's, like, baseball in a nutshell.

And, you know, I think it's fit in really willy, really, really willy, willy, willy well.

so- yeah, it's been great.

I hate that.

this has been a point of contention on our broadcast specifically, I believe.

Yeah.

do you think of, like, losing a challenge versus gaining a challenge in extra innings, what do, what are your thoughts on that?

I definitely think, everyone should have one in extra innings.

Um-Do you think there should be- But- an extra one for people who already had one going into the extras?

Man, I don't know.

That's, I Yeah, that's tough.

It's tough.

I think it should be there, but I'm also not convinced, I think, that.

Like, I kind of want people to suffer when they use them too early.

Like, that's Because it's completely It's almost 100% of the time because someone got too emotional, you know?

And it's like- Yeah it's just pure, purely relatable mistakes, and I, you know I don't know.

Baseball tends to punish those, but I don't know.

I'm, I'm in between on that one, but I do like the idea of having it in extra innings, 'cause if the goal, and I think the goal is to get big calls right in big moments, there's no bigger moments.

so I kind of imagine, like, a game seven of the World Series in extra innings where you don't have a challenge and it ends badly, like, that's hard to, that's hard to envision.

Also, I know I have repeated at length how this is a show for the fans and it's fan questions, but I have just snuck in so many.

I'm so sorry.

I just, You have such, you know, good insight that I have to ask.

Um- Hope you think it's good so we actually, we actually asked this question to Gary Cohen last week.

Kadenda23 on Instagram asked, and, and now we want your thoughts, "How long do you think it takes to tell if this team is different this season?"

Like, what is a big enough sample size in your mind?

I think the other day, to my point from earlier about, like, overreacting, I think on opening day and after they won the Robert home run game, I would've said we already know.

Uh- Oh I still think that's true, but I, I also am aware that that's insane, that you really- can't draw that much from it, you know?

But I think that, like, some of the I think there's gonna be ebbs and flows offensively.

I think that's any team.

I just don't think you're gonna see the same kind as you did last year.

I think Soto, Bichette, Lindor if he's right, Robert, if he's right, especially Robert, if he's right.

Like, Polanco, it's just a different kind of hitter, and I have a You know, they've done it the last few days, but I, I have a hard time envisioning, like, the strikeouts, the complete lack of offense.

You know, as I say this, they haven't scored a ton in the last few games.

But I just don't think that continues over a long stretch.

I think they have a lot of ways to beat you, to work pitchers.

you know, I think once you get into the warm weather and out of some sort of this weird time of year where it feels like a lot of different things can affect gameplay, I think you're gonna see a team that's pretty consistent, at least in having chances.

And then, you know, especially if Bichette can kinda get on track, I think they'll be just fine at converting them.

King Pink on Twitter, "What's one takeaway you had from being in the Mets clubhouse opening weekend?"

the honest answer to that is that Carson Benge is a really young person.

Like, you know- Yeah I know he's young and we all know that, but just watching him, how happy he was after they won, and, like, he had his uniform on for, like, so long after the game.

And went to see his family.

I don't know.

You know, you just kind of forget that they're, like, young guys whose dream just came true, and I The thing I liked about him is he, like, didn't play it cool.

He was just like, "No, I- I am so happy that happened.

I couldn't have envisioned it better.

The crowd was five times louder than anything I've ever heard."

And so that was, that was one of my takeaways, that he's just, yeah, a kid who just had the best week of his life.

and I think in a broader sense, the takeaway I I think they're full of people who take this very seriously, you know?

Lindor, we know.

Semien is very serious.

He wants to play every day.

He's a worker.

He's out there every day.

Bichette, you can see, he's taking it very seriously.

You know, Polanco is not a loud guy, and he's kind of very, I don't know, very baseball-focused.

It's just a It just seems like, especially on the position player side, a very focused group of players.

Does that make it too corporate?

Does that You know, do you need more levity?

Y- you know, it's early.

Who knows?

But I just, I can't kind of get over, having been in other clubhouses, the focus with which a lot of the core veterans, like, go about stuff that other people don't always focus on.

whether that's warmups, hitting routines, like, they are just kind of They take it very seriously every day.

And we'll see if that's true in August, but it was true in February, and I was impressed with it then.

So I think that's, that's my big takeaway.

Well, that's fascinating.

I actually had not thought about that, but now, relatively speaking to, to past clubhouses, I think you're right.

also j- I cannot wait to see that authenticity from Carson Benge, you know, throughout the season.

I hope that doesn't change.

Russell Guzzetti on Twitter said, "Mets or Phillies, who will win the division?

No hedging, just a flat out prediction."

No evasions.

It's so great.

I think Mets.

I think Met- I'm aided by the fact that the Phillies have started really slow, so I have, like, you know, a little information.

But yeah, I think the Mets.

Even if the Phillies catch fire at some point, I think the Mets are better.

But it'll be health dependent, for sure.

Definitely.

Um- That's a hedge well- Sorry.

Mets.

Yeah.

There It's actually just a one-word answer next time.

Yeah.

Chelsea, you are such a pleasure always, and everyone watching, thank you so much for watching this edition of Mets Meal Bag.

And like we said before, we're gonna be with you every week of the Mets' 2026 season to answer your questions, so submit your questions for next week's episode on SNY's Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account.

Drop them in the YouTube comments below this episode.

For Chelsea Janes, I'm Michelle Margol.

We'll see you next week.