With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline less than a month away, the New York Mets appear headed toward selling. At 37-53 and 11 1/2 games out of a National League Wild Card spot, there’s little reason to believe this season can be salvaged. Yet despite the disappointing record, the Mets may have already begun building the next core of their franchise.
When Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns decided to deal longtime outfielder and beloved fan-favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers, it was a direct message saying the club would be breaking up the core. And with that, the destruction had begun. They didn’t offer a contract to Pete Alonso, traded Jeff McNeil, and didn’t retain Edwin Díaz. As a result, this year’s Mets were left without a core.
But 2027 could mark the beginning of the Mets’ next competitive core. With Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto already in place as franchise cornerstones, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing look capable of becoming the next homegrown pieces around them.
A New Mets Core in 2027?
Nolan McLean
After McLean’s magic in late 2025, everyone wanted to see more. It’s been an up-and-down season for McLean to this point, but it’s been on the rise lately. On Sunday, he mowed down the Braves to get through six innings after a shaky first. And for McLean, that’s now five quality pitching performances in his last six starts. His 3.73 ERA is inflated due to three clunkers in which he allowed six or more runs. But for New York, it’s the way McLean has responded to each of them that has the club excited.
“He’s a competitor,” interim manager Andy Green said. “[He] didn’t really have a feel in the first [inning] for the zone like he did the rest of the game. Settled in really well [and was] really in control of the game where he was just mowing the lineup for most of the day.”
Nolan McLean in his last seven starts:
40 IP, 28 H, 14 R (12 ER), 18 BB, 43 K , 2.70 ERA pic.twitter.com/abO5N0Y4dx
— Mets’d Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) July 5, 2026
McLean’s ability to adjust after adversity has been one of his most encouraging traits. “Made some adjustments, finding the changeup later in the game most definitely helped,” he said.
A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge
While McLean looks like he’ll be a core piece on the pitching side, Ewing and Benge seem to be the other two future core pieces on the offensive side of things. For Benge, he was likely always going to get an opportunity to play this season. But for Ewing, that’s a different story. It took a Luis Robert Jr. injury in late April for Ewing to receive his opportunity, as the Mets called him up right after.
Both are left-handed batters, and both look like the Mets’ future center and right fielders for many years to come. But it didn’t always look like that, at least not right away.
Nearly a month into his rookie season, Benge was hitting a dismal .127. There were calls to demote the 23-year-old given his struggles, but the Mets stuck with him and kept him in the majors. In early May, LWOS reported that Benge had changed his batting stance. Since the outfielder made the change, the results have followed.
On April 22, Benge’s OPS was at .334. Since that date, he has produced an above-average .777 OPS and has hit to the tune of a .285 average. Not bad for someone who was on the brink of a demotion.
At least Carson Benge is playing well 🙏 pic.twitter.com/jczV1GqiIV
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) July 1, 2026
To build a core, you need players who are in the starting lineup every day. You also need players who can hit both righties and lefties. For the left-handed-hitting Ewing, he showed he can handle lefty pitching in the win on Sunday, going 2-for-3 off two Atlanta Braves left-handers. The first hit was a home run. It was only his second against a lefty this year, but Ewing isn’t here for his power. For a contact-first, speed-oriented player, showing he can take a left-hander deep speaks to how complete his offensive game already is and how much higher his ceiling could be.
Ewing leaves the yard 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZXrXxy48YA
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 5, 2026
Robert, who is rehabbing in Triple-A Syracuse, is expected to return to the Mets sometime this month. What the Mets decide to do with Ewing remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: you cannot bench him.
The club could decide to platoon the two (Robert gets the lefties and Ewing faces the righties), but what good does that do for the Mets and Ewing’s development? The 21-year-old has earned everyday playing time, so it would behoove the Mets to keep him in the lineup regardless of who is on the mound, while Robert, who had struggled prior to landing on the injured list, should have to earn his way into the lineup.
“I think I’ve always been comfortable facing lefties,” Ewing said. “Obviously, the blips happen, but I’m comfortable facing whoever is on the mound.”
Main Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
