Will Mets Youth Movement Revive 2026 Season?

The first month and change of the 2026 Mets season went as poorly as humanly possible. 

The team had a 12 game losing streak, fell double digit games under the .500 mark and dug themselves an enormous hole in both the NL East and the Playoff Race. 

The good news for the Mets, the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. 

The Mets just two years ago were 10 games under the .500 mark in late May and surged to make the postseason and rode that momentum all the way to the NLCS. 

The moral of the story is, yes, it can be done. 

Sometimes, your team simply needs a spark. 

Two years ago, it was Grimace, OMG and a whole lot of Lindor. 

Last week, the reasons for hope resided in a couple of youngsters that have provided a much needed boost to the lineup. 

A week ago, the Mets called up outfield prospect AJ Ewing to join fellow youngster Carson Benge in the outfield with superstar Juan Soto. 

Ewing had put together very nice minor league numbers, but had barely had a cup of coffee in Triple A. 

Did the move reek of desperation? Absolutely. 

Guess what, who cares. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures. 

The Mets needed help and needed help fast within their lineup. 

Ewing has done a little bit of everything in his first week in the big leagues. 

He’s gotten on base, he’s played good defense and he’s run the bases well. 

Since the call up, the Mets are 6-1 in their last seven games heading into action on Tuesday. 

It’s not to say AJ Ewing is the only reason for this, he’s not, but he alongside a red hot Carson Benge have provided much needed energy to a dead baseball team. 

The infusion of youth can be energizing to a clubhouse. 

In 2005, the Yankees, full of stars and big names, were floundering to start the season. 

The Yankees in the aftermath of the 2004 ALCS collapse against the Red Sox started the season 11-19. 

Much like the Mets this season, they were desperate for an infusion of life. 

That group called up two inexperienced players, Chien Ming Wang and Robinson Cano. 

Both Wang and Cano were instrumental in the team’s turnaround and helped lead the Yankees to another division title. 

The Mets have a long way to go before you can start dreaming about a division title, but they needed a shot of energy. 

A Subway Series win over the Yankees in dramatic fashion with some major boosts from youngsters may have been just what the doctor ordered. 

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