Anthony McCarron is typically straightforward in his analysis, and this time he didn’t hesitate to point out that Jorge Polanco could be ahead of Brett Baty and Mark Vientos when it comes to covering first base for the New York Mets heading into the 2026 season, where the team will need solid defense around the diamond.
When asked who will play the most games at first base for the Mets this year, McCarron offered a direct opinion: “I think it’s gonna be Polanco. I know he played 89 games at DH last year in Seattle, but I really feel he is the guy. He’s a switch hitter…” the analyst said on BNNY on SNY.
“The other options are Mark Vientos and Brett Baty. Those guys are not natural first basemen, they are learning the position. Vientos isn’t exactly a run-prevention…” McCarron added, suggesting that David Stearns has emphasized run prevention as more of a priority for the Mets than anything else.
Polanco more productive than Vientos and Baty
Polanco is coming off a season in which he posteda .265 batting average with 125 hits, 26 home runs and 78 RBI, clearly ahead of Baty, who hit .254, and Vientos, who finished at .233 and recently made it clear he’s willing to help the Mets in any way possible in the upcoming season.
“Jorge Polanco looks pretty smooth at first base during infield drills,” Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated wrote on X. So far, the Mets’ new infielder has earned some praise, but fans are waiting to see if he can carry that over into the regular season.
As for how many at-bats Polanco, Baty and Vientos could receive, Carlos Mendoza recently said the former Mariner will get some DH at-bats, which would open the door for Baty and Vientos to get reps at first base.