There's a lot to be thankful for
We're celebrating Thanksgiving by reflecting on all the things Mets fans have to be thankful for this year...
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Just Mets!
What’s up with the Mets? 🍗
The Mets got into the holiday spirit on Wednesday with LHP Sean Manaea and 3B Mark Vientos both helping to hand out Thanksgiving meals and cheer throughout New York City (MLB.com)
There are some underlying metrics that should spark some hope when it comes to 2B Marcus Semien’s offensive production (NY Post)
RHP Nolan McLean and RHP Brandon Sproat were named the best prospects in their respective age brackets (MLB.com)
Rumor Mill 🔎
The Mets have reportedly talked with representatives for RHP Robert Suárez, and RHP Pete Fairbanks, two of the top free agent relievers available (NY Post)
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
In this bonus episode of The Just Mets Podcast exclusively on Patreon, Andrew Claudio speaks with guest Ryan Finkelstein – host of Locked on Mets – on how the rest of the Mets roster comes together in the wake of the Brandon Nimmo trade.
Become a paid supporter for access to full bonus episodes every Thursday.
Mets things to be thankful for this year… ✍️
Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
To get into the holiday spirit, and to get you prepared for a day of turkey, football, and family, I thought it would be a good idea to change up the pace and get a little sentimental.
I mean, sure, we’re right in the thick of Hot Stove season, and the Mets have just traded away a fan’s favorite, while the Blue Jays have reportedly spent a boatload of money on Dylan Cease, thus setting the market for starters.
There is a lot to talk about.
However, today is all about reflection and being thankful for the things we have in our lives, so I want to share some things I’m thankful for when it comes to the Mets…
Steve Cohen
Yes, the 2025 season didn’t exactly unfold as any of us would have wanted. That’s an understatement. However, despite that bitter disappointment, it is important not to lose sight of the bigger picture. And that’s the fact that the Mets have an ambitious owner who clearly wants to win in Steve Cohen.
We’re lightyears away from the days when the Mets acted like a small-market franchise, when the biggest splashes in free agency were the likes of Jed Lowrie and Jeurys Familia. Yikes.
Instead, under the entire Cohen family, the Mets are one of the biggest spenders in baseball and are a year removed from going all out for one of the best hitters in the game in Juan Soto. They will likely be big players in free agency this year, too.
And, while the move to trade Brandon Nimmo wasn’t universally popular, I think it is further proof that Cohen will do what it takes to bring a World Series to Queens. It is clear that sentiment will play no part this season, and I trust Cohen to give the front office the resources they need to help get this team over the hump.
When you consider all the improvements that have been made off the field too, including the ballpark experience and the way in which this organization is now viewed within the baseball world, then I think we’re pretty damn lucky as fans to have an owner who loves the team as much as we do. Now that’s something to be thankful for.
Pete Alonso
No matter what happens over the coming weeks, we can all be thankful that Pete Alonso pulled on a Mets uniform.
While it is still anybody’s guess if Alonso will be in Queens for the 2026 season and beyond, I don’t think that should matter today as we give thanks to the best power hitter in franchise history.
One of the main reasons why Alonso is so beloved in Mets land is because not only is he elite when it comes to destroying baseballs, but he clearly cares deeply every time he steps on the field. And that really resonates with fans in an era of player power and stars forcing their way out of town in other sports. The fact that Alonso loves being a Met as much as we love him being a Met is why it will be such a sad day if he does sign elsewhere this winter.
And, as much as I don’t want that to happen, I will always be thankful for being able to witness history last year. Watching Alonso surpass Darryl Strawberry as the Mets’ all-time home run king was truly thrilling, and we’re all incredibly lucky to have gotten the chance to have a front-row seat to that historic chase.
Getting the opportunity to see Alonso blast baseballs deep into the sky has been one of the biggest thrills of my Mets fandom, and I hope that continues beyond this year.
Francisco Lindor
Say what you want about slow starts and cold streaks throughout the year, we are blessed to have Francisco Lindor in a Mets uniform. And I would make him the next captain of this franchise tomorrow.
Has a player ever embraced a city and a team following a trade as much as Lindor has embraced the Mets and New York since coming over from Cleveland? I’d have to do some research on that, but I’m not convinced there is a better answer. Lindor is clearly all in with this team, and he was the driving force behind that remarkable, incredible, unforgettable turnaround in 2024.
The joy that Lindor plays with is so infectious, and it is also endearing because it is almost as if he is playing the game for us. Lindor is like one of us out on the baseball diamond, living out all of our dreams and not for one second taking for granted just how lucky he is. He plays the game with a childlike wonder and joy, and his ability to come up clutch in the biggest moments has given us some wonderful memories over the last couple of years alone.
Plus, and I don’t think this point can be overstated, Lindor is just a good guy who does everything right on and off the field. He ticks all the boxes for what you want in a true leader, and I’m thankful that he’s going to be wearing a Mets uniform for the foreseeable future.
Juan Soto
One of the greatest and most beautiful things about sports is the unknown. You never truly know what you are going to see every time you go to the ballpark or turn on the TV. Magic could be seconds away from happening.
That’s why I’m so thankful for Juan Soto.
Anything is possible whenever Soto steps to the plate, and the end result is usually pretty damn special. The superstar hitter did some pretty remarkable things in his first year in Queens, finishing third in NL MVP voting despite that now infamous slow start.
But, beyond the gaudy numbers, beyond the 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, 127 walks, and 38 stolen bases, the wonder of watching Soto perform his craft at the plate was just intoxicating. We become sports fans because of players like Soto, because of their ability to make us believe, to invest in the notion that anything and everything really is possible.
For a long, long time, we as Mets fans could only watch on in envy as superstars opted to take their talents to other teams and other markets, mainly to the Yankees. Well, now times have changed and we get the pleasure of watching one of the best natural-born hitters of all time perform greatness in a Mets uniform. We should all be incredibly thankful for that.
The best booth in baseball
When you watch a baseball game, you want to be entertained as well as be informed. You want to learn stuff, while also being able to share in a laugh and a good time.
That’s why we Mets fans are so lucky. We get all of those things in abundance with the SNY booth. Gary, Keith, and Ron really are the best, and I don’t think there is another booth quite like it in all of sports, let alone baseball.
Not only do you become a smarter fan because of the broadcast, you also never quite know when you are going to be bent over in hysterics because of a story or observation you really have to hear in order to believe.
Plus, as we saw when the team completed its epic collapse at the end of last season, Gary, Keith, and Ron get the pulse of the fanbase. They just do, and that’s really important. With Keith yet to sign a new contract with SNY, let’s hope we get at least a few more years with the best booth in all of baseball.
Just Mets
Okay, I want to end on a little bit of a personal note. The 2026 season will mark my third season covering the Mets for this newsletter, and I’m just as thankful for this opportunity now as I was when I first got the gig in 2024, if not more so.
Covering the Mets for Just Mets has truly been a blast, even during stretches when this team hasn’t been fun to write about. Getting to work with this team of writers has been one of the biggest thrills of my career, and I’m over the moon to be a small part of a newsletter that keeps going from strength to strength. And I really do believe that next year will be our best one yet.
I will always forever be thankful to Rich and Michael for giving me the opportunity to write about the team I love, and I will always be thankful to all of you who take the time to read, comment, and interact with our work every single day. You make the hours of researching, writing, and editing all so worth it, and I just want to say thank you to all of you for making the last two seasons so enjoyable and for embracing me from the very start.
Here’s to a memorable Year Three.
And allow me to finish by wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving - I hope you have the best day celebrating with family and friends.
Around the League 🚩
The Blue Jays made their first major move of the offseason, signing free agent RHP Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal (NY Post)
The Angels are discussing a potential buyout with veteran 3B Anthony Rendon, who is expected to retire (ESPN)
The Orioles are set to hire former Cardinals and Padres manager Mike Shildt in a player development role (MASN)
The Cardinals have opened early talks with manager Oli Marmol over a potential extension, with a multi-year agreement likely to be reached this winter (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Well said. Also, with Steve and Alex Cohen at the helm, the off the field nonsense has stopped. Gone are the days of Mickey Callaway, etc. when we Mets fans had to bathe in Purell after we would read one story after another.
Also, be thankful for Edwin Díaz, no matter the outcome. Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thankful for Just Mets and GKR. Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Mets fans.