Keep an eye on these Mets in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The 2026 World Baseball Classic starts today and though no Mets players feature in Chinese Taipei vs Australia later on, the boys from Flushing still offer plenty of intrigue on the global stage.

Of course, the Mets almost have an entire roster of players participating this year. Eighteen total across the major and minor league rosters, and for 12 of the 20 qualified teams.

That’s a lot of players for a team fresh off of a disappointing 2025 season. The Mets controlled their own destiny, but couldn’t beat the Marlins to finish out the season and missed the playoffs. The first year of Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million deal was defined by clubhouse drama instead of championship glory.

Regardless, the WBC only comes every so often and representing one’s country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And for these Mets, how they perform could signal the team’s chances in 2026.

Clay Holmes & Nolan McLean- USA

McLean hopes his strong showing through eight starts last year will follow him into 2026, even as he deals with vertigo ahead of the WBC. Thankfully, he says he’s fine and on schedule to pitch Game 4 on Tuesday of next week. Even though he’s just a mid-rotation piece for Team USA, how he approaches international play could be telling. His sinker and sweeper gave hitters fits in a handful of starts late last year, but he’ll need more in 2026. The WBC is the perfect stage for him to experiment with his pitches and try something new instead of his usual toolkit.

The more interesting arm, however, is Holmes. The former All-Star closer shifted to the rotation last year and tossed 165.2 innings in 33 games (31 starts), going 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA. That’s not bad at all, but underlying metrics put his ERA more realistically in the low-to-mid 4s range. Holmes also tired in the second half again, posting a 4.65 ERA across July and August. Being demoted to an opener/bullpen bulk arm was enough for him to post a 3.09 mark the rest of the way.

As of now, Holmes is not penciled in to start any of the first four WBC games. But if he does pitch at all, don’t expect more than relief work. The Mets need his arm fresh all year long.

MJ Melendez- Puerto Rico

Melendez couldn’t find his swing in the majors last year, but still mashed 20 homers at Triple-A Omaha in 2026. The lefty-swinging outfielder is still just 27 years old and batting .364 in spring training after signing with the Mets as a free agent. He also has 52 home runs in three full seasons. Flaws aside, he knows what he’s doing with a bat in his hands.

Melendez is in the mix alongside rookie Carson Benge for the Mets’ starting job in right field. One could argue leaving camp in Port St. Lucie to play in the WBC puts him at a disadvantage. But if Melendez keeps swinging a hot bat for Puerto Rico in the WBC and Benge keeps hitting singles? That could make Carlos Mendoza’s decision easier.

Mark Vientos- Nicaragua

The Mets need Vientos to bounce back in a big way in 2026. He went from 27 homers and a 132 wRC+ in 111 games in 2024 to 17 homers and a 97 wRC+ last season. His bat speed dipped, and batting .077 in five spring training games thus far doesn’t leave room for optimism.

Thus, the Mets can only hope playing for Nicaragua in the WBC serves as something of a reset for Mark Vientos. Whether he’s DHing or playing either corner infield spot, his goal is to reset and refocus at the plate. A strong WBC would ease some concerns around the lineup heading into the regular season.

Juan Soto- Dominican Republic

The most polarizing man in the game is back after turning a slow start in 2025 into a career season. Soto was streaky, batting .219 in May and .210 in July with a .322 June sandwiched in between. At season’s end, even with his Mets out of the playoffs, he hit .263 with a career-best 43 home runs and an NL-leading 38 stolen bases. Soto also led MLB in walks for the fourth time and led the NL in on-base percentage (OBP).

Don’t let batting .167 in spring training fool you. This is still Juan Soto. He’s going to draw a ton of walks, hit lots of home runs, and have a generally good season despite playing some ugly outfield defense.

As to the WBC, it’s just a matter of how he’ll perform relative to a stacked Dominican roster.