It is mid-January, and if you are looking for a New York Mets baseball score right now, you aren't going to find one on a live scoreboard. The grass at Citi Field is likely dormant, and the only "runs" being scored involve front-office executives sprinting to finalize arbitration deals. But that doesn’t mean the numbers are frozen. In fact, the final scores of 2025 are currently dictating every single move David Stearns makes as we crawl toward Spring Training 2026.
Last season was... something. Honestly, it was a rollercoaster that ended in a way that still has fans arguing on X (formerly Twitter) at 2:00 AM. The Mets finished with an 83-79 record. On paper, that’s a winning season. In Queens? It felt like a puzzle with three missing pieces and a coffee stain on the box. They finished second in the NL East, but they were a distant 13 games behind the Phillies. That gap is the only "score" that really matters to Steve Cohen right now.
The Most Recent New York Mets Baseball Score and Why it Lingers
The last time we saw this team in meaningful action, they fell to the Miami Marlins 4-0. It was a flat ending to a season that had moments of genuine magic. That shutout loss serves as a microcosm for the current state of the roster. You've got high-end talent like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, yet the team can still go cold when the lights are brightest.
But let's talk about the score that isn't on the board: the financial one.
The Mets just wrapped up a chaotic week of arbitration. If you’re a box score junkie, these numbers are your January equivalent of a home run tracker. David Peterson just avoided arbitration by agreeing to an $8.1 million deal. That’s a massive jump for a guy who, let’s be real, faded down the stretch last year. He finished 2025 with a 4.22 ERA. Is that $8 million worth of production? The Mets are betting it is, mostly because the starting pitching market is currently a disaster.
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Then you have Francisco Alvarez. He’s the heart of this team’s future. He settled for $2.4 million. It sounds like a bargain until you remember he's coming off UCL surgery on his thumb. Every "score" we see this winter is a gamble on health.
The 2026 Schedule: When Do the Scores Count Again?
Mark your calendars for February 21, 2026. That’s when the first "real" New York Mets baseball score will appear during their Spring Training opener against the Marlins at Clover Park. It won’t count for the standings, but for a fanbase that just watched Pete Alonso sign a $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, it’s going to feel like Game 7 of the World Series.
The loss of Alonso is the ghost haunting the scoreboard this year. You can't just delete 30+ home runs from a lineup and expect the "runs scored" column to stay the same. The Mets are banking on Jorge Polanco (signed for $40 million over two years) and the newly acquired Marcus Semien to bridge that gap. Trading Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers for Semien was the kind of "win-now" shocker that defines the Cohen era. It changes the chemistry of the top of the order entirely.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Mets Scoreboard
People look at a 5-3 loss and blame the bullpen. Usually, they're right. Last year, the Mets' ERA was 4.03, ranking 18th in the league. That’s why you’re seeing guys like Devin Williams (3 years, $51 million) and Luke Weaver (2 years, $22 million) brought in. Stearns is trying to build a bullpen that can actually protect a lead, something that felt like a coin flip last August.
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But the real "wrong" take? It’s thinking the Mets are in a "rebuild."
You don't pay Juan Soto and Marcus Semien if you’re rebuilding. You're "retooling." It's a fancy word for "we messed up the previous core and are trying to buy a new one while the prospects grow." It’s risky. It’s expensive. It’s very New York.
The Tactical Reality of 2026
If you’re checking for a New York Mets baseball score today, you’re actually looking for news on Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez. Rumors are swirling that the Mets are still aggressive in the trade market. They just flipped pitching prospect Franklin Gomez to the Guardians for international bonus pool money.
Why? Because the "score" for a successful franchise isn't just the wins in April; it's the depth in September.
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Kodai Senga is the wildcard here. When he's on, he's a Cy Young contender. When he's hurt—which was basically all of last year—the rotation falls apart. The Mets are currently set up to run a six-man rotation to keep his "ghost forkball" alive, but that requires five other guys to actually stay healthy.
Actionable Steps for the Dedicated Mets Fan
While we wait for the first pitch in Port St. Lucie, here is how you can actually track the "score" of the offseason:
- Watch the Hall of Fame Results: On January 20, we’ll see if Carlos Beltrán finally gets the call. It’s a different kind of Mets win, but it matters for the franchise’s soul.
- Monitor the Six-Man Rotation News: If the Mets don't sign one more mid-tier starter (think Freddy Peralta), the "score" of their games in May might be ugly due to pitcher fatigue.
- Check the Spring Training Ticket Prices: Believe it or not, tickets for the March 8th game against the Yankees are already hitting $104. That tells you the "hype score" is still high despite a quiet winter.
- Follow the "Baby Mets": Keep an eye on Carson Benge. If the "score" of the veteran lineup is lagging by June, he’s the first phone call the front office makes.
The scores that matter right now aren't on a LED screen at Citi Field. They are in the spreadsheets of the front office and the medical reports of the training staff. We’re only weeks away from the crack of the bat, but the foundation for every 2026 win is being laid in these quiet, cold January mornings.