There is likely nothing the Giants can do to actually replace their starting quarterback. Their postseason dreams, as cruel as it sounds, evaporated that night in L.A.

But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t do everything they can to try. Because they sit 2-1. There are 52 others on their roster. John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen owe it to them to do everything in their power to position the Giants to win games.

That’s marginally possible with Jameis Winston. It’s impossible if something were to happen to him.

So, they went and got J.J. McCarthy. The imperfect solution to a nightmare reality the Giants wish they could wake up from.

“We’ve been turning over every stone,” Harbaugh said. “Really glad, really happy, very excited to add J.J. McCarthy.”

It’s easy to poke holes in the decision. The Giants’ own history leads to a clear guide where to start.

McCarthy was there for them in the 2024 draft. They needed a quarterback, too. They wined and dined him, studied every fiber of his on-field play and off-field life. They did not believe he was a fit for them -- New York, the city and everything that comes in the nation’s media capital, would eat him alive.

Then there’s what McCarthy’s accomplished since the Vikings selected him 10th overall. He had the inside track to earning the starting job as a rookie, but a season-ending injury handed it instead to Sam Darnold.

As the veteran pieced together the best season of his career (4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns), McCarthy rubbed teammates the wrong way with an apparent jealousy. He had his chance to step up the next season, when Minnesota let Darnold walk.

He crashed and burned. McCarthy went 6-4 as a starter, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He rushed for 181 yards and another four scores. Not horrible, but his erraticness on the field and immaturity off it overshadowed any potential worth developing.

The Vikings signed Kyler Murray this offseason. They brought back Carson Wentz. After a summer quarterback competition, McCarthy found himself third on the depth chart.

“This gives us the best chance to win,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.

The Giants gave Winston a two-year, $13-million extension earlier this month to be Dart’s backup. That’s a legitimate commitment. To now part with a fifth-round pick to get McCarthy is somewhat troubling and indicates the money was not well invested.

Winston was dreadful against the Rams, completing 11 of 27 passes (40.7 percent) for 111 yards and an interception. He was somewhat better against the lowly Titans but still left much to be desired in a 118-yard, zero-touchdown effort. He led the Giants to four field goals.

Schoen and Harbaugh could easily stick to their guns. Ride through with Winston no matter what. McCarthy seems to admittance they misvalued Winston’s worth. If they didn’t trust Jake Haener, elevated from the practice squad, as a backup, there were options in free agency (Jimmy Garoppolo) or practice squads (Josh Johnson) who were more than capable of riding out a game.

This aggression for McCarthy (the Vikings would not accept a sixth-round pick in compensation) is a two-fold covering: Both if Winston goes down, or if they’ve seen enough of the 32-year-old and believe they need a switch.

The expectation, talking to league sources, is that the Giants do not give up a fifth-round pick unless they plan to play McCarthy in the near future.

Minnesota was ready to move on. The Giants welcomed the chance to add a player they view as a competitor, gritty, mobile and has all the tools to be a plus passer in the NFL.

“He’s a very talented player and is going to make us a stronger football team,” Harbaugh said.

It wasn’t long ago the Giants’ crosstown rivals were dealt a similar blow. Aaron Rodgers went down four snaps into his debut season with the Jets. Behind him was Zach Wilson, the same quarterback Rodgers was brought in to replace.

In the days after Rodgers’ injury, the Jets began exploratory conversations with other quarterbacks. They had Super Bowl aspirations. They didn’t believe they were capable of accomplishing that with Wilson.

The player the front office settled on was Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill himself verbally agreed. For $10 million, he’d sign. That compensation wasn’t in the budget. The Jets had already spent on Rodgers. They’d invested the second overall pick in Wilson.

Higher-ups told the Jets to see it through with what they had -- no more resources would be given. The Jets finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs.

The Giants aren’t sacrificing this season because of their pride. Through three weeks, they sit tied with the Eagles and Cowboys atop the NFC East. Neither has shown any indication they’re going to separate from the pack.

If Winston isn’t it, the Giants now have another option. They didn’t before.

Winston will start against the Cardinals, Harbaugh said. Struggles there and McCarthy better start cramming.

It could be a short leash against the Commanders, although the Giants likely prefer to get through their Week 8 bye with their heads above water, then reevaluate things.

That would give McCarthy a month to get situated before the Giants gear up for their brutal final stretch.

“You know our situation,” Harbaugh said. “You want to go get the very best quarterback you could get. Which is what we did. That’s the thinking.”

New York gave itself a minute to grieve after Dart’s MRI revealed his season was over a week ago. The same was the case for Burns, whose MRI on Monday confirmed he tore his ACL against the Titans.

The initial diagnosis on each was positive -- the Giants believed they’d avoided the worst case. That optimism proved misplaced.

But no one outside the Giants building feels sorry for them. That sentiment is banned from inside, too. They aren’t blinking. They know they can’t. Certainly not Harbaugh or Schoen.

The Giants saw an opportunity on Monday to bring on a player who might be able to help them more than what they already had. So they did.

It might not work out. The Giants believe the chance it does is worth the risk.

"I'm always under pressure," Stearns said. "My job is to put a winning team on here, on the field, every single year. That hasn't changed from the day I sat up here for my introductory press conference to when I'm sitting up here right now."

What other key topics did Stearns discuss? From the Mets' roster to New York's retooled coaching staff and front office, here is a closer look.

Bo Bichette's opt-out decision remains ongoing

Bichette has time to opt in or out of his contract with the Mets. He and Stearns "have not had those discussions."

"I have not had those discussions with Bo," Stearns said of Bichette, who slashed .260/.312/.390 with 18 home runs and 78 RBI in 160 games. "He's got the right now to take some space, discuss with his family and his agent, and I'm sure he'll get back to us."

Brett Baty's September momentum

Baty slashed .333/.417/.608 with three home runs and 16 RBI in September, capping his fourth full season since his Aug. 17, 2022, debut. Will he take another step in 2027?

"The truth is we won't know," Stearns said of Baty, who slashed .236./.309/.371 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI in 143 games. "I do think, having been around Brett for multiple years now -- I think where he is from a mindset perspective, his level of belief in himself and how he works through an at-bat, is different right now. But as with any player, until you see it for an extended period, very difficult for me to sit here right now and have complete certainty on that."

Ronny Mauricio's 'flash'

Mauricio, who broke out with two home runs this past weekend to cap a 20-game sample size with the Mets this season, has a pivotal offseason entering the 2027 campaign.

"He's among them," Stearns said of Mauricio, who slashed .220/.258/.441 with four home runs and eight RBI. "Ronny goes into next year out of options. We saw the flash of potential over the last couple days. That was exciting for us to see -- I think great for him to experience going into the offseason, and so he's among them. I think he comes into spring training next year competing for a spot."

Francisco Alvarez's 'really encouraging' second half

Alvarez slashed .233/.311/.399 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 113 games but left Stearns impressed elsewhere.

"Probably up and down," Stearns said of Alvarez's fourth MLB season. "But we've seen, I think -- again, the second half Francisco behind the plate was really encouraging. I think his defense took a step forward behind the plate. His command of the pitching staff and game-calling took a step forward in the second half. Really a credit to him for not getting down and frustrated, and a credit to our coaching staff for getting him there."

Kodai Senga's to-be-determined role

Senga started 8 of 31 games and moved to the bullpen. Will he remain a reliever or return to his role in the starting rotation?

"I think we'll make that determination as we get into spring training and see where we are," Stearns said. "We know where Kodai's passion is. He's been very honest with that. We also understand that we need a level of production, in whatever role he's going to be in, to contribute to a winning team. And so, we'll ultimately make that role determination as we get into next year."

Bullpen options

Whether or not the Mets' bullpen includes Senga, Stearns sees options among the returning arms.

"I give Devin (Williams) a lot of credit for working his tail off to getting back here and being able to pitch a couple games in September," Stearns said of Williams (right shoulder strain) returning from a late-season stint on the injured list to make two relief appearances. "I think that was important for us. It was important for Devin. He's now going to have a completely normal offseason. He's healthy, he feels great and we expect him to be a big part in the back end of the bullpen going forward.

"We also feel really good about some of the younger guys who stepped up in a big way over the last two months, whether that's a Nate Lavender or (Dedniel Núñez) coming back or (Daniel) Duarte taking some leverage innings. We saw flashes from (Jefry) Yan that make you believe that there's a level in there that he can be one of the better left-handed relievers in baseball. Again, we need to see consistency, and we recognize that, and there's inevitable volatility in bullpens. But I think what we saw out of that group collectively was very encouraging."

Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill eye spring in Tommy John rehabs

Garrett and Megill are set to enter the spring at 100 percent after missing the 2026 season due to surgeries in 2025, Stearns said.

"They've both been around the team over the last couple weeks," Stearns said. "Great to see them. We expect them to be full go in spring training."

Stearns did not say whether Megill, a starter before he went down with his injury, would be a reliever when asked.

"I think he's going to come and compete, and we believe he can contribute on the team," Stearns said of Megill, who is a career 26-26 with a 4.46 ERA in 88 games (81 starts). "He'll ramp up for starter workload over the offseason and come to spring training, compete."

Jared Young's concussion recovery 'going well'

Young, who sustained a concussion in the past two weeks, is doing "well" after the "scary" incident against the Philadelphia Phillies.

"Concussions are serious, and obviously that was as ugly as it gets on a baseball field and scary," Stearns said of Young, who slashed .266/.330/.429 with nine home runs and 39 RBI in 103 games. "Right now, everything seems to be going well. But concussions are serious, and we've got to see how this goes."

Derek Falvey's addition to front office

The Mets added to the front office this past week when they hired Falvey as their senior advisor for baseball operations.

"Derek's in the office today," Stearns said. "He's up and going. Derek, in my estimation, is one of the better executives in our sport. He's got a tremendous amount of experience. He's touched every aspect of baseball operations over the course of his career. He ran the business side in Minnesota as well. So, I think he's going to help us everywhere. He's a great thought partner, can provide some different life experiences and different perspectives, and I'm thrilled that he's on board right now."

Falvey's career includes stints in the front offices of the Cleveland Guardians (2008-16) and Minnesota Twins (2017-26).

"I think you can add to front offices in a variety of different ways," Stearns said. "I think the important part is getting people here who are ready to contribute and want to contribute and can offer us perspectives that will help."

Stearns did not "close the door on" adding to the front office further.

"There's always executive movement in October," Stearns said. "I'm open to adding, as I've always been, if we find the right complements and the right people. So, I wouldn't close the door on anything right now."

Staff movement

Andy Green is the Mets' full-time manager, and "conversations on" his coaching staff will come in the near future.

"Andy and I are going to have conversations on that this week, and we'll get to a decision point here over the next week or so," Stearns said.

With the Mets' 2027 blueprint already taking shape, Green and Stearns look to build on the 2026 season's improved second half.

"I think the manager is always an integral part of that, and I think Andy did a really nice job creating an environment that facilitated that level of connection," Stearns said. "I also think players are responsible for that, and both the players we had here and the younger players and the Triple-A players who joined after the deadline made real effort of that and I'm appreciative of that."

Their first order of business? According to David Stearns, bolstering their starting pitching.

"I do think it is necessary for us to add to our rotation," Stearns said. "We can do that in a variety of different ways. We've talked about this plenty before -- you'd always love to add to the top of your rotation, any team would love to do that -- over the long term, what we need to do is develop pitchers at the top of our rotation, and I think we are proving we can do that, and we'll continue to do that."

This season, the Mets boasted a slew of young up-and-comers on the mound, beginning with Nolan McLean.

In his first full season with the Mets, McLean posted a 3.16 ERA across 31 starts (179.2 innings), eighth-lowest in the NL, and stood as the only Mets starter who didn't miss a single start. Known for his consistency, the 25-year-old followed an impressive 2025 debut campaign in which he became the first Mets pitcher to earn a win in his first four starts.

Behind McLean lie Zac Thornton, Jonah Tong, and Christian Scott, who are all fighting for a solidified spot in the starting rotation. Thornton, 24, earned a permanent call-up July 12, finishing the season with a 3.42 ERA and 63 strikeouts across 84.1 innings. 23-year-old Tong capped a strong season in which he bounced between the majors and minors by allowing just one run and striking out a career-high nine batters over five innings against the Washington Nationals Sept. 26. Pitching in the big leagues for the first time since 2024, Scott tallied 134 strikeouts to 47 walks in 110.0 innings, which works out to 11 Ks per nine innings and a 2.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Then there's Sean Manaea. Manaea saw his velocity dip during spring training and was relegated to a bullpen role to begin the year. Some success and openings in the rotation bumped him back into the mix, and he flashed a return to form but ultimately faltered, finishing the year with a 4.78 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 33 appearances (19 starts). It'll be interesting to see what the Mets do with the veteran in the offseason, as he's owed $25 million next year. 

While the group has plenty of promise as it now stands, Stearns hinted that he'd still like to a reliable ace to the mix, all while continuing to develop the pitchers currently in the Mets system.

"There are many ways to add," he said. "You can add at the super top end; everyone would love to do that. You can also add players with some flexibility that provide overall depth and length to the rotation as a whole. I do think -- partially through internal development, partially through what we did at the deadline -- we're probably going to have more options in our minor league system going into next season than we've had here previously, which is great."

One worthy target may be lefty Tarik Skubal. The two-time Cy Young award winner finished his final regular season appearance with the Los Angeles Dodgers this year with 10 strikeouts, no walks, and just three hits across seven innings and 75 pitches, 21 of which were swings-and-misses. Skubal, 29, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026 postseason, making him a perfect fit for Stearns' "aggressive" hopes for the offseason.

"There are points where you are selectively very aggressive in free agency," Stearns said. "This is an ownership group that has proven that we have the capability of doing that. Doesn't mean you're always going to land the player, and I think we've demonstrated that here -- whether it's for pitchers or position players -- that when the time is right, we have the resources and the willingness to be that aggressive."

There aren’t too many surprises, as things began to take shape once camp and preseason action came to a close.

Fifth overall pick Alberts Smits, who is set to become the youngest defenseman to play for the team since Dave Maloney in 1975.

Smits earned a spot with stellar showings during training camp and preseason action.

The youngster will be one of eight defensemen to start the year, along with 13 forwards.

Here's a rundown of the new-look Blueshirts roster:

Introducing your 2026-27 #NYR Opening Night roster ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Dq494NRKBx

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 28, 2026

As numerous reports indicated early Monday morning, star defender Brian Burns has suffered a torn right ACL that will require season-ending surgery. 

Burns underwent an MRI after leaving Sunday's win over the Titans midway through the fourth quarter.

The All-Pro pass rusher remained down for several moments in visible pain after colliding with a Titans lineman while rushing the passer. Burns pounded on the MetLife Stadium turf in frustration, then was able to walk off to the sidelines under his own power, but went to the locker room and was deemed questionable to return. 

Harbaugh said postgame that there was "some hope" the Giants might have avoided the worst-case scenario, but the MRI unfortunately revealed that was not the case.

The injury to Burns is the second massive bad break to befall the Giants in the last two weeks.

"It's a big challenge for us," the head coach said. "He's not just a great player, but in many ways the leader of the defense, I would say, just as a veteran leader and star player, also a worker, out-front kind of guy in everything he does -- just, you hate to see it, he was such a rock for us."

Burns had gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season but he served as that rock for the Giants defense last year, earning Second Team All-Pro honors after recording 67 tackles and a team-high 16.5 sacks. 

With him sidelined, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter will need to step up and produce.

They're doing a lot of things to offset our pass rush, but they're having a little too much success right now," Harbaugh said. "So we've got to keep finding ways to get the quarterback on the ground, and those two guys obviously are going to be a massive, massive part of that going forward."

Big Blue completed a deal to acquire former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings. 

Head coach John Harbaugh said they turned over every stone via free agency and the trade market before they were able to come to terms on an agreement with Minnesota early Monday morning. 

“This opportunity kind of came up,” he explained. “We’re excited to add J.J. -- he’s a young QB, comes with experience, was a very high draft pick and is a very talented player -- he’s going to make us a stronger football team.”

McCarthy, according to Harbaugh, sat atop the recommendations from the Giants front office. 

The long-time head coach was also plenty familiar with the youngster's potential having watched plenty of his games while he was playing under his brother, Jim, at Michigan. 

It was there McCarthy enjoyed his best success, including a perfect championship-winning season. 

While he wasn't quite able to carry that over to begin his professional career with the Vikings, Harbaugh still believes that he possesses some of that upside and potential. 

"He's a talented guy, there's no doubt about it," he emphasized. "He was a top-10 pick for a reason and there's plenty of good tape, even in the NFL out there, I know he didn't hold onto the job in Minnesota, and that's why he's available.

"I spent a lot of time looking at him last week along with a few other guys and I came away impressed. Our scouts had already done the work and I see the reports, and I would have to concur with the reports based on what I saw -- he can run, he can throw it, he can make plays, we'll see where it goes from here."

The Giants are hoping to get McCarthy into their building as soon as they can so that they can get to work with him and start the challenge of acclimating him to their offense. 

While they do that, he's is expected to slot in as the QB2 or QB3 with Jameis Winston remaining the starter. 

"Jameis is our starting quarterback, that's how we're rolling," Harbaugh declared. "We'll be ready to play this next game and going forward, we're excited about Jameis and we think that we're going to find ourselves offensively."

As far as the future? Harbaugh says Winston will remain the starter "for as long as I can see."

With that as a backdrop, president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke on Monday about the team's struggle to fill first base in 2026 after Pete Alonso signed a five-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles last offseason. On the decision to let Alonso walk, Stearns said he doesn't get "mulligans."

As far as how the Mets will address first base this offseason?

"I do think it's potentially a combination of internal pieces and external," Stearns explained. "I don't think, sitting up here right now, I'm gonna close the door on anything. I think Jared Young had a really good second half of the season. When we gave him consistent playing time, he responded and performed. 

"I think what we saw from Brett Baty, particularly over the last four-to-six weeks where he was one of the best offensive players in all of baseball -- we need to see him do that more consistently. Brett knows that. But I don't want to undercount that as well. We have other internal options, and I also think we're going to be looking externally as well."

On Baty specifically, Stearns was forthright regarding the possibility that his strong finish was fool's gold.

In parts of five big league seasons with the Mets, Baty has showed promise at the plate, including when he posted a .748 OPS in 2025. But he has not been consistent enough.

"The truth is, we won't know," Stearns said about whether Baty can carry over his end-of-season success to 2027. "I do think having been around Brett for multiple years now, I think where he is from a mindset perspective, his level of belief in himself, and how he works through an at-bat, is different right now. But as with any player, until you see it for an extended period, very difficult for me to sit here right now and have complete certainty on that."

Regarding other internal options at first base, Jorge Polanco is theoretically one of them.

But Polanco missed the majority of this season due to a lingering ankle injury that required season-ending surgery. When he was on the field, he struggled badly, putting up a 22 OPS+ in 37 games.

And Stearns doesn't have illusions about what to expect from Polanco in 2027, which is the second and final year of the contract he inked last offseason.

"With Jorge, the early stages of the rehab are going really well," Stearns said. "I know, having gotten to know the person over the last year, he's going to work exceptionally hard to put himself in position to contribute. I also don't know the exact extent of what that's going to look like. I'm not gonna sit here and say he's gonna play 120 games at first base.

"I think we need to wait and see where he is in spring training. I know that when he's healthy, this is a really good offensive player from both sides of the plate who can hit in the middle of the lineup and do a bunch of different things. I would love to have that version of player on the team, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we get in spring training."

When it comes to external options, the free agent market isn't particularly enticing.

Ty France is coming off a huge season for the Padres (career-best .865 OPS), but is entering his age-32 season and is one year removed from signing a minor league deal.

An intriguing option could be Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, who is expected to be posted for big league clubs this offseason.

Sato, 27, has been primarily a third baseman and outfielder in Japan, but could slide across the diamond to first base in the majors.

Sato smacked 37 homers in 136 games this season for the Hanshin Tigers while posting a career-best OPS of 1.017.

Manager Aaron Boone gave an update on several players at a news conference Monday, speaking about Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and more.

Judge to take live batting practice

Although Judge has made it clear that his personal goal is to be back on the field for the playoffs, Boone was still hesitant to commit to any decisions Monday. He did, however, say that the Yankee captain has been taking part in various parts of practice over the last few days.

"He did some hitting underneath and threw yesterday, underneath," Boone said. "...I believe he'll be part of the live [batting practice] today, so he's making progress. We'll continue to see where he's at."

The Yankees placed Judge on the 10-day IL on Sept. 17 due to a calf strain, ending his regular season. The two-time reigning MVP received a PPP injection for the injury last Monday, forcing him to limit activity altogether for a few days, but has since returned to the weight and training rooms.

When asked whether or not Boone saw Judge returning to right field as opposed to playing solely as a pinch hitter or designated hitter, Boone gave a similarly inconclusive response.

"I don't know," he said. "We'll continue to evaluate, and I'll listen to trainers and medical and see where we're at."

Speaking with reporters after Boone's comments, Judge noted he hasn't tried running the bases yet. In fact, he only mentioned running on the zero gravity machine. Still, he's trying to work his way onto the Game 1 roster.

"I've been doing a lot of convincing, I feel like, so I'm going to keep doing that," he said. "We're all going to be smart, but I think they all know I want to be out there, especially in the first game."

Stanton's status still unclear

Boone's answer for Stanton was the same: No final decision has been made.

"I've talked to him a bit," Boone said. "I don't know if there's one definitive [thing] like, 'Oh! There he is, he's on.' It's more just letting the day unfold, seeing where we're at, and then making a final call one way or another."

Stanton has missed nearly the whole season due to three calf injuries sustained at various points throughout the spring and summer. Last Thursday, Boone seemed hopeful about the five-time All Star's potential return to the lineup, noting that Stanton had returned to the cage and was "trending in the right direction."

Weathers, Grisham making progress

Both Trent Grisham and Ryan Weathers missed roughly the last month of the regular season, and while Boone danced around a concrete answer regarding their postseason participation as well, he mentioned they'd both likely take part in training today.

"Grish very much in play," Boone said. "[Today's] a very important day. He'll be a part of the live as well." 

He added that Weathers might warm his throwing arm up today.

Grisham was placed on the 10-day IL on Sept. 6 after tweaking his hamstring, which was declared a Grade 2 strain, less than three months after injuring the same hamstring in mid-June. His first stint on the IL lasted nearly three weeks. Weathers last pitched Aug. 22, missing the last month of the season due to a left forearm flexor strain. 

So sitting in the Citi Field press conference room just two weeks later, the Mets’ president of baseball operations was asked if he had any regrets over the way things went down. 

Alonso, of course, left the Mets this offseason for a big money five-year deal with the Orioles after not receiving an offer from the only organization he’d ever known.

In turn, Stearns attempted to replace his production by bringing in veteran Jorge Polanco, who ended up appearing in just 37 games after battling wrist and ankle injuries. 

So after seeing Mets fans give their fan favorite ovation after ovation in his heroic Citi Field return, Stearns said it’s a fair question looking back on things. 

“The truth is in this job I don’t get mulligans,” he emphasized. “I also recognize Pete had a tremendous year, and the totality of our production at first base wasn’t good enough, so my job now is to ensure that we’ve got better success across our roster, but for the entirety of the season better production at first base, as well.”

Alonso showed no ill-effects transitioning during his first year in the American League, as he became the first player in baseball history to lead both leagues in RBI in separate seasons (113).

He also launched a league-high 43 homers and posted career-best marks in OBP (.363) and OPS (.884), among several other offensive statistics, while missing just one game (Sunday’s rainout in the Bronx). 

The Mets, on the other hand, struggled to receive much of anything from the position before Jared Young stepped up with his breakout second-half of the season. 

Even with Young's production, it wasn't nearly good enough. 

“I give Pete an enormous amount of credit, he went out and had a great year,” Stearns said. “Our entire season our first base production wasn’t neatly good enough, now it’s my job to put a group together that plays better.”

While his offensive issues continued to worsen as he finished with a career-low .620 OPS, even more alarming was Semien's falloff at second base.

Following a 2025 campaign where Semien won the AL Gold Glove for the Rangers after ranking in the 92nd percentile in OAA, he was in the fourth percentile in 2026 -- near the very bottom of the league.

Semien has two years remaining on his contract, counting for $24 million toward the luxury tax payroll each of the next two seasons. That could obviously complicate things if he continues to struggle near the level he did this past season, and president of baseball operations David Stearns is making no promises about Semien's playing time going forward.

Asked on Monday during his end-of-season news conference at Citi Field whether he was ready to declare Semien the Mets' starting second baseman in 2027, Stearns was non-committal. 

Stearns also talked up Brett Baty as a second base option. Baty, whom Stearns mentioned as a first base option as well, closed the season on a hot streak at the plate, but still finished with an uninspiring .681 OPS.  

"I think we're gonna have options there next year," Stearns noted. "Marcus didn't have the type of year offensively that he wanted, that we would expect. Again, I think Brett showed us for the last four-to-six weeks of the season what his ceiling looks like. And as I said, we need him to get to that ceiling more consistently. 

"And then we have a host of really good minor league infielders who are knocking on the doorstep. And so sitting here right now, I'm not gonna commit to what second base looks like next year. But I do think we've got some really good players -- both at the major league level and prospects that are coming -- that can make that a productive position for us." 

The minor leaguers Stearns is likely referring to are Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, and Émilien Pitre.

Rojas, 21, was acquired in the deadline deal that sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the Chicago Cubs, and was ranked No. 1 on SNY's midseason Mets top prospects list.

After being acquired by New York, Rojas excelled, posting a .929 OPS in 29 games for Double-A Binghamton and homering in his first three games for Triple-A Syracuse following a late-season promotion.

Rojas might profile best at third base, but can also handle second.

Voit, 21, had a breakout season in 2026, slashing .347/.430/.517 for Binghamton after being promoted following a 76-game stint in the pitcher's haven of A-level Brooklyn. In 105 games across the two levels, Voit stole 45 bases and scored 80 runs.

Then there's the 23-year-old Pitre, a contact-first hitter the Mets acquired from the Rays in the Freddy Peralta trade.

Pitre hit .375 for Binghamton in 10 games after the trade, and hit .260 with a .357 OBP in 20 games following a promotion to Syracuse.

It remains possible that Semien rebounds following his down year. In the event he doesn't, the Mets could have a handful of in-house options ready to take over. And after listening to Stearns, it seems the ascension of someone like Rojas could come even sooner than initially expected.

Star RB Breece Hall is being considered week-to-week with his quad injury, according to reports. 

Hall will still likely have to miss some time, but the MRI was a positive one for Gang Green, as it revealed that the injury isn't as significant as some had initially believed. 

The 25-year-old, of course, was forced to leave Sunday's loss to the Lions early after going down on a run from Detroit's four-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. 

At the time, he'd rushed just 13 times for 32 yards in the game. 

"I felt something when I was running and then got tackled and planted and felt something else," Hall said postgame. "It's part of the game, it just sucks."

This is the latest in what's been an injury-filled career for Hall. 

He also missed time at the beginning of training camp due to a soft-tissue injury.

With him likely sidelined this weekend against the Bears, the Jets' already struggling running-game will have to lean on Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis to handle the bulk of the work. 

Head coach Mike Sullivan’s arrival did little to help the reeling club, as they found themselves on the outside looking in at the playoff picture once again. The Rangers underperformed and battled injuries to key pieces throughout the season, finishing in the basement of the Eastern Conference with a 34-39-9 record.

GM Chris Drury continued his retool ahead of the deadline and carried it into the offseason, making some intriguing additions along the way. None was more notable than new top scorer Pavel Dorofeyev, who was inked to a seven-year contract extension shortly after being acquired from the Golden Knights. 

Drury bulked up the depth to try to survive any injuries and revamped the d-core with hopes of getting things trending back in the right direction -- whether it will be enough remains to be seen.

What the Rangers have going for them…

They return an offensive core that showed some positives down the stretch in what was an otherwise very disappointing season from top-to-bottom. The trio of Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafreniere showed a tremendous connection over the closing weeks and they will be back together to start the year. 

You also have to hope that captain J.T. Miller will be able to put together a bounce back showing after he dealt with injuries throughout last season. Sliding in next to Dorofeyev should go a long way towards helping him, too. 

On top of that, Drury made some low-risk forward additions to lengthen the lineup and bolster the wing depth. 

Oliver Bjorkstrand was a consistent 20-goal scorer until his production dropped off last season with the Lightning, he’ll look to rebound alongside Miller and Dorofeyev on the second line. Eeli Tolvanen is an interesting add with Will Cuylle and Noah Laba as both look to take another step forward on the third line, as well. 

Then you have the defense, which returns a steady top pair of a healthy Adam Fox and last year’s big free agent addition, Vladislav Gavrikov. They also brought in a new second unit with veteran Marcus Petterson and the puck-moving Sean Durzi, both of whom Drury hand picked in offseason trades. 

Braden Schneider is bumped down to the third pairing, back on a one-year prove-it deal, and he’ll skate with this year’s first-round pick Alberts Smits, who proved that he is NHL-ready in camp.  

Then you add in the rest of the up-and-coming young talent in the system up front and on the back end such as Scott Morrow, Drew Fortescue, Liam Greentree, and Cole Beaudoin among others. Depth, depth, depth is the big thing for this group -- they have the makings of a team ready to take some steps forward this season. 

The Rangers will make the playoffs if…

Everything comes together as planned. 

As both Drury and Sullivan mentioned during their pre-camp news conference, one of the biggest things that hurt them last season was losing Fox and Shesterkin for long periods to injury. The Blueshirts bulked up their depth so they could potentially withstand another absence, but they absolutely need a fully healthy season from both of their stars. 

They also need to get off to a better start this season, especially on home ice. 

New York struggled mightily at MSG last season, losing 15 of their first 25 games at the arena, putting them in a deep hole they were unable to recover from. Playing better hockey in front of the NYC faithful is an absolute must, especially with 10 of their first 17 games this year being on home ice.

Dorofeyev carrying over his goal-scoring ways would go a long way towards that, with him having found the back of the net 35+ times each of the last two seasons with the Golden Knights. 

On top of that, they need the complimentary pieces to step up around him, particularly Miller, who is coming off an injury-plagued and unproductive first year as Rangers captain. Getting him back to a 70-80 point player would be huge. 

The new defensive core will also need to click on the back end, tightening things up and putting together much more consistent efforts right off the bat in front of Shesterkin. 

While the Metropolitan Division is getting more and more competitive, Drury seemingly has raised the floor on this squad. If all of these things come together, the Blueshirts should be able to climb their way right back into the playoff picture.

The Rangers will miss the playoffs if…

They can’t make up the production left behind after moving top scorer Artemi Panarin (deadline) and do it all center Vincent Trocheck (offseason). 

Panarin hurts in the goal-scoring department, an area New York struggled with even while he was still on Broadway, and Trocheck stings on both ends of the ice. If their new-look top-six can’t step up and put the puck in the net on a nightly basis, this team isn’t going to go very far for the third straight season. 

One of the biggest keys is also for Shesterkin to stay on the ice and return to the Vezina-winning form that carried them deep into their past postseason runs. Everything can come together in front of Shesterkin, but if he isn’t leading the way between the pipes it’s hard to see them crawling out of the cellar any time soon. 

Drury made aggressive moves to try to quickly work through this retool. Whether it will be enough remains to be seen. 

Prediction

Fifth place in Metropolitan Division, miss playoffs

This team has the pieces to take a step forward this season. The floor has been raised, but it’s hard to tell exactly what their ceiling is. The Rangers should be able to work their way back into playoff contention, but a lot has to go right for them to go much further than that. 

I do expect that they’ll be playing meaningful hockey and fighting for a spot down the stretch, but with the Wild Card race expected to be tight once again, I don’t think it’ll be enough to snap the two-year playoff drought. 

Drury’s seat would figure to only get hotter after parting ways with legit assets in this quick retool if the team doesn't get over the hump.

For the seventh time, these familiar rivals meet in the playoffs and, if the past is any indication, we’re due for more history, another slice of perma-angst for at least one fanbase, and maybe a new pejorative nickname or two. 

In this best-of-three AL Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, both teams must cope with injuries to huge hitters. Will Aaron Judge make the Yankee roster? Willson Contreras returned to the Red Sox lineup Sunday after missing eight games, but he’s got a bruised right hand that could hinder his thump.

Runs could be at a premium, because both teams have sharp pitching staffs. The Yanks (93-68) had the best starter ERA in baseball and the Red Sox (87-75) recorded the best bullpen ERA.

It may all come down to who melts in the October cauldron. Or who soars.

Each team has won three of the previous postseason meetings, so perhaps we can consider this a "Game 7" scenario? And nothing interesting ever happens in a Game 7, right? 

It’s so on. 

WHAT THE YANKEES HAVE GOING FOR THEM

Judge usually leads this department, but he’s iffy with a calf injury. He’s pledged to be on the roster, but even if he is, can he be impactful? 

With that swirling, the Yanks’ strength is clearly their starting rotation, led by Game 1 starter Cam Schlittler, the Massachusetts kid who shreds the Sox. You can expect the Twit-wits of New England to seethe at him on social media, but Schlittler seems built to handle online smoke. 

And he can certainly handle the mound. Schlittler, who will win the AL Cy Young Award after an amazing regular season, allowed one run or fewer in 21 of his 33 starts and became the fourth Yankee starter to finish a season with a sub-2.00 ERA (1.95). Over his last nine starts, he pitched to a 1.17 ERA.

Schlittler had a 0.74 ERA against Boston in four starts this season, and you might remember a certain October outing last year in which he was overpowering for eight shutout innings as the Yanks dispatched the Sox in a winner-take-all Game 3. 

The Yanks weighed whether Schlittler should start the first or second game — overthink much, Yankee braintrust? — before making the obvious choice. They’re loaded in Game 2, too, when Max Fried (2.80 ERA in 20 starts) goes. 

If Game 3 is necessary, Gerrit Cole will start. Cole has had some blips this season. But he’s been good his last two starts. Plus, it’s Gerrit Cole. 

The rotation is backed by a bullpen that had a strong regular season as Paul Blackburn (1.69 ERA) and Brent Headrick (2.18) emerged behind closer David Bednar. Will Warren will move from the rotation to the bullpen and could provide key length. Going into Game 1, the Yanks will have had three consecutive days off, thanks to last weekend’s Nor’easter, and the rest might mitigate some of the relief workload concerns that have bloomed late. 

With Judge only playing 66 games, Ben Rice (41 homers, .897 OPS) was the key cog in an offense that was eighth in runs per game (4.59). 

WHAT THE RED SOX HAVE GOING FOR THEM

Boston has both the best bullpen in baseball by ERA (3.00) and enough quality starters — Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suárez — to make things very difficult for the Yankees. 

The Yankees never seemed to know what to do with Gray when he was a Yankee from 2017-18, but he’s been terrific everywhere else and tied for the MLB lead with 18 wins this year and had a 2.72 ERA. The mustachioed Tolle, a lefty who pitches with a nifty joie de vivre, allowed one run and four hits over 13 innings in two starts against the Yanks. Suarez, another lefty, had a 3.22 ERA during the regular season, but the Yankees bashed him (6.06 ERA in three outings).

Without Judge, the Yanks’ lineup tilts too left-handed, which theoretically should make them vulnerable to lefty starters. But they were 35-20 in games started by a left-hander. 

The Boston rotation usually features Garrett Crochet, who put the Yankees on the brink of a quick exit last October with a masterful Game 1 performance. But after an injury-plagued year, he won’t start in this series. Problem is, he could be part of the Sox bullpen arsenal, which is already lethal. 

Ageless closer Aroldis Chapman (remember him?) is still dishing heat and hard looks. He had 35 saves, a 1.92 ERA and a 12.4 K/9. Garrett Whitlock, whom the Sox plucked from the Yankees in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, has a 1.72 ERA. The Red Sox bullpen gave up the fewest home runs of any relief corps in the majors this year.

THE YANKEES WILL WIN THE SERIES IF…

Their rotation continues to thrive and their power plays. The Yankees hit 223 home runs during the regular season, second in MLB to only the Houston Astros, despite missing Judge for so long. Home runs can dwindle in October, but they can also wreck a series, and if Rice slugs, watch out. If he doesn’t, there were 10 other Yankees who hit double-digit home runs this season and that doesn’t include Luis García Jr., who hit seven of his 30 with the Yanks after a deadline trade from Washington. 

Could Giancarlo Stanton finally return from injury and hit a big October laser? He’s done it before. 

Of course, as any Yankee fan will tell you, the pinstriped offense sometimes sputters if the ball isn’t soaring out of the park. But they’re capable of the speed game, too, after finishing sixth in stolen bases. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. had 41 steals and José Caballero added 34, so perhaps they can manufacture runs if their lightning sags.

THE RED SOX WILL WIN THE SERIES IF…

Yanks-Sox is fertile ground for a mega breakout (see Schlittler, Cam, from last October) and one of the most talented players on either team is Roman Anthony, the 22-year-old Red Sox outfielder. He’s had an injury-marred season but this might be his chance. Anthony had a 1.008 OPS over his final eight games. What if he goes bonkers at the Stadium? 

As noted, the Red Sox can really pitch. And they play strong defense, too — they were sixth-best in Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value. Can they score enough, though, especially if their best hitter, Contreras (.901 OPS) is compromised? Will Anthony help provide the answer? 

PREDICTION

Yankees in three. 

This is rivalry business, so there’s little chance of a sweep. Each team will face the brink, but the Yankees will shove the Red Sox over it by, well, shoving. Pitching, we mean.

The Red Sox averaged the second-fewest runs (4.25) of any playoff team and they’ll have a hard time plating enough against the Yanks.

The Yankees are comfortable at the Stadium, where they were 46-34 this season and 4-2 against the Red Sox, including winning three of four in late August.

Is that real intel or real insignificant? We’ll see, but it’s compelling that the Yankees blew out the Sox twice in that series and also won a 1-0 game that was started by, you guessed it — Schlittler.

Central among them are contract extension talks with big man Karl-Anthony Towns, versatile spark-plug Josh Hart, and reserve guard Miles McBride. 

While all three played an important role as part of the Knicks’ championship-winning core, it doesn’t sound like any of them are close to getting a deal done. 

Speaking about his situation in particular, Hart told reporters on Monday that there hasn’t been much movement between the two sides. 

The 31-year-old said that he hopes to get a deal done before the season to avoid his future being a potential distraction, but doesn’t expect that to be the case.

“You always want to get it done, as soon as possible,” Hart said. “Whenever there’s uncertainty there’s going to be a ton of questions, there’s going to be a lot of rumors, and at a human-level sometimes, that can wear people down — so obviously that’s something that you want to get done so that you don’t have to deal with that and focus on that.

"But we know at the end of the day that it’s a business, you have situations like that and you never know what’s going to happen in the end — for me, as long as I wear this jersey, I’m going to play as hard as I can for my guys and for the city and hopefully we can figure it out.”

Hart has now spent three-plus seasons with the Knicks since being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline. 

It didn't take long for him to establish himself as a favorite on and off the court for his signature tenacious rebounding and all-out high-energy style of play. 

New York is sending a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to Minnesota.

McCarthy had been serving as the Vikings' No. 3 QB this season, behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.

Joe Schoen and the Giants did legwork on McCarthy ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft (McCarthy went 10th overall), but picked Malik Nabers at No. 6 and waited until 2025 to select a franchise QB -- when they tabbed Dart at No. 25. 

McCarthy, 23, had a relatively rocky season for the Vikings in 2025, completing 140 of 243 passes (57.6 percent) for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with Minnesota going 6-4 in his 10 starts. He also rushed 37 times for 181 yards and four touchdowns. 

After missing his rookie year in 2024 due to a torn meniscus, McCarthy's 2025 season was also injury-riddled, as he missed five games due to a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 2, one game because of a concussion, and one game due to a hand injury. 

With the Giants adding McCarthy, he could eventually push Jameis Winston for the starting job. At the very least, he will be a higher upside backup option than Jake Haener, who served as the No. 2 QB on Sunday. 

And unlike Winston -- who is mostly a pocket passer -- McCarthy can make things happen with his legs.

Speaking after their Week 3 win, head coach John Harbaugh said he expected Winston to be the starter in Week 4 regardless of who the team acquired, but did not elaborate further when it came to Winston's hold on the job.

Winston struggled badly in Week 2 against the Rams after being thrust into action following Dart's early injury, badly missing his receivers at times while going just 11-for-27 for 118 yards and throwing a bad interception in the red zone.

Winston was slightly better in New York's Week 3 victory over the Titans, completing 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards. While the rain and wind played a part in the gameplan on Sunday, and likely impacted some of Winston's throws, he continued to be off target more often than not. He also sat in the pocket for too long, and was sacked three times. 

In September, the Giants signed Winston to a two-year extension worth $13 million that takes him through the 2028 season.

McCarthy is under contract through 2027, with a fifth-year option for 2028. 

That is, of course, star center Mitchell Robinson, who will not back with the squad after leaving them over the summer for the rival Celtics on a big money three-year deal in free agency. 

Though the organization’s higher-ups made it clear they hoped to stay under the second apron heading into this season, Robinson’s old mates were still shocked the two sides couldn’t reach a deal. 

"I was very surprised, all of us were," Karl-Anthony Towns said. "I thought something would get done there."

Towns and Robinson were together for just two of his eight seasons in the Big Apple, but they helped New York remain one of the premier rebounding teams in the league. 

Though Robinson missed stretches of time with numerous different injuries over the years, he continued to be a massive interior presence on both the offensive and defensive glass, when healthy. 

With him gone, the Knicks will need Towns to play like the All-Star he was last season. 

The 30-year-old Towns faces a bit of an uncertain future in the Big Apple, too, with just one year and a $61 million player option remaining on his current deal. 

Towns has been eligible for a four-year extension all summer, and while talks have been positive between the two sides, they still haven’t been able to come to terms on a deal. 

Asked about those discussions on Monday, the big man emphasized his desires again. 

“I’ve made it known I want to play here,” Towns said. “I’ve been a fan since I was young, but I would like to a deal done of course, so I can step on the court and feel as comfortable as possible.”

Like Robinson, Towns played a significant role in the Knicks' title run, shining during the regular season and postseason. 

But Burns is a warrior. He wanted to play. He was cleared to play. So he went out there, situationally, with the rain pouring down for most of the Giants’ 12-7 victory. 

He didn’t make it the full 60 minutes. 

Burns went down with a right knee injury early in the fourth quarter. MRI results that night revealed a torn ACL. A week after losing Jaxson Dart, the Giants will now be without Burns the rest of the season.

You don’t replace Burns. The Giants must simply try to survive.  

"I’m wishing the best for him," said Abdul Carter. "Everyone knows what Burns brings to the team."

The same optimism that was there after Dart went down versus the Rams returned on the East Coast. It looked bad. Really bad. Rushing Cam Ward’s blind side, Burns briefly engaged with former teammate Austin Schlottmann. He dropped and immediately grabbed his right knee. He pounded the MetLife turf with his fist. 

Aaron Stinnie and Andrew Thomas helped him off the field. Trainers took him the rest of the way. Despite how bad it looked, the initial diagnosis from the Giants medical team had the organization encouraged. They believed, structurally, everything was in tact. That’s why John Harbaugh said "there is some hope" right after the game. 

The hope, much like it was with Dart, ended up misplaced. 

If New York’s quarterback was the team’s most important offensive player, Burns held that role for the defense. He is a monster on the field, evident by his 16.5 sacks a season ago. He’s an elite edge rusher and solid against the run, but more than anything, the heart-and-soul and emotional leader of that side of the ball. 

So many players treat this as a job – justifiably so. Burns took everything that happened on the field to heart. When the Giants blew a late lead to the Broncos last season, it was Burns who sat in his locker stall after the game, in full game uniform, crying. Teammates gravitate toward that level of emotion, care. It’s why they elected him captain the last two years. 

"We are praying for him," said running back Cam Skattebo. "That really sucks." 

The Giants pass rush has changed quite a bit from where it left off last season. They traded three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence in the offseason. They believed they could withstand that because they still had Burns, Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Now Burns is gone, too. If coordinator Dennard Wilson’s unit is to still succeed, the two left standing must rise to the occasion.

Unfortunately for the Giants, that did not happen against the Titans.

The Giants entered Week 3 with just one sack – Carter beat a double team to bring down Matt Stafford – and that was with Burns. They chalked that up to an increase in chips (teams no longer have to worry about Lawrence inside) and two opponents (Dak Prescott then Stafford) who have seen it all and released the ball quickly.

Carter said in the locker room this week that he felt the opportunities would be there against Ward, in just his second season. He entered Sunday with the third slowest time-to-throw of the Week 1 starting quarterbacks.

Thibodeaux and Carter combined for one tackle and zero quarterback hits, sacks, pressures, or hurries. The Giants survived the winless Titans, but more because of Ward’s ineptitude and Brian Daboll’s questionable play calling than anything they did or didn’t do on the defensive side.

"We had to find a way to be our brother’s keeper," Winston said of Burns’ injury. "But we never lost faith. Our objective was to be 1-0. One play at a time."

Adversity strikes every NFL team. It’s all about how you weather it. Harbaugh brought the team together after Dart’s injury – rallying around the fact this was about the New York Giants, a team, not just one player.

But it’s not just one player anymore. The Giants just lost the most integral part of their defense, too.

Harbaugh hasn’t lost faith. He’s adamant on that.

You can’t blame him if it’s wavering, though.

Yet their improved play late in the season offers hope for 2027, especially with the emergence of a potential young core built around Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton. 

Of course, it remains to be seen if these Mets can carry over their post-trade deadline success into next season when the games will matter again, as well as whether Stearns can make better decisions regarding player acquisition this winter. 

In the meantime, here are my grades for the 2026 Mets.   

DAVID STEARNS

Unfortunately for Stearns, his grade was written in stone by June as the ballclub was out of contention and his roster decisions were backfiring on him at every turn. Months later, Pete Alonso's ballyhooed return to Citi Field in early September simply added insult to injury, as fans showed up in big numbers to cheer their former first baseman and express their anger at the powers-that-be for letting him leave. Hard to have a worse season overall, but Stearns does deserve some credit for the success the young players enjoyed, and in addition scouts generally thought he brought back solid returns for his sell-off at the trade deadline. Time will tell on that, but the trades were only necessary, of course, because the team failed so badly to that point. 

GRADE: F

ANDY GREEN

Hard to make any definitive evaluation on Green because the season was a lost cause when he took over in June, and the team didn’t start playing better until the white flag was officially waved at the trade deadline. Still, as interim manager, Green showed a good feel for situations on the field and with the media, especially in navigating the Alonso saga. Notably, he publicly pushed key young players to be better, with good results, and was widely praised in the clubhouse for his motivational ability when the Mets made him the permanent manager, giving him a three-year contract. We’ll see how he handles real expectations next season, but Green did enough to warrant the opportunity. 

GRADE: B 

CARSON BENGE

A month into his rookie season, Benge looked totally overmatched at the plate, which made what he did all the more impressive. Benge figured it out on the fly, making adjustments to handle high velocity, even up in the strike zone, to quickly become an accomplished hitter. Throw in his impressive defense and outstanding arm, and by September no less of an authority on the subject than Juan Soto made a point of calling Benge a "superstar."

GRADE: A

JUAN SOTO

The offensive numbers were impressive, as usual, but Soto missed 52 games due to two separate calf injuries. The Mets have to hope it was simply an aberration, considering he’s been very durable in the past, and not an indication of what lies ahead as he gets older. With runners in scoring position, Soto hit .276 with a .964 OPS, so overall he was good in the clutch, yet it still feels like he’s had very few memorable moments as a Met.

GRADE: B+

BO BICHETTE

Bichette’s early-season struggles were a big part of the Mets being buried by June. But it’s also worth noting that as much as he improved after the bad start, his OPS in the second half was a less than star-like .739, and his OPS+ for the season was 97, or below league average. On the good side, Bichette adapted to third base nicely.

GRADE: C-

FRANCISCO LINDOR

Lindor started the season doing weird things like forgetting how many outs there were and making errors on routine plays, and, with a calf injury mixed in, never really did hit his stride. Finished on a high note, hitting his 300th career home run in the season finale, but also finished with a .733 OPS, the lowest of his career.

GRADE: C-

A.J. EWING

The rookie cooled off and slumped badly after a sensational start when called up in May, but Ewing made adjustments and finished strong, hitting .326 in September, in a way that bodes well for him as the center fielder for years to come and likely the leadoff hitter as well.

GRADE: B

JARED YOUNG

Young was a pleasant surprise, becoming the de facto first baseman after all else failed, and he put up solid numbers, with a .759 OPS. He could have a role next year but can’t be the everyday first baseman, as the Mets need more power from that position.

GRADE: B

LUIS TORRENS

Around midseason, Torrens made a significant change in his mechanics as a hitter, bringing his hands closer to his body, and the result was an eye-opening second half, as he put up an OPS of .882 that included a .556 slugging percentage. He earned more playing time behind the plate and if the Mets believe that was more than a fluke, they might be tempted to trade Francisco Alvarez.

GRADE: B+

BRETT BATY

Baty finished strong for the second straight season, hitting .395 in September with a 1.202 OPS. But his history says Baty is simply a hot-and-cold hitter to extremes, and indeed even with his hot finish he couldn’t get his OPS to .700 for the season. He could fill a utility role next season with his versatility but can’t be counted on as a regular.

GRADE: C

FRANCISCO ALVAREZ

As usual, Alvarez had mini hot streaks that again raised hopes he could reach his once-ballyhooed potential. But in the end he had another so-so season, putting up a .710 OPS that included a .399 slugging percentage. Overall, he’s a solid offensive catcher, but his tendency to chase neck-high fastballs in RBI spots remains a major problem — and he still falls into bad habits defensively, backhanding balls in the dirt.

GRADE: C

MARCUS SEMIEN

A major disappointment, Semien slipped significantly defensively — at least by measure of metrics — because of diminishing range. He looked over-the-hill with the bat as well, hitting .215 with a .620 OPS. He’s owed $46 million over the next two years, but he can’t be an everyday player in 2027 if the Mets are serious about contending.

GRADE: D

MARK VIENTOS

A second straight subpar season and, simply put, it’s time for the Mets to move on.

GRADE: C-

JORGE POLANCO

Injuries ruined his season, but his history of missing time should have been a warning to Stearns and the Mets not to sign him to that two-year, $40 million deal.

GRADE: F

NOLAN MCLEAN

All in all a strong rookie season for McLean, even if it didn’t quite live up to the expectations created by his spectacular eight starts in 2025. He struggled badly in May, as the Mets’ season was going under, but figured it out from there, pitching to a 2.54 ERA over his final 19 starts, and still looks like an ace in the making.

GRADE: B+

ZAC THORNTON

Probably the nicest surprise of the season. Thornton wasn’t considered a blue-chip prospect, but the lefty came up and pitched to a 3.42 ERA over 15 starts. His stuff isn’t dominant, as evidenced by 63 K’s in 84 innings, but Thornton pitches fearlessly, works the corners of the strike zone, and induces weak contact. He could be a solid No. 3 or No. 4 type starter.

GRADE: B+

CHRISTIAN SCOTT

A solid first-year return from Tommy John surgery, as Scott pitched 110 innings to a 3.85 ERA and showed flashes of brilliance with a high-octane fastball that was primarily responsible for his impressive strikeout numbers — 11 K's/per nine innings. But to be a rotation mainstay, he needs to find more consistency and eliminate the starts where he either paid for hanging his sweeper or issued too many walks that led to elevated pitch counts.

GRADE: B

JONAH TONG

It was looking like a lost season in the minors for a long time, as Tong struggled trying to add a third pitch to his fastball/changeup combination, causing him to lower the over-the-top arm slot that gave his fastball deception. But he eventually found the old arm slot and pitched well enough in his September call-up to offer hope he can be an effective starter if needed next season.

GRADE: C+

SEAN MANAEA

It was a weird season for Manaea: he was a non-factor early, due mostly to an unexplained lack of velocity, then eventually regained the zip on his fastball and had a midseason run of good starts. But he lost his mojo down the stretch, pitching to a 5.36 ERA in September. Manaea is owed $25 million in 2027, so he’ll likely be back next season, but can’t be counted on as more than a back-end starter.

GRADE: D

FREDDY PERALTA

Peralta’s late-season success with the Tampa Bay Rays reflects poorly on the Mets, as he’s changed his mechanics and seemingly rediscovered the dominance he had with the Milwaukee Brewers. Yet some of his failure as a Met is certainly on him. Perhaps he put too much pressure on himself to be an ace in New York. In any case, he was a major factor in the Mets’ forgettable season.

GRADE: D-

KODAI SENGA

Senga salvaged a failed year with his late-season success as a late-inning reliever. He might even be the closer next season, but still has a lot to prove in that role when the games really count.

GRADE: C-

DEVIN WILLIAMS

Can Williams be trusted as the closer? It's hard to say yes after his up-and-down season, his first in Queens. He did show dominance at times and had a good midseason run of closing out games, but early-season struggles helped bury the Mets early and then his inconsistency returned late, sandwiched around an IL stint. Williams finished with an unsightly 1.572 WHIP, due partly to high walk total, and a 92 ERA+ number, his second straight season below league average.

GRADE: D

NATE LAVENDER

Of the many minor league relievers promoted after the trade deadline, Lavender was the most impressive, pitching to a 1.66 ERA over 21 innings with a 0.738 WHIP and offering the Mets hope he can be an effective late-inning lefty next season.

GRADE: A

Contract extension talks for Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride will be central topics in training camp. Also, the team’s mindset in a championship-defending season will be another big theme brought up. Let’s look at what players are facing the most questions heading into the new season.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Coming off a title, the Knicks are still on cloud nine. Jalen Brunson just continued the good times hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.

However, one potential rain cloud on the way is Towns’ contract extension talks. The team and the big man have yet to come to terms on a new deal. Towns can sign for a maximum of four years and $276 million. SNY’s Ian Begley noted last week that the Knicks have made offers to Towns that started between $45 million and $50 million per season, which would equal a range of $180 million to $200 million over a four-year deal.

Towns is vital to New York’s championship hopes. The center’s mix of elite outside shooting and post-up makes him a difficult cover for opposing defenses. He has also grown as a playmaker and defender over two seasons in New York.

If the Knicks and Towns can’t come to an agreement, the team would be in serious trouble. First, if he accepts his $61 million player option for next season, New York would likely cross the second apron. If Towns opts out, he can enter unrestricted free agency and sign with another team. That would leave the Knicks with limited options to replace him.

Towns and the Knicks have all season to come to terms on a deal, so the alarm bell hasn’t officially been rung yet. Will he sign an extension? That will be a question that hovers over the team until an agreement is reached.

Miles McBride

Another contract extension to watch is McBride. The reserve guard is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. 

McBride’s extension hinges on what happens in Towns and Hart’s contract extension talks. Specifically, if Towns signs an extension at a lower cap figure than his $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season, the Knicks might have room to negotiate with McBride and re-sign him. If not, then the Knicks could move the guard either in-season or he can leave as a free agent.

McBride is a key part of New York’s plans. He’s a high-volume three-point shooter and is accurate from long distance. McBride has shot 39.6 percent from beyond the three-point arc over the last three seasons. A very good point-of-attack defender, the former second-round pick has also been able to guard some wings, despite being listed at just 6-foot-2. Over the years, McBride has proven effective from the bench, but he’s also been able to fill in as an occasional starter at either guard position.

At 26 years old, is there still any more room for McBride to grow? In the NBA Finals, he struggled with the San Antonio Spurs’ full-court defensive pressure, scoring just 11 points in five games. While McBride’s development will be important to watch, how the Knicks handle the guard’s pending free agency will ultimately be a storyline all season.

Mohamed Diawara

It would be easy to go the contract extension route and have Hart as a topic. But I think the Knicks and Hart have an easier path to an extension since his fit to the current Knicks roster is ideal. Also, the Knicks have a team option on Hart for the 2027-28 season.

Let’s focus on Diawara. Entering his second year, Diawara showed signs of being a rotation player with solid defense and a better-than-expected jumper. However, he eventually fell out of New York’s rotation in the second half of the regular season. The Knicks believed in Diawara’s potential, signing the French forward to a four-year, $11.2 million contract.

Diawara had a rough Summer League showing, but he still has promise as a useful rotation player. At 6-foot-9, he offers a mix of length and skill that could be helpful to a Knicks bench that is small. The perimeter bench players in the rotation are all 6-foot-5 or under. Can Mike Brown find minutes for the forward?

As I mentioned earlier in the offseason, Diawara’s development with the Knicks will be important for the future of the franchise. As the club looks to avoid the second apron over the next few years, there’s a chance key rotation players will depart. Developing young players on cheap contracts will be important to New York in maintaining a contender.

A year that started with World Series aspirations for a roster led by veterans devolved to the point where then-manager Carlos Mendoza was fired at the end of June -- a month before a major trade deadline sell-off jettisoned not only pending free agents but players who were under contract beyond 2026.

Injuries (especially ones to Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor) were one of the main reasons the season spun out of control, and the freak injury to Clay Holmes in May when the team was starting to find its footing was an extra twist of the knife. 

But in addition to the injuries was a whole lot of underperformance and sloppy play. And there were questions in the aftermath regarding whether the Mets simply underwent too much change between 2025 and 2026 -- not just in terms of the players who were brought in but the mostly new coaching staff that oversaw them. 

A silver lining was the team's inspiring late-season performance, which coincided with Andy Green taking over as manager (interim and then full-time) and the club having somewhat of a new identity as Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing emerged as key contributors, Zac Thornton made an impact in the rotation, and Kodai Senga shifted to a late-inning relief role. 

As the attention shifts to the offseason, president of baseball operations David Stearns and the front office will attempt to assemble a roster that can get New York back to the postseason for the first time since a magical NLCS run in 2024. 

Beyond player moves, there are other key storylines to keep an eye on, including a potential lockout that could begin on Dec. 1.

Here are five things to watch...

Is Tarik Skubal a target?

The Mets' failures in 2025 and 2026 can be traced back to a number of things, but chief among them was a lack of starting pitching depth.

It's the main reason the 2025 season went haywire, and it helped cause an insurmountable hole to dig out of in the first few months of 2026.

Heading into 2027, the Mets have two young, homegrown, high-upside locks in the rotation (Nolan McLean and Christian Scott), one veteran who profiles as a potentially solid back-end starter (Sean Manaea), and one intriguing option coming off a successful first taste of the majors (Zac Thornton). There's also Jonah Tong, whose upside remains high despite an up-and-down 2026 campaign. 

It can be argued that in the last two offseasons, the Mets have left themselves one starting pitcher short. So an ideal scenario this time around would be adding two rotation cogs, including one who can profile at the very top of the staff.

Luckily for the Mets, one of the best pitchers in baseball will be a free agent this offseason.

Skubal, who was traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers during the year, will be entering his age-30 season in 2027 and will not be attached to a qualifying offer, perhaps making him a perfect fit for the Mets.

In the past, Stearns signing the top pitcher on the market (who might get the biggest deal ever for a starting pitcher when it comes to both average annual value and total dollars) would be a major upset -- Stearns' reluctance to shell out long-term contracts for starting pitchers 30 or older is real. But Skubal is the kind of pitcher you make an exception for. And Stearns is entering a prove-it offseason.

Perhaps it would take a nudge from owner Steve Cohen for the Mets to go all-in on Skubal, but it's hard to argue against a serious pursuit.

Who's on first?

One offseason removed from letting Pete Alonso leave to sign a five-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles, the Mets will once again attempt to replace him.

Jorge Polanco, who was signed last offseason to be part of the solution when it came to making up for Alonso's production, had an injury-riddled year that required season-ending ankle surgery. Polanco has one more year on his deal but is a major question mark, possibly making him a DH-only option next season -- if his health allows.

The Mets could possibly turn to Jared Young at first base, but his lack of power (just nine home runs in 103 games in 2026) and struggles against left-handed pitching (.606 OPS against lefties in 2026) are two reasons why that might not be ideal.

With the Mets not having any first base prospects close to contributing in a serious way, their best bet could be the free agent or trade market.

Of the big league free agent crop, the most intriguing option could be Ty France.

But the highest-upside option is 27-year-old star Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, who is expected to be posted this offseason.

The labor battle and possible fallout

Barring an unexpected breakthrough in CBA negotiations, the owners will lock out the players on Dec. 1.

This could have massive ramifications both before and after.

The expectation of the lockout beginning on Dec. 1 could set off a rash of free agent and trade activity between the end of the World Series and Nov. 30, potentially changing the dynamic of the offseason.

Then there's the result of the expected lockout.

While it would be a huge surprise if the players acquiesce to a hard salary cap, it's likely that the new CBA will have stiffer penalties for teams that exceed the luxury tax thresholds.

That would have an impact on teams like the Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees, and add another wrinkle to this offseason.

The bullpen plan

The Mets traded pending free agent lefties Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter at the deadline, but didn't stop there, as they also dealt Luke Weaver (under contract through 2027) and Huascar Brazoban (under team control through 2029).

With the back end of the bullpen gutted, it provided runway for rookie Nate Lavender and 29-year-old Daniel Duarte to shine. Meanwhile, Dedniel Núñez rounded back into form after some early hiccups following his return from Tommy John surgery. So the Mets have some strong options as they rebuild the relief corps.

It remains to be seen how Senga will be deployed next season, but it's hard to envision a more sensible thing than keeping him in a relief role, where his fastball-ghost fork combo plays up.

Then there's Devin Williams, who has two years remaining on the contract he signed last offseason and might be best suited for a setup role.

As is the case with the rotation, the Mets could use an anchor in the bullpen. Beyond Adrian Morejon, the free agent class isn't rich with elite back-end arms, so New York might have to get creative.

Coaching staff changes coming?

Speaking last week while announcing the removal of Green's interim tag, Stearns said the future of the coaching staff would be discussed after the season.

Of the new coaches added ahead of the 2026 campaign, pitching coach Justin Willard, hitting coach Troy Snitker, and bench coach Kai Correa were the most high-profile.

Since those coaches were hired before Green, and given the early struggles that doomed the Mets' season, it's fair to wonder if there will be changes.

Yes, missing the playoffs was a failure -- an unthinkable one, especially given it happened last year, too. Teams with the Mets’ payroll and star power and aspirations cannot miss the postseason two years in a row during the expanded postseason era. Publicly and privately, everyone in the Mets organization seems to agree about that.

Last year, they tried to address those failures by changing almost everything. This year, the emergence of some productive young outfielders, several promising young starters, and a more refreshing clubhouse dynamic mean this time, there is plenty worth preserving.

“We have some good pieces,” Francisco Lindor said. “Our relationships grew. Guys are getting used to being in New York. The coaching staff that was their first time coaching in the big leagues, now it will be year two. I think we are moving forward … I think we’re going to be in a much better spot.”

Almost every member of the Mets lineup that took the field for the final game of the 2026 season will more than likely be on their roster in 2027. In fact, unless someone is traded, every player in the Mets starting nine is under contract next year except for Bo Bichette.

Bichette has been noncommittal about whether he will opt out of his three-year, $126 million dollar deal, though he has been effusive in his support for new manager Andy Green and -- at the risk of sounding like someone who has spent too much time poring over the Zapruder film -- did not linger for any particularly emotional goodbyes Sunday afternoon.

“It’s going to mean a lot [to have him back in the lineup],” Juan Soto said when asked what it would mean to have Bichette back. “Definitely in the lineup, you want a guy who is like Bo who can drive the ball everywhere on the field, he can drive some guys in. It’s gonna be special. Tough year, first year in New York, but I think it’s going to be better for him the next couple years.”

If Bichette does opt in, the Mets’ projected lineup next season will probably look very much like their projected lineup for much of the last two months. The main difference would likely come on the right side of the infield, where the Mets could easily be comfortable with Jorge Polanco and Jared Young competing for first base at-bats initially, presuming both recover from their season-ending injuries.

A second difference could form at second, which has belonged to Marcus Semien for most of this season. Green made clear Sunday that the veteran must improve on his .214 average and.619 OPS to maintain his hold on it.

“Marcus and I talked at length the other day, and I think the crux of what he shared is that he believes much better baseball is inside of him than what’s come out of him,” Green said. “He wants to hold himself to that level of a standard and understands that has to happen to get the level of consistency he’s gotten from at-bats this year.”

A variety of young players will be in the market for second base at-bats in Semien’s place, including not-so-young Brett Baty, whose late-season surge provided reason to believe he might finally validate the Mets’ years of faith in him. But Baty’s tenure is also emblematic of the Mets’ recent willingness to bet players whose track records have not established them as sure things.

They do not seem willing to make the same mistake with their pitching staff next year. Green made clear Saturday, for example, that Jonah Tong’s hopeful September does not mean he will get innings for the Mets in April.

“Been forthright with him: What does an organization desperately need to win a World Series?” Green said. “You need guys that are six and seven starters that start the year in Triple-A that can come up and dominate. You don’t win a World Series with only five starters.”

Well, if the 2027 Mets are going to feature more than five starters not named Jonah Tong, as was the implication, they are all but certainly going to be shopping for some big-name starters this winter.

Whether they will chase Tarik Skubal with all Steve Cohen’s financial might is currently unclear. But clearly, they are planning for their rotation to look different next season than it did at season’s end.

Since they traded away several top relievers at the deadline, the Mets will probably need help in the bullpen, too. But after the emergence of middle-inning candidates like Kodai Senga and Nate Lavender, plus the planned return of Devin Williams, that unit will probably be somewhat familiar next year, too.

“I think we have everything that we need,” Soto said. “Just got to add a couple pieces in the offseason, and I think it’s going to be even better of a team.”

The obvious question, of course, is whether a team that finished 14 games under .500 should really plan to improve significantly without a major remodel. Perhaps, someday, if everything goes to plan, they will be able to say they spent the 2026 season undergoing just that.

Holland was expected to come and serve as a playmaker in the middle of Big Blue’s defense after signing on a big-money three-year deal in free agency last offseason. 

However, that didn’t end up being the case, as the safety endured an up-and-down campaign on the back end, and he forced just one turnover over his first 14 games as a Giant. 

Holland put in the work over the offseason and during training camp in an effort to turn things around, though, and thus far he’s been able to do just that. 

“He’s been very intentional about his work,” linebacker Abdul Carter said. “It’s paying off for him big time.”

Holland has been one of the NFL's top safeties through the first three games, playing at an All-Pro level. 

He’s delivered those big plays the Giants were looking for when they’ve needed it the most, doing so once again late in Sunday’s victory over the Titans.

With Tennessee trailing by just five points and driving, it was Holland who stepped up and picked off a Cam Ward mistake of a pass all alone in the end zone, sealing the 12-7 victory. 

The 26-year-old took off his helmet and was hoisted up by his teammates in celebration.

“That’s the way these games usually go,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “For Jevon to come up and make that play, for the defense to rise up and make a play to win a game, that’s what’s required in this league.”

Holland is now tied for the league lead with three interceptions on the year.

He’s also forced a pair of fumbles, recovered one of those, has broken up three passes, and has made a dozen tackles through the first three games. 

“Honestly, that’s what I expected,” Harbaugh said. “You saw what he did while with Miami -- that’s the kind of player Jevon Holland has always been -- to see him flourishing the way he is so far, it’s just been wonderful.”

“Carson Benge,” Soto said after New York’s 6-4 defeat in Washington on the season’s final day.

“That’s the confidence we have,” Soto added. “We have a really good, talented group, really young core that can help us; you just gotta take them to the right path, show them where to go and how to go about this stuff and play the game.”

Benge made sure to end his rookie season with three hits in five at-bats and an RBI. His final numbers over the first 156 games of his big league career: 20 home runs, 22 doubles, 65 RBI, and a .282/.346/.430 slash line for a .776 OPS to go along with 22 stolen bases to be the first Mets rookie in the 20-20 club.

What stood out to manager Andy Green was “how consistent” the 23-year-old was after coming out of his first slump of the season, as since his average fell to .136 after 20 games, Benge hit .300 with an OPS over .820 the rest of the way to end the year with a team-leading 168 hits.

He’s been as good as any outfielder in baseball, almost,” Green said. “He continues to get hits. If he had more games, he’d climb to .300 right now the way it’s going. He’s been really good.”

The skipper added that if he had a vote for National League Rookie of the Year, he knows who he’d be voting for.

“You want to see guys honored who do it really well and play the game the right way, and he’s done that,” Green said. 

Soto echoed his manager’s statement.

“A hundred percent,” he said about Benge taking the award. “What he’s been showing, not only his offensive side; it's more the defensive side, too. He’s been showing it day in and day out running the bases, stealing bags and all that kinda stuff. 

“He’s a superstar. He’s been doing a really good job.”

Benge faces stiff competition for the NL honors as a couple of slugging first basemen have made excellent cases. Cincinnati's Sal Stewart smacked 57 extra-base hits (32 homers) and 111 RBI while batting .263 with a .787 OPS. And Colorado's TJ Rumfield tallied 49 extra-base hits (16 homers) with a .300 average and .843 OPS. 

Perhaps Benge's stellar defense at a premium position can put him over the edge, as he finishes with 10 outfield assists to his name.

Remember 2022? Picture that. All over again. Only with more competence and less reliance on the horseshoe the Giants stashed under their bench that season.

Jaxson Dart is gone. Maybe he’ll be back for the playoffs, but unlikely. For New York to win without him, it must drag its opponents to the deep end and see if they can swim.

That’s what the Giants did with the Titans. And with the game on the line, Cam Ward drowned. His egregious end-zone interception, which Jevon Holland gleefully snatched from the air, sealed New York’s 12-7 win.

If the Giants are to survive the post-Dart era, this is the recipe to do so.

“They’re never perfect,” said John Harbaugh. “They need to be us doing what we need to do to win games.”

The Titans are not good. Robert Saleh has his hands full in Year 1, and old friend Brian Daboll is doing very little to endear himself to those in Nashville, Tenn.

It took the Titans until the final possession of the first half to get their first first down. They didn’t reach the red zone until the penultimate possession of the game. They had just 81 yards on the ground, averaging 3.9 per carry.

Then there was Ward. He missed throws high and missed them low. If he looked left, he missed someone open right. If he looked right, he missed the guy left.

This game is not close if the Giants have their quarterback.

The Titans began Sunday with five straight three-and-outs. New York’s second-year quarterback, who was close to perfect in the season opener against the Cowboys, buries them if spotted that many opportunities.

But that’s no longer the reality the Giants live in. It’s all about ending with more points than your opposition, and leaving the style points to others.

“Let me ask you something,” said Jameis Winston. “Would the old New York Football Giants have won (this) game? They said no. So it’s good when you’re able to find way to have one of those days.”

Winston rebounded slightly from Monday night’s disaster in L.A. He completed 14 of 22 passes (63.6 percent) for 118 yards. He didn’t turn it over.

The Giants ran for 138 yards on the ground, led by Cam Skattebo (60) and Najee Harris (52). They moved the ball -- three times getting to the Tennessee 21 or close -- all possessions ending with Dominic Zvada field goals.

It was enough. Barely. Because the Titans finally broke through, going 91 yards in 13 plays to pull within five. They had a chance to win it after a brief four-play Giants drive.

But then New York did something it failed too so many times a season ago. It slammed the door shut.

As long as Harbaugh roams New York’s sideline, the Giants will be more physical, or as physical, as the other team. They’ll have the stamina and mental endurance to go 15 rounds. They’ll be prepared -- an alien concept in East Rutherford. The three, four moments that dictate the outcome of close games will go in their direction.

It was first-and-goal for the Titans at the Giants seven yard line with 24 seconds left when Ward flushed left. This pass last year finds Wan’Dale Robinson, or Carnell Tate or Calvin Ridley. The Giants blew double-digit, fourth-quarter leads five times in 2025.

But this one didn’t. Holland knew, with Ward headed left in a scramble drill, receivers would follow. Holland held his position at the middle of the field and drifted with Ward. Holland readied to come up if Ward ran. When Holland saw Ward cock his arm, Holland held firm.

The ball floated. Holland jumped. Game over.

“The ball is just coming my way,” said Holland, who now has a league-leading three interceptions this season.

The Giants have the Cardinals next week. Then the Commanders, who may still be without quarterback Jayden Daniels. Both games are winnable following the script they deployed against the Titans.

It will get harder down the stretch when the competition stiffens. The same could be said in 2022, when the Giants took down the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens, the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers, and eventually the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.

They’ll add another quarterback to the room -- either by trade (J.J. McCarthy) or free agency (Jimmy Garoppolo) -- this week in case Winston falters. But this season is not lost -- not yet. The Giants showed on Sunday they’re going to fight.

“This is what it’s all about,” Harbaugh said. “Finding a way to win a rough game.”

They don’t care if it’s pretty. They just want to find ways to win.

After a 6-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on the season’s final day, manager Andy Green described the mood in the clubhouse as “hungry to change the narrative.”

“We’ve got three, four months here to get after it in the offseason,” the skipper said Sunday. “Each guy has the chance to chase the best version of themselves and after that’s done, get together in spring training, get after it, and do something special together.”

Of course, moving on from the 74-88 campaign will take time before getting back to the tabula rasa of Port St. Lucie next spring.

“I think right now there’s still frustration for the way the season unfolded for everybody in the organization and the entire fan base,” Green said. “That takes a while to flush before you get to the excitement phase. And that [disappointment] can drive you for a while, too. To ensure you end up doing everything you end up doing everything you possibly can do to get to the excited phase.”

Despite the down year, Francisco Lindor, who socked his 300th career home run on Sunday, said there was "a lot" of progress made during the season toward building a better future.

"We have some good pieces," Lindor said. "Our relationships grew; guys are getting used to being in New York... I think we are moving forward... we're preparing ourselves to go forward.

"I feel like we're gonna be in a much better spot next year." 

As far as lessons learned for the disappointing year, Lindor, who missed long stretches of the season on the injured list, that "health matters a lot" and "relationships grow even bigger throughout the ups and downs."

"I've learned that you can't force relationships," he continued. "I've learned that when you are healthy you gotta go give everything you got, no matter what's gonna happen tomorrow because things can get out of your hands real quick."

Juan Soto, who lost several weeks to calf injuries himself, had the harshest critique for himself.

“Tough one, a lot of up and downs. I want to call it disappointing, embarrassing,” Soto said of his season, which saw him finish with 27 home runs and 68 RBI in 11 games.  “I gotta prepare myself better. I gotta be better for the team, try to be out there for 162 and contribute as much as I can.”

Sean Manaea, who allowed five runs on seven hits over six innings in Sunday's loss, called the season a “disappointment” from both an individual and team standpoint.

“We didn’t, as a team, do what we needed to do. I personally didn’t do what I needed to do,” Manaea said. “I think there was flashes of some really good times. There was also a lot of negative things. Overall, I would say it's a disappointment, but I’m just glad I ended it on a high note and go into the offseason.”

Some of the flashes of good were an emergence of young talent, including in the rotation. The challenge for the offseason is to make the flashes more frequent. 

“These young guys coming in have unbelievable stuff,” Manaea said. “I know going into next year they can repeat, if not do better. And I know as a starting group, as a rotation, the closer we get to bonding we can do some incredible things.

“Super excited for them for next year; they can be great.”

One thing Lindor predicts to be a "non-issue" this offseason is the clubhouse.

"I think the clubhouse is in great shape," he said. "I don't think we should be hearing anything about it in the offseason because I feel like the clubhouse his great. Everybody here is in a really good spot. We are all pulling for each other, we all care for each other, and at the end of the day, this is about playing for each other and growing and wanting the best for each other so we can win.

"It shouldn't be an issue."

Soto agreed that the clubhouse is in a great spot.

"I think we got a lot of really good veteran players that have played this game for a long time and it's great, so far so good," he said. "I think we have everything that we need. Just gotta add couple pieces in the offseason, and I think it's gonna be even better for the team. "

The rookie linebacker came to the Giants with huge expectations after being selected with the fifth pick in this year’s draft, but he’s struggled a bit over his first two games at the pro level. 

Reese particularly didn’t like how he played on Monday Night Football against the Rams. 

So, the youngster took these days following the nationally-televised loss to do some self-reflecting, and he came into this weekend’s game with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

“I have way higher standards for myself,” Reese said. 

And the former All-American playmaker certainly was able to live up to those standards on Sunday, as he put together easily the best showing of his young-career to this point. 

Reese was just about everywhere in the Giants’ 12-7 win over the Titans. 

He made his presence early and often, causing havoc for the Tennessee offense in both the run and passing games. 

The 21-year-old finished with a game-high 13 tackles, two for a loss, and one pass deflection.

Reese performed well enough that head coach John Harbaugh presented him with the first of what could be many game balls in his NFL career. 

“He sprang onto the scene today,” Harbaugh declared postgame. “He was all over the field.”

The Giants certainly will need more performances like this from Reese moving forward, especially if Brian Burns is forced to miss anytime with his knee injury.  

Look for him to try to build off the success next Sunday against the Cardinals. 

Big Blue head coach John Harbaugh said following Sunday’s 12-7 win over the Titans that the team expects to turn back to Winston as their starter again in Week 4. 

While Winston’s showing against Tennessee wasn’t exactly the prettiest, Harbaugh felt that the veteran did what was "required and necessary" to pull out the victory on a tough weather day.

Winston completed 14-of-22 passes for just 118 yards, rushed for 15 more on a pair of carries, but also took care of the ball while battling the rainy conditions at MetLife Stadium.

Harbaugh emphasized that this week won’t effect how the Giants address the position.

Numerous reports have indicated that Big Blue plans on adding one or two QB’s to this mix this week, but the head coach made it clear that Winston will once again be their man against Arizona.  

Stewart, the two-time league MVP, added six assists, two steals and two blocks. She shot 11 for 18 from the floor with her friend and former college teammate Napheesa Collier, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, guarding her most of the afternoon.

Stewart, who recently helped the U.S. national team win a fifth consecutive World Cup, has the second-highest postseason scoring average by any player in league history. She was two short of the Liberty franchise record for points in a playoff game.

Nia Brodie led the Lynx with 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench and Kayla McBride had 14 points after missing her first five 3-point attempts. Collier and All-Star center Natasha Howard each fouled out, and star rookie Olivia Miles had a quiet postseason debut with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and just one assist.

New York hosts Game 2 on Tuesday with the opportunity to eliminate Minnesota, which must win to bring Game 3 back to Target Center on Thursday.

The Liberty were as tough an opponent as a team with the league's best regular-season record could face, finishing 26-18 and just two years removed from their first WNBA championship, which came at the expense of the Lynx in a dramatic final that went the full five games.

The Liberty were ousted in the first round last season by the Phoenix Mercury, who then eliminated the top-seeded Lynx before losing to the Las Vegas Aces for the title.

Hall was injured in a second-and-goal run from the Lions' 4-yard line when tackled by Trevor Nowaske.

Did Hall pull something?

"I don't know yet," he said after New York's 31-24 loss. "I felt something when I was running and then got tackled and planted and felt something else, so we'll see."

New York had Hall rush 13 times for 32 yards (2.5 average) with a long of 12. He rounded out his production in Detroit with three receptions for 23 yards (7.7 average).

"It sucks, but part of the game," Hall said. "It just sucks."

Through three games, Hall has 51 carries for 160 rushing yards (3.1 average) and one touchdown, plus 10 catches for 102 receiving yards (10.2 average).

Hall, 25, is in his fifth NFL season -- all with the Jets.

A former second-round pick from Iowa State, he has started 53 of 59 games.

Hall tore his ACL and meniscus in Week 7 of his rookie season on Oct. 23, 2022, limiting him to seven games.

"The game will not be rescheduled," the Yankees said in part of a release.

Thirty-three minutes before the game's original start time, the Yankees announced on social media, "Please be advised today’s game will not start on time."

After more than three hours without an update, the game was called.

New York enters the postseason with a 93-68 record, which secured the American League Wild Card's first spot.

The Yankees start a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox this week at Yankee Stadium with starting pitchers and game times set.

Here are some takeaways...

-- Jameis Winston and Big Blue's offense had plenty of opportunities to get in rhythm early. They were set up right out of the gate as the special teams forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, but drops and a John Michael Schmitz holding penalty stalled the drive and pushed them out of field goal range. 

-- A makeshift 30-yard third-down pass to Cam Skattebo helped them put three points on the board on their second drive, but New York otherwise looked sloppy in their first full quarter with Winston as the starting QB. They managed just 61 total yards over their first four drives, and went 1-for-5 on third-down conversions. 

-- The Giants' run-game was able to find some success during their first drive of the second quarter. They ran the ball eight straight times led by Najee Harris' first five touches of the game, but eventually got too cute and saw the drive stall out again on a botched wildcat play, settling for another field goal.

-- Tennessee's offense went most of the first half without picking up a first down, until Cam Ward connected with former Giant Wan'Dale Robinson late in the second (1:18 left). An offensive PI call stalled that drive, then a missed 59-yard field goal set the Giants up perfectly to put three more points on the board and carry a 9-0 lead into the half. 

-- The Giants put together their best drive of the game coming out of the half. Skattebo broke off a pair of long runs, Winston scrambled for 15 yards himself, but the drive stalled out once again after back-to-back red-zone penalties. They had to settle for Dominic Zvada's fourth field goal of the game, making it 12-0. 

-- The Titans answered right back with their best drive to this point. Tony Pollard got into a groove on the ground and Ward was finally able to connect with some open receivers, but they still couldn't put points on the board after Big Blue forced incompletions on third and fourth down from the seven-yard line. 

-- Tennessee's defense got a stop, though, and they were able to cut into the deficit. Ward connected with the former Giant Robinson for a four-yard TD with five minutes remaining in the fourth, then after another stop they continued to roll, quickly driving their way into Giants territory. With less than a minute on the clock, though, Jevon Holland came up with his third interception of the season on first-and-goal from the seven to lock up the victory.

-- Winston went just 14-of-22 for 118 yards (5.4 AVG) in his first game starting in place of Jaxson Dart. Skattebo rushed the ball 20 times for 60 yards, and Harris provided a nice spark with 52 yards of his own on nine touches. Zvada was the star for New York, though, drilling all four of his field goal attempts. 

-- The rookie Reese enjoyed his best game easily, leading the team with 13 tackles.

Highlights

Off to a great start ✅

Kickoff fumble recovery for New York! pic.twitter.com/OR2jjOBGTU

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 27, 2026

Dominic Zvada good from 39 in the storm

3/3 in his career so far pic.twitter.com/62BoDwkvgM

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) September 27, 2026

Jameis on the run! 💨 pic.twitter.com/NdlknS675A

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 27, 2026

What's next

The Giants host Arizona at MetLife in their Week 4 matchup Sunday at 1:00 p.m. 

Burns is set to undergo an MRI after leaving Sunday afternoon's win over the Titans midway through the fourth quarter with a right knee injury. 

The Giants' star pass rusher remained down for several moments in visible pain after colliding with a Tennessee o-lineman while rushing the passer. 

He pounded on the MetLife Stadium turf in frustration, then was able to walk off to the sidelines under his own power, but went to the locker room and was deemed questionable to return moments later. 

Head coach John Harbaugh said postgame there is "some hope" they may've avoided the worst-case. 

Burns, of course, was already playing through an left ankle sprain suffered Monday night in LA. 

Despite not practicing at all during the week, he was cleared to play but hadn’t been too active, recording just one QB hit through three and a half quarters before going down. 

If he's forced to the sidelined this time around, it'd be a  huge blow for the Giants' defense. 

LHP Max Fried is New York's starter for Wednesday's 8 p.m. Game 2.

If necessary, RHP Gerrit Cole is the Yankees' Game 3 pitcher for Thursday's 8 p.m. start.

"It's kind of been in the works here for probably the last month or so," manager Aaron Boone said Friday. "Obviously, tremendous rivalry -- a team that's had a resurgent season after a really difficult start. I think they're really good. I felt that way all year. Also real confident, if we play our game and pitch like we're capable of, we've got a good chance to move on. So, we've got to play our best starting Tuesday."

Schlittler, 25, went 14-6 with an AL-best 1.95 ERA in 193.2 IP over 33 starts during the Yankees' regular season. The AL Cy Young and MVP candidate has been historically dominant against the Red Sox.

The 32-year-old Fried was 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 112.2 IP over 20 regular-season starts while battling two IL stints for a left elbow bone bruise.

Cole, meanwhile, finished the regular season with a 10-9 record and 3.61 ERA. He made 22 starts in 127 IP during his first year back from March 2025 Tommy John surgery, activating May 22 and staying healthy.

The winner of the best-of-three series at Yankee Stadium subsequently faces the Tampa Bay Rays, who won the AL East, in the best-of-five ALDS.

The Mets' star shortstop smacked the 300th home run of his career, going back-to-back with Ronny Mauricio in the top of the second on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. 

"I don't think it's often you get to see baseball history," manager Andy Green said after New York fell in the season finale 6-4.

“He's been a special teammate the entire time I've been here; he's an unbelievable competitor," the manager continued. "His career speaks for itself. We all know where it's ultimately headed."

The shortstop, who finished the year with 21 homers in 105 games, called the moment "special."

"I think it's a good number," he said. "I'm blessed to be in the position that I'm in today. I thank the coaches; I thank the trainers. To hit 300, you got to be healthy for a long time. The trainers here, Cleveland, my people, have helped me a lot to stay on the field.

"It seems like it's a day for me, but at the end of the day, it's for all these people that have pushed me to be better day in and day out and made me better."

Lindor has seemingly been pressing since toeing the mark after cracking two as part of a monster game a couple of weeks ago in the Subway Series, but he was finally able to reach it on the final day of the season. 

Green said there was no indication that the little drought after hitting No. 299 was "eating at him," but Lindor "certainly didn't want to sit on it for the offseason."

"Glad he did it today; glad he got to celebrate with his teammates in there," the skipper said. "It's a good highlight for Mets fans to end this year."

Lindor, of course, said it was something that was on his mind to do before the end of the season, "for sure."

"I wasn't trying the past couple days. I was just trying to have good at-bats," he said. "And then today, something said, 'You know what? I'm gonna try to hit a home run.'

"Doesn't work out like that all the time, but today it did."

He used a September power surge to get there, lifting seven in the final month of the year. 

Of his 300 career dingers, 292 have come as a shortstop, with the other eight coming while serving as the DH. 

The only two players in MLB history with more home runs as a SS are Cal Ripken Jr. (345) and Alex Rodriguez (344). 

"We know how rare [300 HR's] is in baseball, but even how rarer it is as a shortstop," Green recently said. "We know what he’s battled through in the times where he hadn’t performed up to expectation in his own mind, and he always comes back and performs no matter what.

"You look up at the end of the year, and that’s exactly what Francisco Lindor does -- we’re well past a decade in his career right now, and it’s really, really special what he’s been able to do at this level."

300 HOME RUNS FOR FRANCISCO LINDOR! pic.twitter.com/k5Y8v3fuNf

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 27, 2026

Smits, of course, landed in New York as the fifth overall pick this year. 

He was viewed by many as one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the entire class, but it was uncertain if the Rangers would carry him heading into the year. 

Head coach Mike Sullivan made it clear at the beginning of training camp, though, that the youngster would have every opportunity to play his way onto the roster.

Smits did just that, fitting right in throughout the rookie scrimmages and pro camp before more than holding his own in game action during preseason play. 

Now, he’s officially set to begin his career with the Blueshirts. 

The 18-year-old will start the season with Braden Schneider on the third pair, as he’s done throughout camp.