inside the mets Jared Young has been a find for the Mets — where does he fit in the first-base plans? By Mike Puma Published Sep. 4, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET Jared Young gets set at first base during a Mets game against the Rays on Aug. 31, 2026. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Jared Young’s name belongs somewhere on a short list of things that have bounced right for the Mets this season.
The inverse list, which includes names such as Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Freddy Peralta most prominently, has defined the team, but through the wreckage the Mets have found a potential key piece for the 2027 roster in the 31-year-old Young.
He has produced a very respectable .758 OPS in 91 games this season and turned the team’s black hole at first base into something less daunting, following the injuries that limited Polanco’s season to 37 games and a combination of ineffectiveness and injury by Mark Vientos.
Young, who played in the Korean Baseball Organization two years ago, is the kind of productive under-the-radar acquisition that helped define president of baseball operations David Stearns’ tenure running the Brewers.
