Could the Mets Consider a Change at the Top of the Order?

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza addressed the possibility of shaking up the top of the batting order to jump start his scuffling lineup.

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets infielder Francisco Lindor (12) looks on while batting against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have found themselves in the thick of an ugly rough patch early on this season.

There are plenty of places to point the finger amid the slide, but the most glaring issue as of late has been the deafening silence of their bats. The Mets offense has produced zero runs in three of their last four games and are averaging just 1.5 during their six-game losing streak. On Monday night in Los Angeles, they tallied just three hits while making it 20 straight innings without a score, getting blanked 4-0 by the defending champion Dodgers.

Of course, New York has been without one of the best hitters in baseball in Juan Soto for the past seven games. But the Soto-less Mets have shown no life (1-6 in his absence) and are still waiting for the team's other star, Francisco Lindor, to pick up some of the load.

Lindor is a notoriously slow starter, but his struggles to start the 2026 season go beyond what Mets fans have grown accustomed to with the five-time All-Star. Sporting a .176/.291/.250 slash line and tallying just 12 hits across the first 17 games, the veteran shortstop has been one of the worst hitters on a team that has seen its share of trouble at the plate all the way down the lineup.

Apr 7, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) slides in to third base during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As New York's leadoff man, Lindor's inability to get on base has obviously been a huge obstacle to overcome. With Lindor clearly reeling and the Mets in desperate need of a spark, one solution could be making some tweaks to the top of the batting order to shake things up.

Mets Not Considering Moving Francisco Lindor Down the Lineup

Ahead of Game 2 in LA, manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about this, specifically if he would consider moving Lindor down in the lineup to get his bat going, to which he quickly dismissed the idea.

"Not really," Mendoza told the reporter. "Not at this point. He's too good of a hitter. No, I haven't considered it."

Carlos Mendoza says he hasn't given thought to moving Francisco Lindor down in the order

"He's too good of a hitter. No I haven't considered that" pic.twitter.com/1dFwc7cHoq

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 15, 2026

It's understandable for Mendoza to back Lindor, who has spent the last six years as one of New York's unquestioned leaders. It's also reasonable for Mendoza, who has over two seasons under his belt with Lindor, to assume that he will snap out of this slump and be the catalyst for the turnaround they desperately need.

It took just three pitches for Lindor to justify his manager's decision on Tuesday night, as he took Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto deep for a leadoff home run to break the Mets' scoring drought. It marked the 32nd leadoff homer of Lindor's career, but just his first RBI of the 2026 season.

A leadoff home run for Francisco Lindor off Yoshinobu Yamamoto!

His first homer & RBI of the season! pic.twitter.com/C4nGtLX1oT

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 15, 2026

Still, if the Mets continue to scuffle, Mendoza will continue to face questions about what he can do to get the most out of his lineup. The skipper was critical of their approach on Monday, saying that "it’s hard to say here that we’re having good at-bats when we’re not.”

Despite the poor start, there is a 12-year sample size to support the notion that Lindor will turn things around. For Mendoza, who is entering his third year with the Mets, the runway might not be so long. While there is no indication that they are looking to make a change, an extended disappointing start could certainly impact that.

That is to say, Mendoza's decision to leave Lindor in his leadoff spot could ultimately prove insignificant if he starts to produce. However, if the tide doesn't turn for his squad soon, moments like this one could be under the microscope of an increasingly disgruntled fanbase.

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