Key star predicted to be in Mets' Opening Day lineup

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza would love having this slugger in his starting lineup.

Jul 11, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) watches from the dugout against the Kansas City Royals prior to a game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

With each passing day, more pressure mounts on the New York Mets' front office to add more firepower to their offense, either via free agency or with a trade.

One less option is available, as versatile Japanese standout Kazuma Okamoto just agreed to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Yet, the Mets were never seen as a favorite to sign Okamoto, given that he primarily plays in the infield and and Mets don't need another third baseman on their roster right now.

Read more: Insider gives encouraging update on Mets' Kyle Tucker interest

Instead, New York's sights seem to be set on Cody Bellinger, who makes a ton of sense for them. Bellinger is coming off a 2025 campaign with the Yankees, where he hit .272 with an .814 OPS, 29 home runs, and 98 RBIs while also playing above-average defense. He has excelled in left field, in center field, and at first base in his career, and these are all positions where the Mets could use improvement right now.

Kyle Tucker is also an appealing option for New York, as he, like Bellinger, plays in the outfield and can serve as protection behind Juan Soto in the middle of the Mets' lineup. But it seems clear that David Stearns' priority is securing Bellinger over Tucker right now.

Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

MLB expert predicts Cody Bellinger will be in Mets' Opening Day lineup

While the Yankees want to re-sign Bellinger, many in the industry think the Mets are the favorite to land him. One example of this is Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, who predicted that Bellinger would be batting fourth and playing left field for the Mets on Opening Day in a January 2 article.

Reuter also noted that if the Mets don't end up signing Bellinger or Tucker, they'll likely give Carson Benge a shot at winning a starting job out of spring training. But that could still be the case even if they sign Bellinger or Tucker, since there are two open outfield spots right now.

As it currently stands, it appears that the holdup between Bellinger's team and the Mets' front office is that they differ on opinion about how many years Bellinger's contract should be for. But that's something that could (and should) be worked out at any point.

Cody Bellinger would be a great fit for the Mets pic.twitter.com/U2BzSMWdzn

— Dan Bartels (@DanBartels2) December 17, 2025

While this current offseason has not been satisfactory in the eyes of many Mets fans, Stearns signing either Bellinger or Tucker would make matters much more bearable.

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