Breaking News: The Mets Have Two Hall of Famers and Mets Fans are Complaining

Hey Mets fans, consider this a reality check. A wake-up call. A figurative slap across the cheek designed to snap us out of our collective, group-text-level despair.

Edwin Díaz is gone.

Pete Alonso is gone.

Brandon Nimmo is gone.

And for good measure, let’s toss Jeff McNeil into the emotional blender as well.

These were real Mets. Long term Mets. Homegrown Mets. “They were here when times were bad” Mets. The kind of guys you don’t just watch—you invest in. Jerseys were purchased. Walk-up songs memorized. Children and Pets were named. (Okay, maybe not Edwin, but don’t rule it out.)

So yes, I get it. Losing them hurts.

But let me ask a dangerous question, the kind that gets you unfollowed on Mets Twitter before the sentence ends:

Are any of them sure-fire Hall of Famers?

Not “Mets Hall of Fame.” Not “Hall of Very Good.” Not “Ring of Honor with a nice ceremony and a rain delay.” I mean Cooperstown. Plaque. Bronze face. That hallway where the air smells like history and dirty hot dog water.

Pete Alonso might be the ultimate power hitter. Through 2025, he’s racked up 264 home runs, 712 RBIs, and set the Mets franchise record for career homers—numbers that put him in elite company early in a career. He’s a five-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger winner, and one of the few first basemen hitting with the kind of authority that makes pitchers sweat.

But here’s the reality check: Hall of Fame consideration isn’t just about hitting long balls. Alonso’s .253 batting average, defensive struggles, and FanGraphs WAR of 20.8 show that, while his power is undeniable, his overall value isn’t yet in the inner circle of first basemen immortality. Longevity and consistent, all-around excellence are still required to reach that level.

In short: elite power? Absolutely. Beloved Met? No question. Future Hall of Famer? He’s on the path—but wouldn't bet the house on it !

Brandon Nimmo is the human embodiment of hustle. He gets on base, plays hard, and makes effort feel like a skill. But when you look at the numbers, he falls far short of Cooperstown standards. Across career value, peak performance, and comparisons to other center fielders in the Hall, he’s nowhere near the historical threshold. Valuable, beloved, memorable—yes. Immortal? Not even close.

Edwin Díaz, at his peak, is pure electricity—ninth-inning drama incarnate. But relievers live on a razor’s edge, and the Hall of Fame bar for them is extremely high. Career totals, peak performance, and JAWS rankings all put him far below the small circle of closers who made the Hall. Unforgettable moments? Absolutely. Future Hall of Famer? Not in the cards.

Jeff McNeil won a batting title, hit over .320 in a season, and does everything quietly but effectively. Still, the broader Hall of Fame picture—career value, peak, and comparisons to other second basemen—leaves him well short of Cooperstown. Excellent hitter, versatile defender, key contributor? Yes. Immortal , Rat , Raccoon, you tell me.

In other words: we loved them. We invested in them. We wore their jerseys. They made us cheer, cry, and text too much. But being beloved and being immortal are two very different things.

And that’s exactly why what comes next should stop us in our tracks. Because while we are busy mourning the players we lost Alonso, Nimmo, Díaz, McNeil—We are overlooking a part of rare potential Mets history as two players on this current Met team are on track to be no doubt Hall of Famers.

Francisco Lindor at shortstop isn’t just very good—he’s transcendent. Since arriving in Queens, he’s finished in the top 10 of MVP voting four of his five seasons, combining defense, power, speed, and leadership in a way few shortstops in history have.

Through his age-30 season, Lindor’s 49.7 career WAR already ranks seventh all-time among shortstops, putting him in the same conversation as Hall of Famers Derek Jeter, Ozzie Smith, and Cal Ripken Jr. In fact, through 30, he exceeds Jeter’s 44.7 WAR, which, if you’re a Yankee fan, might sting a little but if Lindor were in pinstripes, his number would already be retired and a plaque would be on the wall.

He’s also a premier power-hitting shortstop, on pace for 300+ home runs—a club only Cal Ripken Jr. and Ernie Banks belong to among primary shortstops. Add elite defense (+136 outs above average) and speed, plus four seasons of 25+ home runs and 25+ stolen bases—the only shortstop in MLB history to do it—and you see why JAWS already places him in the top 20 all-time for his position.

Lindor is on track for milestones that Hall of Famers chase: 2,000 hits, 350 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs. In Queens, he’s not just a star he’s a generational shortstop, already playing like a Hall of Famer and still with his best years ahead.

And then there’s Juan Soto. If Lindor is the generational shortstop, Soto is the generational hitter—the kind of player who makes pitchers question reality and fans question if they’ve ever seen anyone this advanced at such a young age.

Through his age-26 season, Soto had already hit 244 home runs, drawn an astounding 18.8% walk rate, and posted a .417 on-base percentage—numbers that put him in elite company alongside Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Ken Griffey Jr. He ranks second all-time in walks before age 27, trailing only Mantle, and is the only young slugger with the combination of power and patience to rival Hall of Famers across eras.

Like Lindor, Soto has also finished in the top 10 of MVP voting as a Met, including a stunning third-place finish in his very first season with the team. His WAR, 36.4 through 2024, reflects both his dominance and the fact that his elite hitting has already carried him into historical territory, even if his defense isn’t at the level of Griffey or Mantle. Projected forward, he’s on pace for milestones few outfielders reach: 500+ home runs, 1,500+ RBIs, and a career OBP that will forever make pitchers groan.

In short: Soto isn’t just a great Met. He’s a generational offensive force, already playing like a Hall of Famer and still with his prime years ahead.

So here’s the takeaway, Mets fans: yes, we lost some incredible players. We loved them, invested in them, and they made us cheer, cry, and text way too much. But history isn’t written by nostalgia—it’s written by greatness in the present. And right now, we’re lucky enough to watch two players on the same team who are already on the Hall of Fame trajectory. Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Juan Soto in the outfield.

This isn’t hypothetical. This isn’t wishful thinking. This is reality. So before we drown in what we lost, let’s take a deep breath and fully appreciate what we have. Because watching Lindor and Soto play—at their peak, in Queens, in front of us—is something Mets fans will be talking about for generations. And for once, it’s not just about the past. It’s about the present—and it’s spectacular.