St. Lucie Mets Announce 2026 Roster
Coming off a strong spring training, youngster Elian Peña will headline the 2026 St. Lucie Mets Opening Day roster. The 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic, inked to a $5 million signing bonus in January 2025, slashed .292/.421/.528 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 221 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League last year. He stole 21 bases in 25 tries. He walked the same number of times (36) that he struck out.
The team will be managed by Luis Rivera. One of the new coaches in the Mets system will be in Port St. Lucie, former big leaguer Jimmy Nelson as the assistant pitching coach.
Catchers
Francisco Toledo – The 20-year-old will be making his full season debut.
Julio Zayas – Another 20-year-old making his full season debut. He had a .769 OPS last season for the FCL Mets.
Chase Meggers – He was signed to a minor-league contract as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Oregon last July and went 16-for-58 (.276 batting average) in 19 games for St. Lucie.
Elian Pena. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Infielders
Elian Peña – He had two three-homer games in the DSL and showed smooth hands and good footwork at shortstop, per a scouting report on Baseball Savant. The evaluators believe he has “legitimate five-tool impact potential across the board.”
Eddinson Paulino – The 23-year-old hit 13 home runs in 360 plate appearances and posted a .626 OPS for Double-A New Hampshire (Blue Jays) last season. The Mets signed him as a minor-league free agent after Toronto opted not to put him on its 40-man roster.
Sam Robertson – He went 10-for-58 for St. Lucie after the Mets took him in the 17th round of the 2025 draft out of Northwest-Shoals (Alabama) Community College.
Kevin Villavicencio – The 22-year-old posted a .605 OPS in 83 games at St. Lucie last year and then a .590 OPS in 63 games in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.
Randy Guzman – He hit 10 homers in 75 games combined last year between St. Lucie and Rookie Ball. “He’s up there to hack,” per a Baseball Savant scouting report. “When he runs into a ball, he really runs into it with his strength.” His 90th percentile exit velocity at Low-A was higher than Konnor Griffin‘s in the same league. The Mets signed him for $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in September 2022.
Outfielders
Sam Biller – He went 4-for-17 at St. Lucie after the Mets signed him as an undrafted free agent in August. He hit 13 home runs and posted a .978 OPS in 58 games at the University of Connecticut last year.
Simon Juan – He hit .222/.290/.340 with seven homers and stole 17 bases in 98 games at St. Lucie last season.
AJ Salgado – He hit .312/.418/.581 with 12 home runs in 64 games at UCLA last year and the Mets signed him as an undrafted free agent. He then went 19-for-72 with a home run and six steals in 23 games at St. Lucie.
JT Benson – The 24-year-old will be making his affiliated ball debut.
Cam Tilly
Pitchers
RHP Luis Alvarez – The reliever struck out 30 and walked 15 in 23 1/3 innings (5.40 ERA) at St. Lucie last season
RHP Frank Camarillo – The 2025 13th round pick will be making his pro debut.
LHP Nicolas Carreno – The 19-year-old from Venezuela pitched to a 6.85 ERA in 22 1/3 innings at Rookie Ball last year, then gave up one earned run in six innings at St. Lucie.
RHP Felix Cepeda – The 25-year-old pitched for the Sioux City Explorers in the American Association last year.
RHP Joe Charles – The 25-year-old had 49 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings last year for Florida State University.
RHP Jose Chirinos – He posted a 3.20 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings pitched at St. Lucie last season.
RHP Jorge De Leon – He struck out 27, but walked an alarming 24 in 18 2/3 innings pitched to a 6.27 ERA for St. Lucie last year.
RHP Ryan Dollar – The 2025 undrafted free agent signee will be making his pro debut.
RHP Joel Lara – The 19-year-old reliever from the Dominican Republic struck out 42 in 34 innings (3.71 ERA) at Rookie Ball and St. Lucie last year.
RHP Tyler McLoughlin – The 2025 10th round pick pitched in only two games last year.
RHP Ernesto Mercedes – He pitched to a 3.38 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 42 2/3 innings at St. Lucie last season.
RHP Elwis Mijares – The 20-year-old from Venezuela gave up four earned runs in 12 2/3 innings at Rookie Ball last season.
RHP Christian Rodriguez – The reliever struck out 41 and walked 31 in 40 2/3 innings pitched (4.20 ERA) combined at St. Lucie and in Rookie Ball.
RHP Joe Scarborough – The Mets took him in the 19th round of last year’s draft out of Jacksonville State University in Alabama, where he struck out 14 in 18 1/3 innings.
RHP Cam Tilly – The highest drafted player on the St. Lucie roster will be making his pro debut.
RHP Omar Victorino – He pitched to a 3.97 ERA in 65 2/3 innings combined last season at St. Lucie and in Rookie Ball. He struck out 52 and walked 40.
LHP Conner Ware – The 15th round pick from last year will also be making his pro debut.
RHP Caden Wooster – The Mets signed him as an undrafted free agent last year out of Santa Clara, where he pitched to a 7.24 ERA over 27 1/3 innings.
The St. Lucie Mets will kick off their season on Thursday vs the Palm Beach Cardinals in Jupiter.
The post St. Lucie Mets Announce 2026 Roster appeared first on Metsmerized Online.