The Philadelphia Phillies are seeking their third consecutive division title in 2026. The NL East looks like it’ll be one of the more competitive divisions again in MLB early in spring training. The Phillies, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves all figure to be in the hunt for the division crown this year.

The Mets have been one of the more active clubs this winter following a disappointing 2025 campaign. However, one analyst who doubts whether the organization has improved is MLB Network’s Steve Phillips.

This winter, New York moved on from three members of the team who played prominent roles for the club over the last several years in Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, and Brandon Nimmo. That, coupled with who the Mets added to replace the trio and some early spring training injury news, doesn’t improve the franchise in 2026, according to Phillips.

The Phillies can certainly relate to the criticisms the Mets are dealing with about whether or not they’re better following the offseason.

MLB Network’s Steve Phillips questions whether the Mets are better, to which Phillies fan can relate

Phillips believes New York, despite their plethora of roster changes, is one of the “least improved teams this offseason.” The former Mets general manager commented on Hot Stove about the injury issues New York has with some of their new additions and how losing Alonso, Díaz, and Nimmo will hinder the franchise, based on who the team is replacing them with.

“I put [the Mets] on my least improved list,” Phillips said. “I think they lost a lot in Pete Alonso. Brandon Nimmo is a better offensive player than is Marcus Semien … I think they’ve gone backwards offensively. They’re backwards at the closer’s role where Díaz leaves, and Devin Williams comes in. I love Freddy Peralta, [and Nolan] McLean I believe in him too, but the rest of the rotation, I don’t know. I actually have them in third place in the East. I don’t have them as a playoff team.”

Alonso is a better power-hitter than his replacement, Jorge Polanco. The new Baltimore Orioles first baseman led the Mets in home runs from 2019 to 2024. He’s more durable, as the fewest games he played over a full 162-game schedule was 152 in 2021, while Polanco has been plagued with numerous injuries over the last several seasons. Alonso also has much more experience at first base than Polanco, who has only played in one career game at the position.

Williams lost the closer’s job with the New York Yankees last year and has less than 20 saves in three of the last four seasons. He has less experience as a closer over his career than Díaz. It’s far from a guarantee that Williams holds onto the role with the Mets for the entire season.

Luis Robert Jr. has been more frustrating in terms of durability and not doing as well offensively as Nimmo. The former Chicago White Sox outfielder’s workload in spring training with New York is already limited due to his injury history (subscription required).

Marcus Semien, whom New York received in a trade with the Texas Rangers for Nimmo, has regressed offensively over the last two years.

Phillips went on to question the Mets’ limiting the current workload, specifically, for Robert Jr. and Polanco, early on in spring training.

“They’re slow-playing spring training for Luis Robert and Francisco Alvarez, and you look at Jorge Polanco, and they’re trying to make sure they get themselves in the best shape possible. That should have been an offseason project. Luis Robert Jr., I thought, was one of the most physical specimens in baseball. Why is his bottom half not ready, leading to injuries?

“Now Brett Baty has a hamstring injury … I get taking care of a catcher [in Alvarez] a little bit, but Polanco is the guy you brought in to replace Alonso, and I need him to be not just getting ready to go, I need him to be mid-season ready to produce right now. So, the Mets are one of the most confusing teams for me, yet David Stearns is often the smartest guy in every room that he’s in, and I don’t want to doubt them and him, but I don’t look at them the same way as everybody else does right now.”

Phillips’ opinion of the current state of the Mets, while it will delight Phillies fans, is an interesting change of pace from the consensus that New York will, at a minimum, secure one of the three NL Wild Card spots in the playoffs this season. However, Philadelphia has faced the same criticisms as the Mets have this winter.

Philadelphia’s concerns pertain to “running it back” with an aging core and the concerns about the depth of their starting rotation and outfield. Unlike the Mets, the Phillies didn’t make nearly as many changes during the offseason.

Philadelphia’s preference not to offer player opt-outs in their contracts and their lack of financial flexibility to offer any top available players a short-term deal are why they were unable to sign Bo Bichette or another major free agent. Other than re-signing Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, the Phillies had a fairly uneventful offseason compared to the Mets in terms of big trades and free agent additions.

Phillips gave his opinion and concerns about Philadelphia and why he predicts they’ll finish in second place in the NL East.

“[Zack] Wheeler’s a real question mark; no Ranger Suárez, can Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter get it done early in the season? You got an angry Bryce Harper and an angry J.T. Realmuto, which I like, guys wanting to prove something to the organization, [and] to themselves, but I worry a little bit that [their] pitching’s not going to be the same [this season].”

Phillips doubts about Philadelphia’s starting pitching are certainly valid. The Phillies and Mets each have solid options at the top of their rotations, but there are questions elsewhere with both clubs’ starting rotations. New York doesn’t appear to have improved enough at the position, while Philadelphia looks to have regressed.

Phillies fans can relate to the questions Phillips expressed about the Mets regarding whether they are a better team following the offseason. Philadelphia has received doubts from analysts about whether it has improved or regressed with spring training underway. Both teams may think the other didn’t improve much this winter, based on either the lack of new additions and key losses in the Phillies case or too many changes along with significant departures in the case of the Mets.