Mets Owner Steve Cohen Says No Team Captains Under His Watch

Cohen wants the Mets' clubhouse culture to evolve organically each season.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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New York Mets owner Steve Cohen says he will never allow the team to have a designated team captain as long as he owns the franchise. Cohen believes the clubhouse dynamic should evolve naturally each year rather than have a single player designated as the leader.

Why it matters

The Mets have not won a World Series title since 1986, and Cohen is eager to end that drought. His decision to forgo a team captain is an unconventional approach that could impact the team's leadership and chemistry as they try to reach the playoffs for the first time in Cohen's tenure.

The details

Cohen said he senses an "exciting" new energy in the Mets' revamped clubhouse after the team parted ways with popular players like Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz. The Mets added free agent Bo Bichette and traded for All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta in the offseason. Cohen believes this fresh group of players will bring a different style of play that Mets fans will enjoy watching.

  • The Mets are heading into their third season under manager Carlos Mendoza.
  • The Mets last made the playoffs in 2024, when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
  • The Mets' most recent World Series title came in 1986.

The players

Steve Cohen

The owner of the New York Mets who is committed to ending the team's 40-year World Series drought.

Pete Alonso

A popular slugger who the Mets parted ways with in the offseason.

Edwin Díaz

The Mets' star closer who was also among the players the team said goodbye to before Christmas.

Bo Bichette

A free agent the Mets signed in the offseason.

Freddy Peralta

An All-Star pitcher the Mets traded for in the offseason.

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What they’re saying

“As long as I'm owning the team, there will never be a team captain. That was my decision. My view is the locker room is unique. And let the locker room sort it out, year in, year out.”

— Steve Cohen, Mets Owner (mymotherlode.com)

“I just was in that locker room and in the meeting and I sense an energy that really is exciting. These are new faces, fresh faces that I think our fans are really going to enjoy watch playing. It's different. And I think we'll play a different type of baseball, and I think that's great.”

— Steve Cohen, Mets Owner (mymotherlode.com)

What’s next

Cohen's decision to forgo a team captain could have implications for the Mets' leadership and chemistry as they try to end their World Series drought.

The takeaway

Steve Cohen's unconventional approach of not having a designated team captain reflects his belief that the Mets' clubhouse culture should evolve organically each season. This decision could shape the team's leadership and chemistry as they aim to end their 40-year World Series title drought.