Daniel Duarte

Fan & Media Sentiment

New York Mets fans and MLB writers have settled into a D sentiment grade on Daniel Duarte. The reliever's arrival in the majors carries none of the fanfare typical of a prospect call-up—he was summoned to fill a roster vacancy created by A.J. Minter's 60-day injury, making the move fundamentally transactional in the eyes of the media and fan base. Duarte enters 2026 as organizational depth, a fungible middle-relief option with no marquee awards, All-Star recognition, or track record substantial enough to generate the kind of enthusiasm that drives positive coverage. Recent Mets roster churn—a series of signings and swaps across the last week—has only underscored his role as a replaceable part in a bullpen piecing itself together mid-season, with headlines treating his call-up as procedural news tied to Minter's injury rather than a confidence statement. With the Mets sitting at 21-26 and outside a playoff position, there is zero margin for off-field narrative to elevate Duarte's profile; he will live or die by in-season performance, and until he delivers concrete results on the mound, fan and media perception will remain subdued.