This is potentially the biggest series of the season for the Mets. If the Mets sweep the Phillies, they will be in striking distance of the division lead again. If the Mets win the series, they’ll probably keep the Reds a safe distance behind them. If the Phillies sweep, it will be incredibly difficult for the Mets to mount a comeback with one month of the season to go.
Over the last week we’ve seen the Mets take a series from the second place Mariners, fall apart against the Nationals and almost sweep the Braves. We’ll learn a lot more about who the 2025 Mets are after this series against Philly.
Kodai Senga starts things off for the Mets this week. Over 20 starts and 104 1/3 innings, Senga has a 2.58 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.252 WHIP and a 152 ERA+. Senga is coming off of a rough start against the Nationals where he allowed five runs, four earned, from six hits and two walks. He’s also allowed at least one home run per start in the last six starts. The Phillies have the following career numbers against Senga:
- Alec Bohm 1-6, K
- Nick Castellanos 1-7, 3 K
- Bryce Harper 1-2, 2 BB, K
- Max Kepler 0-3, K
- Brandon Marsh 1-5, 2B, K
- J.T. Realmuto 0-5, BB, 3 K
- Kyle Schwarber 1-7, HR, 4 K
- Edmundo Sosa 0-2
- Bryson Stott 1-6, K
- Trea Turner 0-6, BB, 2 K
Cristopher Sánchez is having a tremendous season for the Phillies. He has pitched 157 innings with a 2.46 ERA, 2.63 FIP, 1.096 WHIP and a 180 ERA+. His 6.2 bWAR currently leads the league. Sánchez has been slightly more human over his last two starts allowing six runs, five earned from 13 hits over 12 1/3 innings (but still has an absurd 18 strikeouts). The Mets have the following career stats against him:
- Pete Alonso 4-21, 2B, HR, 8 K
- Brett Baty 0-4, 3 K
- Francisco Lindor 6-14, 2 BB, K
- Starling Marte 4-13, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
- Ronny Mauricio 1-4, HR, 3 K
- Jeff McNeil 1-9, 2B, 3 K
- Brandon Nimmo 5-10, BB, 3 K
- Juan Soto 2-9, 4 K
- Tyrone Taylor 1-6, HR, 2 K
- Luis Torrens 0-5, BB, 2 K
- Mark Vientos 3-10, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB, 6 K
Three Things To Watch For:
- Mark Vientos. Vientos is having a week! Over his last seven games he has gone 10-for-28 with two doubles and five home runs (including three in the last two games) while slashing .357/.387/.964. Vientos also has great stats against Sánchez going 3-for-10 (3 BB) with all three hits going for extra bases. Vientos has struggled for long stretches of 2025. He has a 97 OPS+ after last season’s standout 135 OPS+. The Mets need this Vientos hot streak to go on for the rest of the season.
- Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo went in Sunday’s game as a pinch hitter, it was his first action since been removed from the game on the 20th with a stiff neck. Like Vientos, Nimmo has great numbers against Sánchez and the Mets could use his .600 OBP tonight, in whatever way Nimmo is healthy enough to give it.
- Stat Updates. Francisco Lindor went 1-for-4 on Sunday. He is still five home runs and seven stolen bases away from his second consecutive 30-30 season. Juan Soto went 1-for-3 with two walks. He now leads the league with 104 walks and is only 21 walks behind John Olreud’s single season franchise record 125 walks. Less likely for Soto at this point, he is nine stolen bases away from his first 30-30 season.
Let’s Go Mets!
