213 Miles From Shea

Yesterday’s Rockies and Mets game was postponed due to snow in the Denver area. The Rockies moved today’s getaway game from the early afternoon to night, giving the team time to dig the stadium out of the snow. The game that was missed yesterday is slated for tomorrow afternoon. As of writing, there is still a chance that tonight’s game will have to be postponed, setting up a doubleheader on Thursday.

If tonight’s game happens, the Mets will try to build on Monday’s win where one big winning essentially propelled them over the Rockies. The Mets have now won three of their last four and are hoping to keep the momentum going.

Freddy Peralta has made seven over 38 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.200 WHIP and a 114 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed only three earned runs, five runs total over 11 2/3 innings while striking out 14 batters. This includes a 5 2/3 inning start against the Rockies were he held them to two runs while striking out eight batters. The Rockies have the following career numbers against him:

• Jordan Beck 0-1, BB
• Willi Castro 1-7, 3 K
• Brenton Doyle 2-10, HR, BB, 6 K
• Tyler Freeman 2-5, 2 K
• Hunter Goodman 1-3, HR, 2 BB, K
• Troy Johnston 0-3, K
• Edouard Julien 1-2
• Kyle Karros 0-2, BB
• Jake McCarthy 1-6, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Mickey Moniak 1-7, 2 K
• TJ Rumfield 1-2, BB
• Ezequiel Tovar 5-12, 2B, 2 HR, BB, 3 K

The Mets bats will try to do better against Michael Lorenzen whole rolled through the Mets on April 24th, holding them to one run over seven innings. Lorenzen has a 6.09 ERA, 5.08 FIP, 1.765 WHIP and a 79 ERA+ over eight games (34 innings) this year. He’s currently leading the league in hits allowed at 51and is coming off of a start where he allowed four runs from four hits and three walks against the Reds over 5 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-7, K
• Brett Baty 1-6, 2B
• Carson Benge 1-3
• Bo Bichette 1-6, 2B
• Andy Ibáñez 1-3, K
• MJ Melendez 1-10, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Marcus Semien 3-8, 2B, K
• Austin Slater 0-1, K
• Juan Soto 2-13, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-3, BB, K
• Mark Vientos 4-5, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Mark Vientos. Mark Vientos has terrific career numbers against Michael Lorenzen. Vientos also has six RBI’s in his last two games, and has three extra base hits in his last four games. On top of that, Vientos had two loud flyouts Monday that were both above 102.9 mph off his bat, both had an xBA above .720. One would have been a home run in 28/30 ballparks, the other in 19/30. The Mets need Vientos to get hot right now.
2. Carson Benge. Benge has made two ridiculous catches in the outfield in back-to-back games. He’s also heating up at the plate. Since April 23rd, Benge has played in 11 games and is hitting .303/.361/.545 with two doubles and two home runs. He has raised his season slash line from .136/.219/.197 to .192/.266/.313.
3. Top of the Lineup. Monday’s offense was provided by Mark Vientos and the back of the Mets lineup. The Mets need their top two hitters to step up today and set the tone. Juan Soto went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Bo Bichette went 0-for-4. Soto’s OPS dipped below .900. Bichette is still trying to break .600. It’s only a matter of time until Bichette and Soto get hot.

Let’s Go Mets!

Will today’s game happen? Probably not, but just in case, here we go!

The weather in Denver is miserable, with light rain, snow showers and thunder. The temperature is going to drop further overnight leading to 4-8 inches of snow throughout the Denver area from 8 PM to 3 PM tomorrow. The Mets and Rockies right now are scheduled to play two games throughout the snow.

If tonight’s game happens, the Mets will try to build on yesterday’s win where one big winning essentially propelled them over the Rockies. The Mets have now won three of their last four and are hoping to keep the momentum going.

Freddy Peralta has made seven over 38 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.200 WHIP and a 114 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed only three earned runs, five runs total over 11 2/3 innings while striking out 14 batters. This includes a 5 2/3 inning start against the Rockies were he held them to two runs while striking out eight batters. The Rockies have the following career numbers against him:

• Jordan Beck 0-1, BB
• Willi Castro 1-7, 3 K
• Brenton Doyle 2-10, HR, BB, 6 K
• Tyler Freeman 2-5, 2 K
• Hunter Goodman 1-3, HR, 2 BB, K
• Troy Johnston 0-3, K
• Edouard Julien 1-2
• Kyle Karros 0-2, BB
• Jake McCarthy 1-6, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Mickey Moniak 1-7, 2 K
• TJ Rumfield 1-2, BB
• Ezequiel Tovar 5-12, 2B, 2 HR, BB, 3 K

The Mets bats will try to do better against Michael Lorenzen whole rolled through the Mets on April 24th, holding them to one run over seven innings. Lorenzen has a 6.09 ERA, 5.08 FIP, 1.765 WHIP and a 79 ERA+ over eight games (34 innings) this year. He’s currently leading the league in hits allowed at 51and is coming off of a start where he allowed four runs from four hits and three walks against the Reds over 5 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-7, K
• Brett Baty 1-6, 2B
• Carson Benge 1-3
• Bo Bichette 1-6, 2B
• Andy Ibáñez 1-3, K
• MJ Melendez 1-10, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Marcus Semien 3-8, 2B, K
• Austin Slater 0-1, K
• Juan Soto 2-13, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-3, BB, K
• Mark Vientos 4-5, HR, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Mark Vientos. Mark Vientos has terrific career numbers against Michael Lorenzen. Vientos also has six RBI’s in his last two games, and has three extra base hits in his last four games. On top of that, Vientos had two loud flyouts yesterday that were both above 102.9 mph off his bat, both had an xBA above .720. One would have been a home run in 28/30 ballparks, the other in 19/30. The Mets need Vientos to get hot right now.
2. Carson Benge. Benge has made two ridiculous catches in the outfield in back-to-back games. He’s also heating up at the plate. Since April 23rd, Benge has played in 11 games and is hitting .303/.361/.545 with two doubles and two home runs. He has raised his season slash line from .136/.219/.197 to .192/.266/.313.
3. Top of the Lineup. Yesterday’s offense was provided by Mark Vientos and the back of the Mets lineup. The Mets need their top two hitters to step up today and set the tone. Juan Soto went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Bo Bichette went 0-for-4. Soto’s OPS dipped below .900. Bichette is still trying to break .600. It’s only a matter of time until Bichette and Soto get hot.

Let’s Go Mets!

Will it rain on the Mets parade?

The Mets finally won a series over the weekend, taking Sunday’s game against the Angels. Clay Holmes was excellent and Mark Vientos hit two home runs to give the Mets run support. Now the Mets heady into chilly Denver to take on the Rockies who swept the Mets last weekend.

It’s going to be a difficult weather series for the Mets who have already played a slew of cold April games at Citi Field. Today’s game had to be moved up several hours due to the threat of freezing rain in the evening. This puts the Mets at an additional disadvantage as they now have three less hours to acclimate to the elevation in Colorado. Hopefully the adrenaline from yesterday’s win still power the Mets through!

The Mets are going with an opener tonight and then will pass things off to David Peterson. Peterson started against the Nationals last week and it was rough, allowing seven runs from five hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings. In the two games before that he was used as a reliever and looked like a different pitcher. He allowed only one run on seven hits over seven innings of work. The Mets are hoping to replicate that magic tonight. Peterson had one start against the Rockies last season where he allowed only one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, but it was in Queens, not Denver. The Rockies have the following career numbers agains thim:

• Jordan Beck 1-3
• Willi Castro 1-2, 2B
• Brenton Doyle 2-5, K
• Tyler Freeman 1-2
• Hunter Goodman 0-3, 2 BB
• Jake McCarthy 1-5, K
• Mickey Moniak 1-3, K
• Ezequiel Tovar 1-6, 4 K

Tomoyuki Sugano is off to a great start with the Rockies. Over six starts, 31 2/3 innings, Sugano has a 2.84 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.168 WHIP and a 169 ERA+. Over 30 starts, 157 innings, for Baltimore last season he had a 4.64 ERA, 5.36 FIP, 1.331 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. He led the league last year in allowing 33 home runs and he has only allowed five so far this season. That drops his HR/9 from 1.9 to 1.4. At the start of the season, it looked like he was going to struggle with the long ball again, allowing five homes in his first four starts. The Mets faced him last July, scoring three runs over six innings in a game the Mets lost 7-3. The Mets have the following career numbers against Sugano:

• Brett Baty 1-3
• Bo Bichette 3-4, 2B, BB
• MJ Melendez 1-2, K
• Marcus Semien 1-3, HR
• Juan Soto 0-1, 2 BB
• Mark Vientos 0-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Huascar Brazobán. Brazobán will be the opener for the Mets this afternoon. He has been tremendous for the Mets, pitching 15 2/3 innings over 14 games with a 1.15 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 0.894 WHIP and a 358 ERA+. The Mets used him as an opener three times last season and he allowed no runs, no hits and walked three batters over four innings.
2. Mark Vientos. Vientos carried the Mets offense yesterday with two home runs. He now has four on the season, which is tied with Francisco Alvarez for the team lead. His 12 RBI on the season is tied with Brett Baty for second on the team while his four doubles are tied with Baty and Soto for third. These stats simultaneously highlight how much the Mets have struggled as a whole at the plate, and how quickly Vientos can become one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup.
3. Mickey Moniak. Moniak is on a mini-tear right now, belting three home runs in his last two games (4-for-9). He is tied for the National League lead with 11 home runs this season, on pace to smash his career high of 24 home runs set last year. He is also leading the league slugging (.724) and OPS (1.098). The Mets will need to contain him and his 186 OPS+ if they want a shot at winning this game.

Let’s Go Mets!

Things continue to get worse for the Mets. The Mets were down most of Saturday night and tried to stage a late comeback, but ultimately failed in extra innings against the Angels. Ronny Mauricio fractured his thumb sliding into first base leaving the Mets without a short stop again.

The Mets can still win the series with a win this afternoon but the team is hurting. Yesterday they had to start a lineup with Austin Slader and Andy Ibáñez. The Mets are starting to run out of healthy options.

The Mets are going to need another stellar performance from Clay Holmes this afternoon. Over six starts Holmes has pitched 36 innings with a 1.75 ERA (league leading), 3.84 FIP, 0.972 WHIP and a 230 ERA+ (league leading). He is coming off of a start where he held the Nationals scoreless over six innings, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out six. The Angels have the following career numbers against him:

• Travis d’Arnaud 0-1
• Adam Frazier 0-6, K
• Josh Loew 0-5, BB, 2 K
• Yoan Moncada 0-1, BB
• Zach Neto 0-2, K
• Nolan Schanuel 0-1, K
• Jorge Soler 1-2, 2B, K
• Brent Suter 0-2, K
• Mike Trout 0-3, BB, K

Jack Kochanowicz if off to a great start for the Angels this season. Over 35 innings (six starts) he has a 3.09 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.200 WHIP and a 140 ERA+. He’s coming off of an average start where he allowed three runs, two earned, over six innings in a game the Angels eventually lost. The only members of the Mets who have seen Kochanowicz in a Major League game are Bo Bichette (1-for-3) and Marcus Semien (6-for-13, 2 BB).

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Marcus Semien. For a second straight game, Marcus Semien has execellent career numbers against the opponent’s starting pitcher. Semien went 1-for-4 with a run scored yesterday. With the way he has been hitting this season (.562 OPS, 60 OPS+), any hits recorded are a positive development. As the Mets lineup gets weaker and weaker by injury, they need Marcus Semien to step up.
2. Short. The Mets have a giant question mark at short now. If the Mets are trying to make the best lineup they could, Brett Baty should be a third, Mark Vientos at first and Bo Bichette should play shortstop. For the foreseeable future we are going to see a lot of Bichette and Vidal Bruján. Bruján played 24 games in Syracuse this season and is hitting .241/.304/.313 with three doubles and a home run. He also has five stolen bases.
3. Hope you like grounders. The Mets defensive alignment today is incredibly important with Holmes on the mound. Hitters are hitting grounders 58.1% of the time against Holmes, which is in the 94th percentile. This is slightly higher than last year were he had a 55.9% rate.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets finally did something last night that has been missing since last July – win a game late after being down! The Angels immediately took the lead last night and by the 5th inning it was feeling like another one of those nights for the Mets. The Mets would go on to score three runs in the sixth to tie the game 3-3 and Ronny Mauricio hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh. Devin Williams shut down the Angels in the ninth and the Mets found themselves in the win column.

The Mets now go for the series win this afternoon and remain undefeated in the month of May. Let the momentum flow!

Nolan McLean has been a rockstar in the Mets rotation this season. Over six starts, he has tossed 35 1/3 innings with a 2.55 ERA, 2.26 FIP (league leading), 0.849 WHIP and a 160 ERA+. He has 45 strikeouts and is getting strikeouts at a 11.5 K/9 clip. McLean has a 2.29 xERA (94th percentile), 85.2 mph average exit velocity (93rd percentile) and a .188 xBA (91st percentile). Just dominant stuff. This will be McLean’s first start against the Angels and no one on the Angels roster has faced him before in a Major League game.

The Mets bats will get a look at Reid Detmers tonight. Over 33 2/3 innings (six starts), Detmers has a 4.28 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 1.099 WHIP and a 101 ERA+. Three starts ago Detmers held the Yankees to one run over seven innings. Since then he has allowed seven runs from 10 hits and three walks over 11 innings. He’s been pitching a lot better though than traditional stats suggest. His xERA is 2.95 and he’s getting hitters to chase his pitches 34.1% of the time (81st percentile). Detmers faced the Mets once in relief last year allowing a run and a hit in an inning of work. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Bo Bichette 2-7, K
• Andy Ibáñez 2-4
• MJ Melendez 1-4, HR
• Marcus Semien 13-31, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB, 6 K
• Juan Soto 1-1
• Luis Torrens 3-4, 2B, HR

Three Things to Watch For:

1. Marcus Semien. On paper this seems like a Marcus Semien game. Semien has a .471 OBP in over 30 AB’s against Detmers over his career and has a 1.116 OPS. Semien has been off to a rough start this year with the Mets. He has a .288 xwOBA (23rd percentile), .231 xBA (35th percentile), and .361 xSLG (31st percentile). He’s hitting the ball just as hard as he did last season (34.8% this year, 35% last year) but he’s just not getting results.
2. Rack up strikeouts. Nolan McLean is a strikeout machine and Angels are coming off of a long night. Yesterday the Mets got the Angels to strikeout 14 times, including three strikeout nights from Mike Trout, Yoan Moncada, and Jo Adell. Additionally the Mets didn’t walk any hitters last night! They can’t get on base if they’re striking out!
3. Andy Ibáñez. The Mets claimed Ibáñez from the Athletics and activated him before yesterday’s game (optioning Eric Wagaman to Syracuse). Ibáñez is mostly known for his defensive utility. He can play all over the infield and the outfield corners. Over his career he is a .252/.303/.385 hitter and is coming off a particularly brutal start to 2026 hitting .118/.167/.118 with a -21 OPS+. Last season he played in 91 games with 193 PA’s hitting .239/.301/.352 with an 81 OPS+ with the Tigers.

Let’s Go Mets!

Yesterday’s game was a good encapsulation for the Mets season as a whole. The game started full of promise with a deep shot by Juan Soto that was then robbed at the wall by James Wood. In the next frame Freddy Peralta made a throwing error leading to a run to score. The Mets would eventually claw back, only to give up the lead late.

They dropped the series and ended a stretch against the Twins, Rockies and Nationals with a 3-6 record. And now the Mets have another west coast road trip. The Mets have three Opening Day starters on the injured list now. The vibes are just rancid, but a good weekend can change everything!

The Mets will try again with Christian Scott. Scott joined the Mets rotation last week during a shakeup and truly struggled to find the strike zone, recording five walks over 1 1/3 innings. He only allowed one run though. He hasn’t pitched since that game on the 23rd. Before that outing, Scott had two strong games with Syracuse allowing only two runs from four hits over 10 1/3 innings while striking out 12 batters. Only two players on the Angels roster have seen Scott in a Major League game:

• Travis d’Arnaud 1-2, BB
• Jorge Soler 1-2, HR

The Mets bats will face rookie Walbert Ureña tonight! Over four games (two starts) he has pitched 11 1/3 innings with a 4.76 ERA, 4.63 FIP, 2.206 WHIP and a 92 ERA+. Ureña is coming off of a rough start against the Royals where he allowed four runs over 3 2/3 innings from six hits and five walks. This will be his first career start against the Mets.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Juan Soto is trying his best. Soto is trying his best to get the Mets in the win column. He went 2-for-3 yesterday with a double and a walk. His one out was going to be a home run before James Wood made a terrific catch over the wall. In his last two games Soto has gone 5-for-8 with three extra base hits and three runs scored. Let’s hope Soto has some more magic in him.
2. Mike Trout is Mike Trout. Mike Trout has retuned to form this season, leading the league with 29 runs scored. He has more runs (29) than hits (27). Trough has 10 homers already and is slashing .248/.431/.569 with a 180 OPS+. If the Mets are going to win today, they need to contain Trout.
3. Francisco Alvarez. It’s May and Francisco Alvarez is the Mets home run leader. Alvarez has four on the year and the other Mets sluggers have been plagued by a myriad of things. This week Alvarez snapped his 28 at-bat hitless streak as a pinch hitter, getting a single on the 26th and then hitting a double yesterday! In between those pinch hits he has gone 0-for-12 at the plate with five strikeouts.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets face a critical rubber game this afternoon in Queens.

The Mets cruised past the Nationals on Tuesday night with an 8-0 victory. The Nationals flipped the tables on the Mets last night, bashing the Mets 14-2. David Peterson and Sean Manaea put the Mets into a hole that the struggling Mets hitters could just not climb out of. The vibes aren’t great as the Mets close out April!

Freddy Peralta has pitched 32 1/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 1.206 WHIP and a 103 ERA+ over six starts this season. He’s coming off of a solid start against the Rockies where he allowed only two runs over 5 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. His only start against the Nationals last year was great, holding them to one run over 6 2/3 innings. The Nationals have the following career numbers against Peralta:

• CJ Abrams 3-6, 2B, 2 K
• Luis García Jr. 2-9, 2B, 2 K
• Brady House 0-3, K
• Daylen Lile 1-3
• Keibert Ruiz 2-7, K
• James Wood 1-3, 2 K
• Jacob Young 2-4, K

Miles Mikolas has had a rough season so far. Over six games, three starts, Mikolas has a 8.49 ERA, 6.93 FIP, 1.843 WHIP and a 48 ERA+. He’s allowed seven home runs over 23 1/3 innings, which is good for a 3.9 HR/9 which is well above his 1.8 career rate. Last season he allowed two runs over 4 2/3 against the Mets who have the following career numbers against Mikolas:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 2-8, 2 2B, BB, 3 K
• Bo Bichette 4-9, 2B, 2 K
• MJ Melendez 1-5, K
• Luis Robert Jr. 1-3
• Austin Slater 1-1, HR
• Juan Soto 8-24, 2B, HR, 5 K
• Tyrone Taylor 4-12, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, K
• Mark Vientos 0-2

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Juan Soto. Don’t blame Soto for the Mets recent struggles. Soto homered for a second straight game last night, becoming the second Mets hitter to have at least three home runs on the season. Soto was on base three times last night, but the rest of the hitters couldn’t bring him home.
2. Get the rally going! The Mets are struggling again with runners in scoring position. Last night the Mets stranded runners on second and third multiple times. Over the weekend they grounded into a ton of double plays that just prevented anything from getting started. The Mets have grounded into 22 double plays this season, which is tied for 9th in the majors. This is, somehow, and improvement from last year where they were 4th in the league.
3. Carlos Mendoza. I’m not weighing in on whether the Mets should or shouldn’t fire Mendoza and shake up the coaching staff. Based on the how the Mets are playing right now, there is a possibility that this is Mendoza’s last game managing at Citi Field (or even his last game managing the Mets). Both the struggling Red Sox and Phillies have fired their managers this week. If you’re looking for historical symmetry, Willie Randolph was fired in the middle night after a series in Anaheim, a city that the Mets are heading to next.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are 1-0 against the NL East this year!

The Mets opened up their series with the Nationals last night with an 8-0 win, thanks to a massive fourth inning where the Mets put up seven on the Nationals. The Mets got home runs from their top two stars in the lineup (Juan Soto and Bo Bichette), the pitching looked good and the Mets find themselves back in the win column. Now they need to do it again tonight!

David Peterson has a 5.06 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.650 WHIP, and a 79 ERA+. Since getting bumped from the rotation, Peterson has found his stuff again, allowing only one run from a solo homer over seven innings in two outings. Peterson was fantastic against the Nationals last season pitching 17 innings over two starts allowing only one run, including a complete game shutout. The Nationals have the following career numbers against Peterson:

• CJ Abrams 3-20, BB, 3 K
• Luis García Jr. 6-18, 2B, 3 K
• Brady House 0-3, K
• Keibert Ruiz 4-13, BB
• Joey Wiemer 4-6, 2 2B, HR, K
• James Wood 3-13, 7 K
• Jacob Young 4-12, BB, 2 K

Cade Cavalli has pitched 24 2/3 innings over six starts with a 4.01 ERA, 2.80 FIP, 1.662 WHIP and a 102 ERA+. Cavalli is coming off of a double-digit strikeout start where he got 10 Braves hitters to strikeout out over five innings (two runs). Cavalli had a great start against the Mets last season, holding them scoreless over five innings last September in a game the Nationals eventually won in extra innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-2
• Brett Baty 1-2
• Juan Soto 1-2

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The Carson Benge hot streak is here. Benge has gone 7-for-16 in his last five games with a double, home run, three runs scored and only one strikeout (.438/.438/.688). He’s been approaching this point for a while, making hard contact but right at people. Since this hot streak started, he has raised his batting average from .136 to .195 and his SLG from .197 to .293. If we take a step back, in his last 16 games (51 PA) he is slashing .265/.294/.367.
2. Cavalli’s knuckle curve. Cavalli has a 4.01 ERA but a 2.80 FIP. His WHIP (1.662) is a bit high, and tends to lend itself to a higher ERA. Cavalli is getting out of trouble this year because of contact. He’s not really getting hitters to chase (35th percentile) or whiff (39th percentile). Hitters just aren’t making solid contact against him. He’s in the 83rd percentile in Barrel% and 82nd percentile for Hard-hit%. It’s been his knuckle curve which he throws about a quarter of a time which has a .170 xBA and .222 SLG. For comparison his fastball has a .303 xBA and .541 SLG.
3. Bo Bichette. Bichette has been turning it around since the Mets ended their 12-game losing streak. In the six game since then, Bichette has gone 7-for-22 with two doubles, a home run and five runs scored. He’s slashing .318/.360/.545 over the stretch and three games where he was on base at least twice. Bichette was not going to be a sub-.600 OPS hitter all season!

Let’s Go Mets!

Sunday may have been one of the worst days in the season so far which is saying something because it is still April and there have already been more than a handful of low points. The Rockies swept the doubleheader (and the series) from the Mets. The Mets recorded only ten hits and one run across both games.

But today is a new day. The Mets had an off-day to clear their heads and for the first time in 2026 they will finally play an NL East opponent. The Mets are ten games below .500 and just need to get a win to start the big climb back up.

The Mets will turn to one of the few bright spots of the season, Clay Holmes. Holmes has made five starts pitching 30 innings with a 2.10 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 1.033 WHIP and a 189 ERA+. He is coming off of a seven inning outing where he held the Twins to two runs from five hits in a game the Mets actually won. Last year Holmes faced the Nationals twice holding them scoreless over 8 2/3 innings. The Nationals have the following career numbers against him:

• CJ Abrams 1-3
• Luis García Jr. 1-3
• Brady House 0-2
• Curtis Mead 0-1, K
• Nasim Nunez 1-2
• Keibert Ruiz 0-3
• Jose Tena 1-3
• James Wood 1-3
• Jacob Young 1-4, K

Zack Littell has struggled this season. Over five games, four starts, he has pitched 25 innings with a 7.56 ERA, 8.61 FIP, 1.680 WHIP and a 54 ERA+. The home run ball is crushing him. Littell has already given up 11 this season which is an absurd 4.0 HR/9. Most of the damage against him has been done in his last two starts where he has allowed 16 runs over 10 innings from 18 hits including six homers. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, K
• Brett Baty 2-3, K
• Bo Bichette 5-13, 2B, 3 K
• MJ Melendez 2-3, 2B
• Marcus Semien 2-12, 3B, BB, 3 K
• Austin Slater 0-2, K
• Juan Soto 1-6, 2B, 2 BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-1

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Homers. Littell has a 4.0 HR/9 this season, which is way, way above his his career 1.6 HR/9. He is two home runs ahead of the next person on the list (Eovalidi) despite making one less start. The Mets are 27th in the league with only 20 home runs. Either the Mets are going to hit some bombs tonight, or Littell will have a “get right” game.
2. Austin Slater. On Monday the Mets DFA’d Tommy Pham and brought in Austin Slater. Pham had a dreadful stint with the Mets going 0-for-13 at the plate with a walk and seven strikeouts. Slater had 28 plate appearances with the Marlins over 12 games this season going 4-for-23 with four walks. Last season he had 160 plate appearances between the Yankees and the White Sox and slashed .216/.270/.372 with a 78 OPS+.
3. James Wood. James Wood was an All Star in 2025, hitting .256/.350/.475 with a 132 OPS+. Despite leading the league in strikeouts (221), he mashed 31 homers, knocked in 94 runs and had a 3.7 bWAR. He’s been on fire this year, leading the league with 10 homers, 28 walks and 44 strikeouts (some things don’t change). He has a 174 OPS+. If the Mets are going to win tonight, they need to contain him.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets may have a season defining doubleheader this afternoon at Citi Field. If the Mets sweep the doubleheader, they’ll win their second consecutive series and will continue to chip away at the hole the dug themselves into after the 12 game losing streak. A split would mean dropping a series to the Rockies, squandering the momentum built after the Twins series. Being swept today by the Rockies would put the Mets into a tough spot.

It’s a consequential Sunday at Citi Field!

The Mets will lead the afternoon off with Nolan McLean. McLean has made five starts totaling 30 1/3 innings this season with a 2.67 ERA, 2.39 FIP, 0.758 WHIP and a 149 ERA+. McLean was perfect through five innings in his last start, with all of the damage coming against him late. He struck out a season high 10 batters and now has struck out at least eight batters in four of his five starts. He now has a high 11.3 K/9 paired with a low 0.758 WHIP and 0.6 HR/9. This will be his first start against the Rockies and no one on the Rockies has faced McLean in a major league game.

Kodai Senga returns to the Mets rotation for the nightcap. Senga has had a bizarre season so far allowing 18 runs, 17 earned, over 17 1/3 innings from 23 hits and 10 walks while striking out 22. In his first two starts he allowed four runs over 11 2/3 innings while striking out 16 batters. Since then he has allowed 14 runs over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six batters. Senga faced the Rockies twice last season allowing three runs over 12 1/3 innings with 13 strikeouts. The Rockies have the following career numbers against Senga:

• Jordan Beck 0-5, BB, 2 K
• Willi Castro 0-1, BB, K
• Brenton Doyle 0-5, 3 K
• Tyler Freeman 1-1, 2B
• Hunter Goodman 1-6, 2 K
• Troy Johnston 0-2, K
• Edouard Julien 0-2, BB
• Jake McCarthy 1-3, 2 K
• Mickey Moniak 1-7, HR, 3 K
• Ezequiel Tovar 1-4, HR, BB

The Mets will face an old friend this afternoon in the first game. Jose Quintana had a 3.70 ERA over 44 starts in seasons with the Mets from 2023-24. He pitched for the Brewers last season totaling 131 2/3 innings posting a 3.96 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.291 WHIP and a 105 ERA+. This season he has made three starts, 13 innings, with a 6.23 ERA, 7.61 FIP, 1.846 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. Quintana is coming off of his worst start of the season where he allowed six runs, four earned, over five innings against the Dodgers from eight hits (two home runs). The Mets have the following career stats against Quintana:

• Brett Baty 0-2
• Bo Bichette 0-1, BB
• MJ Melendez 0-2, BB
• Tommy Pham 6-25, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 4 K
• Luis Robert Jr. 2-6, 2 K
• Marcus Semien 6-15, 3 2B, BB, 3 K
• Juan Soto 2-13, 2 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 2-6, 2B, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 0-5, K
• Mark Vientos 1-2

As of writing the Rockies haven’t announced yet who is going to start the nightcap. Depending on how the first game goes, the plan is to use an opener with Chase Dollander to follow. Dollander has pitched six games so far this season totaling 25 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.000 WHIP and a 166 ERA+. He has thrown at least four innings in five of his six games. In his last two outings he has allowed only one run over 11 1/3 innings while striking out 18 batters. Dollander faced the Mets once last year and the Mets hit him hard scoring five runs from eight hits and a walk over three innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-2
• Brett Baty 0-2
• Ronny Mauricio 2-2
• Marcus Semien 0-2, K
• Juan Soto 2-2
• Tyrone Taylor 1-1, 2B, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Brett Baty. Baty has been on a tear recently, going 4-for-8 in his las two games with a double, a home runs, five RBI’s and three runs scored. Baty got off to a slow start this year hitting .190/.197/.270 over his first 18 games. In his last five games he is slashing .500/.571/.833 and has raised his season OBP from .197 to .263. He’s swinging a hot bat right now and the Mets are going to need him this afternoon.
2. A well rested bullpen. Christian Scott only gave the Mets 1 1/3 innings on Thursday with the bullpen having to pick up the rest of the game. Sean Manaea was able to finish Friday’s game and the Mets had a day off yesterday, so pretty much everyone is ready to go today. With another off day tomorrow this is probably the best scenario for the Mets bullpen. Devin Williams is the player to watch today. He massively struggled earlier this week, failing to get an out after facing five batters. He came in to record the final two outs on Thursday and made things interesting, but ultimately survived.
3. Carson Benge. Each game it feels like we are getting closer to a Carson Benge breakout. His bat is in the 75th percentile for average exit velocity (91 mph), 64th in Hard-hit% (44.4%) and 72nd for Launch Angle Sweet-spot% (37%). His softest contact on Friday night was 85.6 mph right at someone (lineout, .630 xBA). His other three batted balls in play were between 95.2 and 104.9 mph.

Let’s Go Mets!