The Mets dominantly swept the Marlins at Citi Field. As a result, they have now won four straight while finishing the homestand 4-2.

There is still a long way to go for this team to prove they have what it takes to mount a true turnaround. Still, it felt good to see this ballclub take care of business in a big way for once.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the Marlins series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

3 UP

SIGNS OF LIFE

For the first time in a while, the offense delivered consistent results. The Mets outscored the Marlins 25-9 over the three games. Yes, Miami is hardly a world beater, but this same team did sweep New York in late May. And, given just how bad this offense has been, it doesn’t matter the opponent as long as runs are scored. MJ Melendez, Carson Benge, Hayden Senger, and Marcus Semien all came up with big and clutch hits over the weekend. In short, everyone contributed. Of course, one man in particular stole the show.

STAR ATTRACTION 

The aforementioned man we’re talking about is Juan Soto, obviously. The superstar hitter stayed on a heater against Miami, making sizable contributions in all three games. The highlight was a grand slam in the finale, which effectively put the game out of reach. Soto finished the series with five RBIs, two walks, and three runs scored. Furthermore, he’s hitting .356/.431/.822/.1.254 with seven home runs, 15 RBIs, six walks, and 12 runs scored over his last 12 games. That’s called leading by example.

RISING STAR

Christian Scott is having a moment right now. The righty is fast turning into a reliable arm for the Mets, and he delivered arguably his best outing of the year on Saturday. Scott allowed just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts over five innings. As a result, he picked up the first win of his major league career. Furthermore, Scott owns a 2.97 ERA on the year and continues to show plenty of promise.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

NOT SO FAST

As encouraging as this weekend was for the Mets, let’s pump the brakes a little bit. They haven’t done anything yet, and have a long way to go to earn back our trust. It is still too soon to give them the benefit of the doubt. We need to see a lot more over a longer stretch of time before we really buy back in. It is also worth remembering that the sweep came against a bad Marlins team. Furthermore, the Mets have shown signs of promise before, only to then immediately collapse like a cheap pack of cards. It is a start, but let’s see how June unfolds before we start buying back all our stock in this team.

SHORT STAYS

The rub on Freddy Peralta has always been that he’s incapable of going deep in games. That’s hardly changed in New York. He’s pitched six innings or longer just four times as a Met. In his latest outing on Friday, he lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing four runs. Plus, with a 3.55 ERA on the year, Peralta has been solid, but there needs to be a lot more to come.

ROUGH PATCH

It wasn’t the best of weekends for Tobias Myers. Usually so reliable, the righty gave up the two-run homer that blew a big lead and made it a tied game on Friday. Myers was then optioned so that a fresh pitcher could be called up. After giving up runs in five of his last seven outings, Myers will hope to get the train back on the tracks once he does return to the majors.

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The Mets finally snapped their five-game losing streak and welcome the team that started that streak to town for a three-game set. The Marlins swept the Mets last weekend behind strong pitching and the Mets’ quiet (almost silent) bats. The series ended with the Marlins hitting a walk-off grand slam against Devin Williams to win 4-0.

The Mets had a demon-exorcising game on Wednesday. Juan Soto hit his sixth home run in seven games. Eric Wagaman hit a home run, which was also his first hit as a Met. The club scored six runs off seven hits. The pitching held the Reds to four runs despite them recording eight hits and nine walks. Cincinnati loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but Williams was able to work his way out of the jam without allowing a run. Hopefully this allows everyone to relax and power through the Marlins this weekend.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – SS
3. Juan Soto – LF
4. Jared Young – DH
5. A.J. Ewing – CF
6. Mark Vientos – 1B
7. Brett Baty – 3B
8. Marcus Semien – 2B
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Freddy Peralta

Peralta has thrown 61 1/3 innings over 11 starts this season with a 3.52 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 1.272 WHIP and a 112 ERA+. He was able to power through seven innings for the first time this season last weekend against the Marlins. He allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out nine. In his last two starts, he has allowed seven runs over 12 innings.

The Marlins have the following career numbers against Peralta:

• Owen Caissie 1-5, 2B, 4 K
• Xavier Edwards 3-12, BB, 6 K
• Liam Hicks 2-4, 2 HR, BB
• Otto Lopez 2-11, 2 2B, K
• Joe Mack 1-2, BB
• Jakob Marsee 0-2, BB
• Christopher Morel 2-11, 2B, 5 BB, 7 K
• Connor Norby 1-3, 2 K
• Graham Pauley 2-5, 2 K
• Esteury Ruiz 0-3
• Kyle Stowers 1-5, HR, BB, 3 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Xavier Edwards – 2B
2. Liam Hicks – 1B
3. Otto Lopez – SS
4. Kyle Stowers – LF
5. Jakob Marsee – CF
6. Connor Norby – DH
7. Owen Caissie – RF
8. Javier Sanoja – 3B
9. Joe Mack – C

The Mets’ bats will get another chance against Meyer. He has pitched 60 2/3 innings over 11 games with a 2.52 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 1.055 WHIP and a 160 ERA+. He held the Mets to one hit and no runs over seven innings last weekend. In his last two starts, he has allowed only four hits with no runs while striking out 14 batters over 13 innings.

The Mets have the following career stats against Meyer:

• Brett Baty 0-4, BB, 4 K
• Carson Benge 0-3, 2 K
• Bo Bichette 0-3, K
• A.J. Ewing 0-3, 3 K
• MJ Melendez 0-2
• Marcus Semien 0-3
• Hayden Senger 0-2, K
• Juan Soto 0-5, BB
• Luis Torrens 0-1, BB
• Mark Vientos 3-6, 2B, BB

Game Notes

• Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Francisco Alvarez begins a rehab assignment next week, and that he looks “pretty normal” just a little over two weeks removed from undergoing right meniscus surgery.
• Mendoza added that David Peterson is set to move to the bullpen. Sean Manaea will take over his role as either a starter or the bulk reliever following an opener.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Juan Soto. Juan Soto is doing Juan Soto things. In his last seven games, Soto has gone 9-for-24 at the plate with six home runs, slashing an absurd .375/.423/1.125. In his last 12 games, he has gone 17-for-44 with eight home runs and seven walks, slashing .386/.471/.932. He is now slugging .594 on the season, which is the second-highest mark of his career. He also has a 180 OPS+, which is the second-highest in his career. If the Mets can turn it around this season, it’s going to be because of a Herculean effort from Soto.
2. Please, do not walk this way. The Mets walked nine batters on Wednesday and have walked 211 this season, which is the eighth-most in the majors. This was a struggle for the 2025 Mets as well, who allowed the seventh-most free passes in the majors.
3. Mark Vientos. In his last seven games, Vientos has gone 3-for-24 at the plate with one RBI and 7 Ks (.125/.160/.125). As Vientos continues to hit behind Soto, and while Soto continues scorch the cover off of the baseball, pitchers will start working around Soto to get to Vientos. Vientos is the only player in the lineup who has hit Meyer well. Maybe some magic happens tonight!

Let’s go Mets!

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They will get another look at the Miami Marlins (26-31), who swept them last weekend. Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups this weekend.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

PITCHING MATCHUPS

• Friday: Max Meyer (5-0, 2.52 ERA) vs. Freddy Peralta (3-4, 3.52 ERA): Meyer had everything working against the Mets last Saturday. For the second time in the month of May, he threw seven scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. Meyer has now won three consecutive starts, pitching to a 1.93 ERA over that stretch. He has made two career starts at Citi Field, going 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA over 10 1/3 innings. Peralta has had good moments as a Met, but fans have been left hoping for more. He only has three quality starts, two of which came in April. Peralta threw a season-high seven innings against the Marlins last Friday, but he also gave up four runs and two home runs. The Mets need more from him. Peralta is 2-2 with a 3.76 ERA in seven home starts this season.
• Saturday: Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.07 ERA) vs. Christian Scott (0-0, 3.20 ERA): For the first time since September of last season and just the ninth time in his career, Phillips started the game against the Mets last Sunday. He pitched well, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings, working around two hits and two walks. Phillips threw a season-high 59 pitches, his most in a big league game since August of 2024. It will be interesting to see how much length he can provide. Scott pitched in that same game, producing his best start of the season: 5 2/3 scoreless innings, five strikeouts and a season-high 94 pitches. Scott is now 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA in three career starts against the Marlins. He will make his third home start of the season and his first since May 13 against the Detroit Tigers.
• Sunday: Janson Junk (3-5, 4.80 ERA) vs. Nolan McLean (2-4, 4.40 ERA): The Mets did not face Junk when the two teams met last weekend. For a large majority of this season, he has pitched well. But as of late, the numbers have taken a dip. Junk has allowed 32 earned runs this season, and 19 of them have come in three of his last four starts. Junk has never faced the Mets. McLean is enduring a really tough stretch for the first time in his career. The last two starts have been as bas as advertised. Over nine innings, McLean owns a 13.00 ERA and has given up four home runs. Mistake pitches have happened more frequently and when they have, they have been hit hard. McLean desperately needs a bounce-back performance. He is 3-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 10 career starts at Citi Field.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

After 55 games, the Mets were 22-33. Why is that record noteworthy? Well, the 2024 Mets had that exact same record before they went on an improbable run to the NLCS. Does this team have a similar run in them? Do they have a player that can give them a spark, like Jose Iglesias did two years ago? There aren’t many reasons to feel optimistic about this team. But if one exists, that is certainly it.

PREDICTION

The Marlins are 8-16 on the road this season. That means the Mets should have a good chance to win a series, right? If Peralta and McLean pitch like they are capable of, winning two of three is possible. It won’t be convincing, but I think the Mets win the series in the end.

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Outside of a 449-foot home run from Juan Soto that came off the bat at 107.7 mph, the Mets’ offense was absent from this game. Until the eighth inning when A.J. Ewing got on base with a single, the Mets only had one base runner next to Soto’s homer. Unfortunately, that was quickly erased when Ewing was caught stealing. Carson Benge had two hard-hit balls that were caught on great defensive plays, though he did work a walk in the ninth inning. Outside of that, the lineup struggled to make contact against the Marlins’ pitchers.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jared Young played a full game in Syracuse today, splitting time between left field and first base, so hopefully he will be joining the major league club soon to help this struggling offense.

While the Mets’ bats struggled, the pitching looked strong across eight innings, allowing only two runs.

Tobias Myers ended up serving as an opener, throwing 20 pitches across 1 1/3 innings. He gave up one hit and one walk, and the runner he left on base scored on a weak ground ball after Sean Manaea came into the game. Myers looked good in his outing, and his splitter was especially strong.

Manaea looked arguably the best he has all year, going 3 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and one earned run. His velocity was up again, averaging 91.7 mph on his fastball and throwing as hard as 93.9 mph. He pounded the zone with his sinker, getting a 25% whiff rate while he utilized his sweeper out of the zone with a 33.3% chase rate.

Jonah Tong made his season debut and threw three scoreless innings. Tong threw his hardest pitch of the season at 98.5 mph in his first inning of work as part of a one-two-three frame. He did not throw his cutter or slider until his final batter, Otto Lopez, but both looked the best they have throughout his big-league career. Overall, he ran an incredible 37.5% whiff rate and 38.9% chase rate.

UP NEXT

The Mets will face the Marlins’ 27-year-old breakout starter Max Meyer. Meyer has a 2.85 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across his first 10 starts with 60 strikeouts. He has struggled with injuries, including hip surgery last June, which ended his 2025 season. So far, he looks like the pitcher who consistently was ranked as a top-50 prospect across multiple lists.

On the mound for the Mets will be Freddy Peralta. He has a 3.31 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 10 starts with 54 strikeouts.

The game will start at 4:10 PM and be broadcast on SNY.

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Today, the Mets finally play an NL East opponent other than the Nationals for the first time this season. The club has had an odd schedule to start the year. They didn’t play the Nationals until the end of April. Each of their road trips before this one were out to the west coast. They still haven’t played the Braves and Phillies.

After going 5-1 at home last week, the Mets have had a slightly disappointing start to the road trip, splitting a four game series with the Nationals. A good weekend in Miami, though, can still make this road trip a positive one!

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – SS
3. Juan Soto – DH
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Brett Baty – 3B
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. A.J. Ewing – CF
8. Nick Morabito – LF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Tobias Myers

Myers gets the start tonight. The Mets are in the midst of a 16-day stretch with no days off, and the hope is working Myers in today will give the starters a little extra rest. Over 29 innings this season, Myers has a 3.41 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 1.034 WHIP and a 116 ERA+. He has thrown three innings in two outings this year and has gone at least two innings in nine outings. The most pitches he has tossed in a game is 40. Ideally, the Mets would love to get three innings out of him tonight.

The Marlins have the following career stats against him:

• Owen Caissie 0-1,K
• Xavier Edwards 1-1, HR, BB
• Otto Lopez 0-3, K
• Christopher Morel 2-4, HR, BB, 2 K
• Kyle Stowers 0-1

Opposing Lineup

1. Xavier Edwards – 2B
2. Liam Hicks – 1B
3. Connor Norby – 3B
4. Kyle Stowers – DH
5. Jakob Marsee – CF
6. Esteury Ruiz – LF
7. Owen Caissie – RF
8. Joe Mack – C
9. Javier Sanoja – SS

Eury Pérez has made 10 starts totaling 52 1/3 innings this season with a 5.33 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 1.414 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. Pérez opened the season holding the Rockies to only three runs over seven innings. Since then, he’s had one great start, holding the Brewers to one unearned run over six frames on April 19, and every other start has been average to bad. In his last three games, Pérez has allowed 13 earned runs over 16 innings on 12 hits and 12 walks while striking out 19 batters (7.31 ERA, 6.60 FIP).

The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Brett Baty 0-2, K
• Bo Bichette 3-5, 2B
• Juan Soto 1-4, HR, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-4, 2B, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 1-1, HR, BB

Game Notes

• As noted by the New York Post’s Mike Puma, right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong is available out of the bullpen today and could follow Myers as the bulk reliever after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
• 2025 marked the first time the Mets lost the season series to the Marlins since 2017.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Strikeouts. The Mets had 12 strikeouts as a team yesterday with Benge, Bichette, Semien, Vientos and Ewing each recording two. In Pérez’s two good starts this year, he had a total of 15 strikeouts over 13 innings. In his last three starts, he recorded 19 K’s over 16 innings. Don’t give Pérez any momentum tonight! Work walks, don’t chase!
2. Sean Manaea. Manaea could see significant work today. Over 10 games (27 1/3 innings), Manaea has a 6.26 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.683 WHIP and a 64 ERA+. He gritted out four innings his last time out against the New York Yankees, allowing three runs (two earned) off of four hits and two walks. Manaea was hitting 91-93 on his fastball throughout his last outing, something we haven’t seen a ton of this year. Things still don’t look great for Manaea (5.23 xERA, .277 xBA), but maybe this is a harbinger of good things to come.
3. Jonah Tong. Sean Manaea may not even get a chance to pitch tonight if Jonah Tong is second arm on the mound. The Mets recalled him from Syracuse today, DFA’ing Craig Kimbrel in the process. He’s pitched 38 innings over nine starts this season with a 5.68 ERA and 1.368 WHIP. He’s getting hit hard a lot (1.9 HR/9, but he’s also striking out the world with 55 so far (13 K/9). His last start on May 14 was rough, giving up seven runs (six earned) over 1 2/3 innings. Before that, he had a two-start stretch where he allowed three runs over 11 innings while striking out 14.

Let’s go Mets!

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After an unusual down year in 2025, the Braves have been imposing to begin the season. They’re 9-5, lead the majors in run differential (+40), and have spawned another promising prospect in Drake Baldwin. They’re back in full force, and despite injury to their rotation, it looks like they’ll be sticking around.

They’re atop the National League East, which appears to be the most talented division in baseball. The Marlins’ young hitters have arrived and are 8-6 without Kyle Stowers in their lineup, plus the Mets and Phillies are hovering around .500 despite undesirable starts. It’s going to be a dog fight between four teams this season, which doesn’t include the Nationals who have their own young superstars in James Wood and CJ Abrams.

It’s business as usual around the rest of the league. The Yankees are still a powerhouse, the Dodgers continue to bully teams, and the American League might be weaker than last season. Oh, and the Pirates are in first place in the NL Central. Weird.

William Navarro-Imagn Images

1. Dodgers

Yeah, they’re still number one.

The Dodgers lead the majors in OPS (.875), homers (25), and slugging (.506) early in the season, and are getting incredible production from Andy Pages. The 25-year-old enters Saturday with a major league-leading .449 batting average and an NL-leading 1.6 bWAR. He also entered Friday’s game with an NL-leading 22 hits, eight of which are extra-base hits.

The rest of the lineup is also flourishing. Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker have turned early woes around, the team has survived with Mookie Betts on the 10-day IL, and Max Muncy broke out Friday with a three-homer night. They won five games in a row before dropping Wednesday’s finale to the Blue Jays, and have a healthy +35 run differential.

2. Yankees

Will Ben Rice win the AL MVP? I’m not sure, but if the season ended today he’d have a case.

Rice is third in baseball in OPS, and second in slugging percentage and OBP. He’s been elite while others have not. Aaron Judge has a pedestrian .738 OPS, Trent Grisham hasn’t matched his 2025 form early, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has struggled mightily, which he attributed to cold weather.

The real engine has been the pitching. The staff hasn’t slowed down after its historic start, and leads the AL with a team 2.50 ERA. The “worst” starter in the four-man rotation has been Will Warren, and he has a 3.07 ERA. Still, they need more offense. The club started 8-1. Now they’re 8-5.

3. Braves

Atlanta’s back! What? Didn’t you read the open?

The club is enjoying a resurgence, mostly due to catcher Baldwin. He’s slashing .328/.391/.621 with a major league-leading 15 homers and 16 RBIs. Matt Olson also hit his groove early, and a .982 OPS with four homers through 14 games.

Along with a strong offense is their MLB-best 2.25 ERA. Bryce Elder has started 2026 with 13 scoreless innings, Reynaldo López has a 1.15 ERA and some bruises in three starts, and Grant Holmes‘s ERA sits at 2.25 through three starts. Chris Sale‘s 3.94 ERA is the highest on the staff.

4. Mets

The Mets seemed to be treading water after losing Juan Soto.

The club took three of four from the Giants, then defeated the Diamondbacks to open a three-game set. Yet, despite initial positive signs from the offense, the Mets have lost three in a row. The offense has scored three runs over their last three games, and hasn’t scored in 17 straight innings.

Still, there isn’t much room for concern. Soto will return eventually, Jorge Polanco‘s Achilles seems fine for now, and the club is still 7-7 despite the offense being non-existent in the beginning of the season. Their pitching has been excellent and is sixth in the majors with a 3.26 ERA. It did take a hit when Clay Holmes left Friday’s game vs. the Athletics with a left hamstring injury, but the righty said post-game he’s optimistic he’ll make his next start.

5. Mariners

The M’s snapped a five-game losing streak with a 9-6 win over the Rangers Friday. Randy Arozarena clubbed a massive two-run homer in the fifth, giving the Mariners a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The win and offensive outburst was much needed for Seattle. Their offense is going through their early woes, but a 5-9 record can be hard to claw your way back from. The only consistent bats have been trade acquisition Brendan Donovan and the 22-year-old Cole Young. Still, this team is loaded, and once the regulars get going, this team will prosper. There’s no reason for concern.

6. Marlins

The Marlins rebuild might be over.

The fish have started 2026 on the right foot, jumping to an 8-6 record and +11 run differential. They’re getting incredible offensive production from Xavier Edwards (1.016 OPS), Connor Norby (122 OPS+), and Otto Lopez (.836 OPS), plus the new guy Owen Caissie is slugging .583 with 12 runs batted in. The offense is rolling and they don’t even have Stowers healthy.

The one concern has been the pitching. Ironic, right? Sandy Alcantara has pitched to a vintage 0.74 ERA, but Janson Junk has the next best ERA at 3.09. The bullpen has also been abysmal. Every arm in the ‘pen has an ERA+ under 100 outside Andrew Nardi.

7. Guardians

José Ramírez has been uncharacteristically bad to start the year. He’s slashing .151/.250/.264 and only one homer through the first two weeks, leaving the offensive load to younger names.

Chase DeLauter has been the main cog, but other guys like offseason signee Rhys Hoskins have fit perfectly so far. Hoskins doesn’t have a homer yet, but his five doubles have been more than enough and he’s second on the team in OPS+.

The offense has started slow. But the Guardians have always won from great pitching, and it’s been no different in 2026. Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, and Joey Cantillo have been fantastic, so much so that it’s distracted from the sinking bullpen that’s normally among the best in baseball. But like the other teams ahead of the Guardians, I’ll say it’s early. Baseball is a marathon and I doubt Cade Smith will finish as one of the worst relievers in baseball.

8. Phillies

It’s been a poor start for the reigning NL East champs.

Their team .662 OPS is 21st in baseball, and outside a series with the Nationals, they’ve been manhandled in the first two weeks. They dropped a series to the Rangers and Giants, plus dropped Friday’s game to the Diamondbacks 5-4.

The offensive production from their infield may be the worst in baseball. Bryson Stott (.443 OPS) and Alec Bohm (.505 OPS) have been non-existent, and make up the middle of the Philadelphia order. Trea Turner also has been mediocre, and is slugging just .327 with 13 strikeouts in 13 games.

The one bright spot has been Cristopher Sanchez. He’ll be on NL Cy Young watch the whole season, and has a 1.65 ERA and 12.7 K/9 in 16 1/3 homerless innings.

9. Blue Jays

It’s never a great week when you get swept by the White Sox. No matter what part of the season you’re in.

But the Blue Jays sandwiched a series sweep with the Sox between a loss to the Rockies and two more to the Dodgers to suffer an early six-game losing streak. It was an offense that might have dropped them off the list if not for it being April, but it seems like the reigning AL champions have bounced back.

They survived the series finale against the Dodgers, then beat down on the Twins Friday 10-4 to get back to 6-7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has put up an early .863 OPS, plus Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease both have ERAs under three and are tied in the AL for the most strikeouts (26).

The only serious issue early for the Jays has been health. Both Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk have hit the 10-day IL, Anthony Santander is nowhere to be found, and the five crucial arms started the season on the shelf. Cody Ponce was supposed to fill time with Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, and Shane Bieber all hurt, but now he’s on the 60-day IL and most likely will miss the remainder of the season. Yeah, not great.

10. Astros

Some might ask why a team that’s 6-8 and has a -2 run differential is on this list. Especially coming off a failed season in 2025.

Well, it’s because the Astros have quietly been one of the best offenses in baseball. Only two teams have OPSs over .800. That would be the Dodgers and Houston. The results are mostly due to Yordan Alvarez being healthy, and the full-time DH has a ridiculous .516 OBP and .750 slug through his first two weeks. Christian Walker has also hit his stride after a forgettable 2025, and is OPSing .994 with three homers as of Saturday.

Of course, not enough can be said about Cam Smith. The rookie got a cup of coffee last season, but has flourished in the first two weeks. He’s slashing .250/.357/.479 with three homers in 14 games, and is making the decision to trade Tucker look better every day.

Rest of the Field

11. Brewers
12. Cubs
13. Rangers
14. Padres
15. Orioles
16. Reds
17. Rays
18. Pirates
19. Diamondbacks
20. Twins
21. Giants
22. Red Sox
23. Nationals
24. Tigers
25. Cardinals
26. Royals
27. Angels
28. Rockies
29. Athletics
30. White Sox

Previous Rankings: W1 | OD

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We have spring training night games!

The Mets will play their first of seven night games this spring tonight. Night games in spring used to happen only a handful of times, but last year that number spiked for Mets. This year, they are playing around the same amount as they did in 2025.

The Mets are slowly working in their regular stars into spring training action this week. Yesterday, Brett Baty got time in right field and Jorge Polanco made his debut at first. Today, Sean Manaea will make his spring debut with Kodai Senga following tomorrow. After injury-plagued seasons in 2025, the Mets’ success in 2026 depends on both Manaea and Senga.

Carson Benge. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Mets Lineup

1. Marcus Semien – 2B
2. Carson Benge – RF
3. Francisco Alvarez – C
4. Ryan Clifford – 1B
5. Tyrone Taylor – CF
6. A.J. Ewing – LF
7. Austin Barnes – DH
8. Christian Arroyo – 3B
9. Vidal Bruján – SS

Starting Pitcher: Sean Manaea

Opposing Lineup

1. Xavier Edwards – 2B
2. Heriberto Hernández – LF
3. Connor Norby – 3B
4. Christopher Morel – 1B
5. Maximo Acosta – SS
6. Kemp Alderman – RF
7. Brian Navarreto – C
8. Deyvison De Los Santos – DH
9. Andrew Pintar – CF

Starting Pitcher: Max Meyer

Game Notes

• The Mets announced that they’ve optioned right-handed reliever Dylan Ross to Triple-A Syracuse. The 25-year-old, who had a 2.17 ERA over 54 innings in the minors last season, has not appeared in any big-league games this spring and also has yet to make his major league debut.
• Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that right-hander Robert Stock was experiencing shoulder discomfort after throwing for Team Israel and thus is no longer set to pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Stock, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets back in November, has not allowed a run in three innings during Grapefruit League play this year.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Sean Manaea. Mid-way through 2024, Manaea dropped his arm angle and it was a revelation. He finished the season going 12-6 over 32 starts and 181 2/3 innings with a 3.47 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.084 WHIP, 114 ERA+ and a 3.0 bWAR. Last season, Manaea battled injuries, which held him to 60 2/3 innings over 15 games (12 starts) with a 5.64 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 1.220 WHIP, 72 ERA+ and a -0.4 bWAR. We are hoping to see a healthy and effective Manaea tonight!
2. Carson Benge. Benge has been getting on base at a healthy .357 clip this spring with a .308 BA. But if you look only at his official spring stats, you’ll see a “disappointing” .308 SLG (.665 OPS) because in official spring games, it has been all singles. In his last game against Israel, though, he hit his first homer of spring. Flash some power tonight Carson!
3. The future is bright! Ewing is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Mets’ system, landing on the Baseball Prospectus (No. 38), MLB Pipeline (No. 97) and Baseball America (No. 83) top 100 lists this offseason. He’s off to a terrific start this spring, going 3-for-8 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, a walk and a stolen base (1.239 OPS).

Let’s go Mets!

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No 5. Washington Nationals

Ranking the Nationals at number five is likely the easiest part of this list. Since trading MacKenzie Gore, they do not have a single starting pitcher whose projections average out to less than a 4.15 ERA. Most of their starting pitchers project to end up in the mid-fours to low-fives in ERA. They also do not have a single starter who projects to throw more than 138 innings this year.

Foster Griffin, who spent the last two seasons pitching in Japan, projects the best with a 4.15 ERA and 1.283 WHIP across 138 innings pitched. In Japan, he pitched to a 2.57 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across two seasons, and while he pitched to a 1.52 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 2025, it was only across 89 innings. Outside of him, the most interesting name may be former top prospect Cade Cavalli, who pitched to a 4.25 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 48.2 innings pitched in 2025.

After those two, it is a mix of Trevor Williams after he returns from internal brace elbow surgery, Josiah Gray when he returns from Tommy John surgery, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker, Brad Lord, Andrew Alvarez, Riley Cornelio, Luis Perales, and more. It is very much a pitching staff built on quantity over quality.

No. 4 Atlanta Braves

Losing Spencer Schwellenbach for an extended period, potentially the entire season, is a major blow to the Braves’ rotation. At the point of writing this, the Braves have not signed a replacement starter, meaning Bryce Elder, who pitched to a 5.59 ERA the last two seasons is projected to fill the bulk of Spencer’s innings. The Braves’ rotation is very top-heavy, very injury-prone, and contains very little depth. There is not much room for anything else to go wrong.

Their best case involves Chris Sale not getting injured for the first time since 2017, or at least missing minimal time, which he has only done once in that time span – his Cy Young-winning 2024 season. It also requires him to pitch the same at age 37 as he has the last two seasons. Spencer Strider, meanwhile, needs to take a step forward from his 4.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP 2025 season and return to his former ace quality self. A year further removed from an internal brace surgery, the hope is that he will bounce back, but there are real concerns since his velocity was down significantly in 2025. If both Sale and Strider pitch to their potential, they are one of the best one-two punches in the game. The Braves also need Reynaldo López, who only pitched 5 innings in 2025, to pitch like he did in 2024 despite undergoing shoulder surgery. Hurston Waldrep needs to show that his 2025 performance in the majors was not a fluke after he was very inconsistent in Triple-A. Grant Holmes needs to perform closer to his 3.99 ERA than his 4.40 FIP. Most of all, they need to stay healthy and get as many innings from Schwellenbach as possible.

If all of that happens, they are at least a top-eight rotation. But the Braves have really no room for error. Sale has been a massive injury risk for almost a decade now and at age 37 that isn’t less of a risk. Spencer Strider did not rebound well from his elbow surgery in either results or under the hood. López has not pitched more than 25 starts since 2019 and is coming off shoulder surgery. Hurston Waldrep and Grant Holmes both have had elbow issues in the last two seasons. And their depth isElder, Martín Pérez, and Joey Wentz. Number 90 overall prospect JR Ritchie ended 2025 in Triple-A and could be a big factor in 2026 after a strong 59.2 innings to a 3.02 ERA in Triple-A. But one depth starter with upside may not be enough for this Braves rotation. Last year, the Braves had the 22nd-best ERA in the game and with Schwellenbach missing significant time it is easy to see a path where that happens again.

The Braves do not have the ceiling of the Marlins if everything goes right, and their floor is likely as low if enough goes wrong. Truly, they need another high-floor starter in this rotation to take Schwellenbach’s innings and could always add one before opening day. That would shift them above the Marlins. But as they currently stand today they are in fourth place.

No. 3 Miami Marlins

The Marlins had the opportunity to enter the season with one of the deepest rotations in baseball but traded away Edward Cabrera to the Cubs and Ryan Weathers to the Yankees. Still, a rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Braxton Garrett, Max Meyer, and Chris Paddack is nothing to scoff at. Top prospects Robby Snelling and Thomas White also will likely make an impact in 2026 while Janson Junk, Ryan Gusto and Adam Mazur provide additional depth. There is legitimate upside here. There are also plenty of question marks.

There is a path where the Marlins are the clear best rotation in the National League East. If Sandy looks like he did in the second half with his 3.33 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, he will be a strong anchor for the rotation. If former number 13 overall prospect Pérez, another year removed from Tommy John Surgery, pitches like he did in 2023 when he had a 3.15 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, he and Sandy would provide a dominant one-two punch. If Garrett looks like he did from 2022-2023 pre Tommy John surgery with a 3.63 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, he will be one of the best third starters in the game. If former number 57 prospect Meyer takes a step forward and hits his potential, he could be one of the best fourth starters in the game. If current No. 17 prospect White and No. 39 prospect Snelling hit the ground running as rookies, they can be rookie of the year candidates. If all that happens, they would be one of the best rotations in baseball. But how often does everything go right?

Alcantara pitched to a 5.36 ERA in 2025. Pérez pitched to a 4.25 ERA. Meyer pitched to a 4.73 ERA. Garret has pitched 37 innings since 2023, missing all of 2025 with Tommy John Surgery. Snelling and White are rookies who have yet to pitch in the majors. A lot can go wrong here, and a lot of innings could end up being thrown by Paddack, Junk, Gusto, and Mazur. Sandy could also pitch well and then get traded at the deadline, similar to Cabrera and Weathers before the season began. That is why their large quantity of upside is important here, and likely why they felt they could trade away Cabrera and Weathers for more offense.

While the ceiling is sky high for this rotation, the floor is very low and with that level of variance, it is hard to justify putting them higher than this. But Alcantara and Pérez at their best are not too far off from Sale and Strider as a one-two-punch and the rest of their rotation, including their depth, dwarfs the Braves, which is why they currently leapfrog them. But it is close and the Braves could always sign another starter to leapfrog back.

No. 2 New York Mets

There is an argument with their depth that the Mets have the best rotation in the National League East. They arguably have the deepest top nine starters in the division with Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Tobias Myers, Jonah Tong, and Christian Scott. Like all the rotations, there is also some level of variance to this rotation.

The Mets saw a pitching collapse in 2025. Peterson fell apart down the stretch as he blew past his career high in innings. Manaea never seemed to pitch healthy and in his small sample vastly underperformed his metrics and pitched to a 5.64 ERA. Senga seemed to never fully recover from his hamstring issue and struggled so much in the second half that he was demoted to Triple-A. They lost Griffin Canning to an Achilles tendon tear. McLean was amazing, but will still be a rookie pitcher. But the Mets recognized this and are not running out the same pitching staff plus more innings from the young pitchers like McLean and Tong. Peralta greatly increases the floor of this rotation while Myers greatly increases its floor. They are better positioned to withstand injuries with Scott returning from an internal brace surgery. Jonah Tong got his cup of coffee in the majors after dominating the minors and will be available to take more starts if needed in 2026 than in 2025. Jonathan Pintaro is likely more suited for the bullpen but has interesting stuff, while Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman are fine at 10th and 11th in the depth chart. The true depth comes from the large number of quality prospect starters in the high minors. Ideally, the moves the Mets made and the increased depth from their pitching development will better prepare them for the worst-case scenario.

On the flip side, the Mets’ rotation ceiling is very high. Peralta pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 2025. After a July overhaul, McLean pitched in the majors to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 48 innings and everything under the hood looked like borderline ace material. Manaea seemed to take a step forward in 2024, pitching to a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Holmes, in his first year as a starter, pitched 165.2 innings to a 3.53 ERA and 1.30 WHIP and could ideally take a step forward in 2026. Senga is a career 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP starter and is determined to stay healthy. Heading into August 2025, Peterson had pitched to a 2.68 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with a 3.53 FIP across 242 innings between 2024 and 2025. Tong was the minor league pitcher of the year per Baseball America and is ranked as high as the 23rd best prospect in baseball heading into 2026. Scott was the number 88 prospect per Baseball Prospectus going into the 2024 season.

The Mets have the ceiling to be one of the best rotations in baseball and their floor should keep them comfortable in the top half even if things do go wrong.

No. 1 Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have a lot riding on Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo staying healthy, but they are one of the best one-two punches in baseball when they are. Zack Wheeler could be a bit of a question mark coming off thoracic outlet syndrome surgery at age 36, but when healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in the game. If each of those three throws even 150 innings to their potentia,l they are a force to be reckoned with. It is after those three that things get murkier. Aaron Nola looked like a shell of himself in 2025, pitching to a 6.01 ERA and 4.58 FIP. He missed time with an ankle and rib injury, but even when he was on the field his stuff and velocity was not the same. The Phillies will need a bounce-back season from their 33-year-old starter. Taijuan Walker had a bit of a bounce back in 2025, pitching to a 4.08 ERA and 1.41 WHIP though he arguably overperformed his metrics doing so. He will likely spend a decent chunk of time in the rotation and will need to pitch closer to that ERA than his 5.07 FIP. Bryse Wilson, Alan Rangel, Jean Cabrera, and Yoniel Curet make up the bulk of their depth, but all project to have an ERA near 5.00.

The Phillies’ true wild card is Andrew Painter. Once the sixth-best prospect in baseball, his stock has been on the decline since he underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2023. In December of 2024, per Matt Gelbs of The Athletic, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski stated he expected Andrew Painter to join the rotation around July 2025. Even with injuries to Wheeler and Nola, Painter did not make it to the majors in 2025. He struggled heavily in 2025 in the minors with a 5.26 ERA, and 1.49 WHIP, and his stuff did not look close to what it did pre-surgery. A year removed, he could bounce back to become the frontline starter he was projected to be, but at the time of writing, he is very much a big question mark.

The Phillies also did not replace Ranger Suárez, who pitched 157.1 innings to a 3.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, which makes a breakout season from Painter even more of a necessity.

Ranking the Phillies number one could be argued as a legacy ranking, or faith that Dave Dombrowski will continue to figure things out as he has. On paper, the top three of the rotation if healthy, should make up for the potentially very rough backend and come the playoffs you really only need three true starters. But this rotation really has no room for anyone to get hurt. Across the last three seasons the Phillies have only had to utilize 15 total starting pitchers, which is tied with the Mariners for the least in baseball. This ranking is based heavily on continuing to be one of the healthiest rotations in baseball.

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Cabrera, formerly a top 100 prospect, had arguably his best season in 2025. He pitched a career high 137 2/3 innings to a 3.53 ERA and 1.228 WHIP with a 25.8% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. He is a career 4.07 ERA and 1.309 WHIP pitcher who has struggled with various injuries since his debut in 2021, including shoulder issues, back issues, and elbow tightness and inflammation that landed him on the injured list for most of September at the end of the 2025 season.

Cabrera will join a rotation currently staffed with Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, and Colin Rea.

Chicago is sending prized outfield prospect Owen Caissie to Miami as the centerpiece of the trade, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. Miami is also receiving infielders Cristian Hernández and Edgardo De Leon.

Caissie was Baseball America’s No. 55 prospect in its August update and MLB Pipeline’s No. 47 prospect in its latest rankings. He batted .286/.386/.551 with 22 homers and 28 doubles in 433 plate appearances for Triple-A Iowa. He made his major league debut in August, going 5-for-26 with one home run. Caissie is slated to join Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee in a young, exciting Marlins outfield.

The 18-year-old De Leon had a strong season in the Arizona Complex League, batting .276/.353/.500 with five homers, five doubles and five triples in 153 plate appearances. As for Hernández, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 11 prospect in Chicago’s system. He spent the year with High-A South Bend, batting .252/.329/.365 with seven homers, 25 doubles and 52 steals in 507 plate appearances.

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Heading into Miami with their destiny in their own hands, the Mets fumbled the bag in the biggest way possible. They lost two out of three to the Marlins to miss out on the playoffs.

While this team has been imploding for the last three-plus months, the way events unfolded this weekend will likely leave a lasting stain on this franchise for years to come.

After all, the Mets arrived in Miami on Friday, a game ahead of the Reds with three to play. The third Wild Card spot was there for the taking. Instead, New York laid an absolute egg in the opener to put Cincinnati back in the driver’s seat for the rest of the weekend. With both teams winning on Saturday, and with the Reds holding the tiebreaker, it all came down to the final day of the regular season on Sunday.

And, again, it was there for the taking. With the Reds losing to the Brewers, all the Mets had to do was win to sneak back into the playoffs. However, they were shut out 4-0 by the Marlins to seal the most embarrassing and frustrating collapse in franchise history.

We will have a special season review edition of 3 Up, 3 Down later. But, for now, let’s proceed with our regular scheduled programming…

David Banks-Imagn Images

3 UP

DOING HIS PART

It feels stupid to write about positives the day after the Mets completed their epic collapse by missing out on the playoffs. Alas, it is part of the gig, so the show must go on. Arguably one of the biggest plus points to emerge from the weekend was the clutchness of Pete Alonso. The slugger did everything in his power to try to keep the Mets alive against the Marlins. He drove in a run with an RBI double in the series opener. He led the way in an important win on Saturday with a home run and an RBI double.

Then, on Sunday, Alonso blasted a 115.9 mph rocket with the bases loaded. Sadly, luck wasn’t on his side, with the hardest-hit ball by any Met this season flying straight into the glove of Marlins outfielder Javier Sanoja. It was just one of those days and one of those seasons. However, Alonso can’t be blamed for the collapse, nor can he be blamed for the shortcomings in Miami. He did all he could.

HEROIC START

The Mets needed a hero on Saturday. And they got one in Clay Holmes. Channeling the herculean efforts of John Maineand Johan Santana, Holmes delivered a masterpiece when the Mets needed it the most. The reliever turned starter tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Despite having pitched nearly 100 more innings than his normal workload, Holmes put forward his best start of the entire year. He was masterful on the mound, shutting down the Marlins and doing whatever it took to get the job done. Ultimately, it didn’t matter, but Holmes at least gave his team a fighting chance going into the final day. And that will be remembered.

MASTER OF HIS CRAFT

While the team failed as a collective unit, Edwin Díaz put together a majestic individual season in 2025. The closer was money all year for the Mets, and that continued across the final weekend in Miami. He entered the ninth inning of Saturday’s game and sealed the win with a scoreless inning. The three-time All-Star was even better on Sunday. Thanks to manager Carlos Mendoza mismanaging the pitching in the finale, Díaz was asked to come into the game in the fifth inning. He responded by delivering two scoreless innings to keep the game alive and give his offense a chance. And, according to reports, Díaz even expressed a willingness to stay in the game beyond the sixth. Like Holmes and Alonso, Díaz more than did his job this weekend.

Sep 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) looks on against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

FUMBLING THE BAG

As we mentioned up top, the Mets arrived in Miami with everything in their favor. All they had to do was take care of business against an already eliminated Marlins team, and the final Wild Card spot would be theirs. However, as we’ve seen over the last three-plus months, the Mets are not a good baseball team, and we got a stark reminder of that over the weekend. An ugly, humiliating, season-changing meltdown on Friday was the start of an all-time epic collapse reaching its conclusion.

Then, needing just a win on Sunday to get in with the Reds having lost to the Brewers, the Mets couldn’t even score a single run on the way to missing the postseason most embarrassingly. Forget talent; this team just did not play with a pulse or a heart when it mattered most. They choked and put up little fight on the way to sealing an absolute bust of a season.

SELF-ENFORCED WOUNDS

The Mets only hurt themselves on the way to collapsing out of the playoffs. They did not play good baseball for two out of the three games in Miami, and they were suitably punished. Mental mistakes and self-enforced errors were the theme of the night in an ugly 6-2 loss on Friday. The offense also didn’t show, going 1-for-10 with RISP, leaving seven runners stranded on base. It was a similar story in Sunday’s finale, with the lineup finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while managing just five hits all game. Again, all the Mets had to do this weekend was win two games, and they would have now been preparing to take on the Dodgers in the Wild Card round. Instead, the same old mistakes that have plagued this team all year doomed them on the final weekend.

MANAGING TO LOSE

Carlos Mendoza was seen as a rising star after his highly successful first year in the dugout in 2024. However, a lot of that shine has now faded following a disastrous 2025 season. Mendoza made a ton of mistakes and a slew of questionable decisions this year. That was again the case in Miami. He took Brandon Sproat out of the game on Friday and opted to put in Gregory Soto, who hasn’t been great in Queens. The result? Soto allowed two more runs to score, essentially throwing away a game the Mets couldn’t afford to lose.

In a must-win game to end all other must-win games on Sunday, Mendoza’s ability to manage the game left a lot to be desired. He decided to start the struggling Sean Manaea in a big spot and then pulled him after just 1.2 innings. Mendoza then went with Brooks Raley and Ryne Stanek, who combined to allow a back-breaking three earned runs.

Edwin Díaz was warmed up in the bullpen, but Mendoza decided to put Tyler Rogers in the game first, who gave up another run to make it a 4-0 game. Díaz then entered in the fifth and pitched two scoreless innings, but by that point, it was too late. If that wasn’t bad enough, Mendoza decided not to put Starling Marte in the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. That’s even though Ronny Mauricio and Cedric Mullins were the first two hitters up. In a game the Mets had to win to make the playoffs, Mendoza wasn’t nearly aggressive enough. And he also needs to take blame for just how lifeless his team looked in huge spots on Friday and again on Sunday.

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