What a week that turned out to be for the New York Mets.

Coming off the Trade Deadline, the new-look Mets hit the road and are currently an impressive 5-1 before opening up a series in Atlanta on Monday.

After sweeping the Guardians, the Mets went into Pittsburgh and continued to be a lot of fun to watch on the way to taking two out of three from the Pirates.

While wins and losses hold little import right now, it is still encouraging to see things click for this team. Most notably, the offense seems to be putting things together. While the young players are leading the charge, the veterans are also producing at a high level.

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

Jun 3, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

3 UP

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Sean Manaea is weaving quite the comeback story. Following some prolonged struggles, in which the veteran appeared to be a faded force, a new dawn could now be on the horizon. Manaea has done nothing but pay back the Mets’ faith in him after being inserted back into the starting rotation. That culminated in a truly stellar outing on Sunday. On the mound for the series finale, Manaea dazzled, twirling seven innings of one-run ball with three hits, no walks, and 11 strikeouts. Manaea has found a lot of success with his four-seam fastball, while his velocity keeps ticking up. Whether this is sustainable long-term given Manaea’s age remains to be seen. But, for right now, the lefty is the starter the Mets need and hoped he would be.

FINISHING STRONG

On the subject of renaissances, how about this offense?! Other than laying an egg on Saturday, the Mets have been red-hot offensively since the Trade Deadline. Over a six-game span, the lineup has now scored a whopping total of 42 runs. That averages out to seven runs a game, which is the best mark in the National League. More notably, the Mets are getting contributions from up and down the lineup. Marcus Semien stayed hot with four RBIs in Pittsburgh. Jared Young went 3-for-5 with a triple on Sunday. Headlining an 11-run outburst in the finale, Luis Robert Jr. drove in four RBIs. And Bo Bichette led the way with a perfect 5-for-5 day. Of course, the two rookie outfielders also produced in a big way, but more on them next.

FUN DRIVERS

The Mets are a lot of fun to watch right now. That has a lot to do with Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. The dynamic duo was instrumental in the Pirates series win. Benge went 2-for-2 with two RBIs on Friday, while also making a stunning catch in the field. Granted, the rookie missed Saturday’s game after hurting his wrist during that play. However, he was back in the lineup on Sunday and went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a walk. As for Ewing, the outfielder reached base in all three games, headlined by a 3-for-4 performance in the opener. He also made a slew of big plays in the field. Overall, both Benge and Ewing underlined their growing importance to this franchise.

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3 DOWN

OFFENSIVE DUD

As good as the offense was in Pittsburgh, Saturday proved to be a day to forget. The lineup was a non-factor, mustering just three hits all game. Granted, it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Still, it just goes to show that this offense has its flaws. Plus, the no-show denied the Mets a chance to sweep a flailing Pirates team.

STOCK TRENDING DOWN

Saturday was just an all-around bad day for the Mets. Not only did the offense fail to show, but the starting pitching also struggled. Robert Stock was not good, getting shelled for eight earned runs on nine hits and five walks over three miserable innings. In other words, Stock didn’t give his team a chance from the start. With a chance to impress, the righty whiffed in a big way.

UNHAPPY RETURN

Dedniel Núñez‘s long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery hasn’t exactly been smooth. The reliever has struggled since being called back up to the big leagues, including over the weekend. Núñez gave up a pair of runs in Friday’s series opener, allowing the Pirates back into the game. As a result, Núñez has now given up four runs – two earned – in his two outings since coming off the IL. The Mets will hope it is just rust and not anything more sinister.