Credit: USA TODAY

3 UP

1. Starting Off Right

If there were any concerns about this rotation in the absence of Jacob deGrom, the starting staff quickly alleviated them this weekend. The best way to put just how great the starting pitching was is Max Scherzer had a quality start and still had the worst start in the series.

Carlos Carrasco looked like the pitcher he was in Cleveland, which is even more promising.

All told, Mets starters combined to go 3-0 with a 1.59 while walking just two and striking out 25. Perhaps more impressive than that is all Mets pitching held Juan Soto to 3-for-14.

2. Real McNeil

One of the biggest questions was whether Jeff McNeil would rebound to be the player he was when he burst onto the Majors. In the Opening Series, McNeil was just that. He started the season 7-for-16 with a homer, two walks, and three RBI. For the second straight season, he homered on his birthday.

We also saw McNeil’s versatility at play. With Brandon Nimmo‘s neck injury keeping him out of Opening Day, McNeil played leftfield. He’d do so twice and play second the other two games.

3. New Acquisitions Adding Up

Aside from Starling Marte‘s slow start, the Mets offseason additions impacted this team.

Chris Bassitt pitched six scoreless innings striking out eight. Adam Ottavino had two scoreless appearances.

Mark Canha was 7-for-10 with three walks. Eduardo Escobar is your Major League leader in doubles. That makes both keys in an offense that seemed to put problems of yesteryear (no scoring with bases loaded, hitting with RISP) in the rearview mirror.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

1. Cora Windmill

Last year, when a terrible Pittsburgh Pirates team fired Joey Cora, he was the worst-rated third base coach in the majors. We saw that at play in the opening series against the Nationals.

In the opener, Cora sent Pete Alonso, who was trying to score from first on an Escobar double, home, and he was nailed at the plate. In the next game, Cora sent Robinson Cano home, and he was nailed easily at the plate by Dee Strange-Gordon.

In both instances, Cora sent slower runners, ending the inning. This is a sign Cora hasn’t improved in this facet, and at some point, this could become a real issue in what promises to be a very tight National League East.

2. HBP

Nationals pitchers hit an excessive amount of batters this weekend. It was five in total, including three in the opener.

It wasn’t just the fact pitches hit them. It was where they got plunked. The C-flap saved both Alonso and Francisco Lindor on their helmets. If not for that, Alonso would’ve had much worse than a swollen lip, and Lindor would’ve done worse than a broken tooth.

You never want pitchers feeling comfortable throwing at your hitters. That might’ve stopped in what became a galvanizing moment when Buck Showalter led the charge with Jeremy Hefner to empty the benches.

3. Not Bucking Trends

Two of the concerns about hiring Showalter were his bullpen management and his leaning on veterans. Unfortunately, it does not appear as things have changed with Showalter.

Robinson Cano played in three out of four games, and he was no pinch hit for when the Nationals brought in Sean Doolittle. That decision was exacerbated by the Mets having a bevy of right-handed pinch hitting options on their bench.

In the series finale, Showalter stuck with Chasen Shreve and Trevor Williams as he was trying to get everyone into the opening series. Trevor May was fresh, but you have to wonder if he didn’t pitch because he was being held back to close with Edwin Diaz unavailable.

Whatever the case, Showalter (and Alonso’s defense) helped cost the Mets a game in a series they should’ve swept. Now, the good has far outweighed these issues with Showalter, so we shouldn’t belabor the point. Instead, this is just something that bears monitoring.