The New York Mets are the first team to 20 wins in Major League Baseball.

It was an up-and-down series for the Mets in Washington – a four-game set featuring a slew of crushing lows and exhilarating highs. Yes, April baseball really can be entertaining and frustrating in equal measure.

The Mets dropped their first real clunker of 2025 on Sunday, thanks to a horror show by the bullpen. They were also walked off twice in this series. However, this team responded and then some in the finale, racking up 19 runs against the Nationals in a true blowout on Monday.

As a result, the Mets earned a series split and started the week as the best team in baseball. All in all, things are pretty, pretty, pretty good in Queens right now.

To that end, let’s proceed with the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Via Mets

3 UP

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST

The red flags hovering over Brandon Nimmo‘s game were starting to become more and more notable. The outfielder has looked lost at the plate, especially with runners in scoring position. He entered Monday’s game just 6-for-37 with runners in scoring position. Furthermore, falling behind in the count has hurt Nimmo this year. He owned just a .115 on-base percentage when going 0-1 in the count. However, all those struggles seemed a million miles away from what we witnessed on Monday. Nimmo truly had a day for the ages, going 4-for-6 with two homers – including a grand slam – and a franchise-tying record nine RBIs. Yes, you read that right.

Per Elias, Nimmo became just the second player in MLB history, behind Mike Moustakas (2015), to record nine RBIs in the sixth inning or later of a game. He also became the first player to drive in at least nine runs since Shohei Ohtani did it last September. It is rare to see a player drive in nine runs in a single game, which is a testament to just how elite Nimmo was on Monday. He also tied Carlos Delgado for the all-time franchise record for most RBIs in a single game. Granted, it is just one game, but Nimmo showed on Monday just how valuable a weapon he is in this lineup when he’s at the peak of his powers. Hopefully, the series finale in Washington will act as a turning point for Nimmo and his season.

BOUNCING BACK & REINFORCEMENTS

I’m going to cheat and squeeze two points into one segment here. You have to love the character of these Mets. And you also have to applaud them for the mental fortitude they showed in Washington. After melting down on Sunday, few would have been surprised if this team had gone out and blown the series on Monday. Instead, the Mets did what they’ve been doing all year – they responded emphatically. The entire team absorbed the gut punch, strapped on their big boy pants and went to work in righting the previous day’s wrongs. The result? One hell of an answer to split the series and come back home with the best record in baseball. That’s what good teams do. They dig in and refuse to quit, no matter how many times they’ve been kicked in the cubes.

The Mets suffered two brutal losses in Washington – both of the walk-off variety – yet they responded each time with impressive performances. It is still early, but the resiliency and the ability to bounce back immediately are hallmarks of any great team in any sport. And, so far, it sure seems like the New York Mets have both of those attributes by the bucketload.

It also helped that some reinforcements arrived over the weekend. Both Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez were activated from the IL on Friday. And both players certainly made their presence felt. McNeil finished with four hits, a home run, a triple and three RBIs. Alvarez, meanwhile, hit a double, and a home run and also finished with three RBIs. With those two players back, the Mets are now deeper than they were before. With the best still yet to come from certain players, coupled with the fact that Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are still yet to return, the Mets probably have another level or two to reach before they are really operating at the peak of their powers.

STARTERS DELIGHT

Mets starting pitchers have now allowed four or fewer runs in each of their first 29 games to begin the season. That’s per OptaSTATS, and that is one hell of a stat indeed. Whether it is sustainable or not is beside the point. The starting rotation has performed way above expectations so far in 2025, and that group deserves all the credit in the world. All four starters in this series did their jobs.

Kodai Senga allowed two earned runs with five strikeouts over six innings. Clay Holmes overcame a lengthy rain delay to deliver five scoreless innings. Tylor Megill was solid while going over six innings. And Griffin Canning was the best of the bunch after tossing five shutout innings in the series finale. Again, the starting pitching will probably experience a reality check at some point. But, for now, the rotation is more than playing its part in what has been a stellar start to the season for the Mets.

Brad Mills-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

BULLPEN MELTDOWNS

It was probably only a matter of time until the Mets were dealt a bullpen curveball in 2025. Well, it happened over the weekend in Washington in a big way. The Mets grabbed a late lead in the series opener on Friday, only for Ryne Stanekto allow two runs en route to a walk-off loss. Then, on Sunday, the bullpen completely melted down. José Buttó allowed three earned runs before Stanek gave up another two runs as the Mets blew a 7-1 lead. Stanek’s struggles were particularly concerning, given that he imploded twice in this series. Now, granted, the bullpen was perfect on Saturday, delivering four innings of scoreless relief. But, overall, the relief pitching was directly responsible for New York dropping two of four.

CONSIDERABLE LOSS

Compounding the bullpen struggles was the fact that A.J. Minter had to go on the IL. The lefty, who has been a shutdown arm for the Mets this year, left Saturday’s game with left triceps tightness. After being diagnosed with a lat strain, he was officially placed on the 15-day IL. That loss will hurt the Mets, given that Minter pitched to a stellar 1.64 ERA before getting hurt. He had allowed just two earned runs on six hits with 14 strikeouts across 11 innings this year. Furthermore, this bullpen has been leaned on a lot already, and losing a key body will force others to step up and carry the load.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

The fact the Mets have the best record in baseball is all the more remarkable when you consider that Juan Soto hasn’t exactly hit like Juan Soto yet. The superstar hitter is off to a slow start – especially by his lofty standards – and the expected breakout hasn’t happened yet. Sure, he did reach base four times on Sunday, in addition to recording a pair of hits in the series opener. However, Soto has just three home runs on the year and hasn’t gone long since April 15. He also has just 12 RBIs on the season. Still, Soto’s on-base percentage is .378. There is also no denying that he is being pitched differently this season. And you also can’t forget that Soto is still adjusting to a new franchise and the expectations that come with having the biggest contract in baseball.

Overall, Soto’s start, in addition to his lack of power, has been disappointing. That goes without saying. But it is still too early to press the panic button. I have no doubt that the Soto breakout is coming, and it will happen soon.