Talk about an apt ending to the first half of the 2026 season for the New York Mets.
The Mets got swept by the Red Sox and invented new ways to lose in all three games. It was a miserable end to what has been a rotten 2026 season so far.
What happens now with the Trade Deadline rapidly approaching remains to be seen. But what is clear is that these Mets aren’t anywhere close to being good enough. That was on full display over the weekend against Boston.
With that, let’s recap everything from the final series of the first half in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down.
Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo
3 UP
THORNTON’S GEM
Zach Thornton gave the Mets a rare reason to be encouraged over the weekend. Making just his third career start, the lefty excelled on Sunday. He tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out five. It was truly an incredible performance by Thornton, who needed just 86 pitches for his masterpiece. Furthermore, he has also allowed just one earned run over his last two starts. While a small sample size, Thornton has flashed a lot of potential. Therefore, he could have a big role to play for this team after the All-Star break.
STEADY PRESENCE
It looks like Nolan McLean‘s struggles are behind him. The righty was excellent against the Red Sox on Friday night, allowing two unearned runs with two walks and seven strikeouts across six innings. Consequently, McLean has now given up just two earned runs over his last three starts. He’s back to being the reliable anchor of the rotation that the Mets need. More importantly, McLean is pitching like a true ace again.
UNTOUCHABLE
Luke Weaver‘s dominant season continues. The reliever tossed a scoreless inning during Sunday’s series finale, making it 25 consecutive outings without giving up an earned run. That’s incredibly impressive. Weaver has been a real strength all year so far, and he’s remained consistent even with the bullpen struggling as of late. As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising if Weaver gains a lot of interest the closer we move to the Trade Deadline.
Francisco Lindor by Berto Carlo
3 DOWN
FATAL ERROR
Francisco Lindor is not having a fun time of it right now. The shortstop has largely struggled since returning from the IL, and his struggles were compounded on Sunday. With the Mets holding a 2-0 lead in the ninth, and with one out, Lindor had the chance to end the game with a double play. Instead, he fumbled the play badly, leading to Boston tying the game and then winning it in extras. It was yet another sloppy, ugly play by Lindor, who actually had a nice day at the plate. But he continues to make basic mistakes in the field, and that should be a real concern for the Mets.
WHAT NOW?
What do the Mets do with Freddy Peralta? The starter has been a major disappointment in Queens so far, and things don’t look like they will get any better. He was underwhelming on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits but walking five batters. More importantly, Peralta lasted just 4 1/3 innings. It was the third consecutive start in which the righty failed to complete five innings. Now owning a 4.66 ERA on the year, it is hard to figure out what has exactly gone wrong with Peralta this year. And it is also hard to envision his trade value picking up now, leaving the Mets with a potential dilemma.
FALSE HOPE
It turns out the offense was just teasing us after all. After scoring 48 runs in the previous two series combined, the Mets lineup reverted back to type against the Red Sox. They managed just four runs all series, including being shut out for the ninth time this season on Saturday. The entire offense struggled all series, especially in clutch situations. For instance, the Mets went a combined 1-for-24, leaving 21 runners stranded on base. Given how bad the offense has been in 2026, it was fitting that the bats went ice cold in the final series before the All-Star break.
