Series Preview: Mets Look to Reset Against Tigers

One step forward, one step back! It’s the New York Mets dance!

After sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets had a chance to capitalize on their momentum and go on a run. And then they lost to the Miami Marlins, not just once, but three times in four games. Suddenly, it feels like the Mets are back at square zero.

While the lineup has been upper-tier, the pitching, outside of Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, has not. It is arguably the main reason New York lost this series to the Marlins.

However, the past is in the past. Ahead of a critical series with the Reds this weekend, the Mets travel to Detroit to face the Tigers. How does New York fare in this matchup? And what is the main storyline ahead of it?

It is time for another series preview, this time covering the Mets’ trip to the Motor City that begins their September stretch run. Without further ado, let us dive into it!

Pitching Matchups

Monday: Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.01 ERA) vs. Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.25 ERA)

• At this point, it feels that every Sean Manaea start is the same. At the beginning, the Manaea that Mets fans are accustomed to usually shows up. The lefty tears through the opposition, showing off the full range of an arsenal that can make him one of the best pitchers in baseball. In his last start against the Phillies, this is exactly what happened; Manaea started hot and ended up striking out eight batters in his outing. However, there is a wall that the lefty, no matter what he does to try to avoid it, keeps slamming into. Around 70-75 pitches, it seems that Manaea loses his command and/or velocity. He starts to allow baserunners in decent spurts, ensuring that the opposition has great scoring chances. This has helped to blow up games where the Mets’ offense starts hot and bury them in games before they even have a chance to do damage. For the Mets to have the best chance in this game, the former ace of the staff needs to, at long last, break through that wall. If he does, the Mets could easily run away with this game. If he does not, New York could see its bullpen get taxed even further and start to implode once more. 
• I could provide analysis for Charlie Morton, an old foe of the Mets. I could say that the veteran has a 5.25 ERA and has given up five runs or more in two of his last four starts. I could say that he has also struck out at least five batters in all of his August starts, with his best mark of ten coming against the Los Angeles Angels on August 9. I could do that, or I could just say this: Charlie Morton has the Mets’ number, and they need to figure out a way to smoke his pitches all around the ballpark. Either way, this is a matchup the Mets need to finally take advantage of. 

Tuesday: Nolan McLean (3-0, 0.89 ERA) vs. TBD

• To answer last week’s question, yes, there is a new ace in New York. In three starts, Nolan McLean is 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA. He is getting batters out in whatever way he wants, is not walking hitters, and seems to have a greatlevel of command over his full arsenal. Most impressively, McLean already seems like a pro in terms of handling pressure; against the Phillies, the rookie was unfazed in the eight innings with runners in scoring position, eventually getting through the inning clean. The former two-way player has brought something different to the mound for his starts, and I expect that to continue in the second game of this series. 
• As of now, the Detroit Tigers have not announced a starting pitcher for game two of the series.

Wednesday: Clay Holmes (11-6, 3.60 ERA) vs. Casey Mize (12-5, 3.95 ERA)

• Even with his struggles, Clay Holmes has settled in nicely as a solid middle-of-the-rotation option for the Mets in 2025. Despite low strikeout totals, the former reliever is finding a way to limit damage and keep the ball on the ground. Over his last three starts, Holmes has not given up more than two runs or walked more than two batters. With seemingly a more contact-oriented approach, Holmes has allowed five hits in two of those three starts; however, they are evidently scattered across innings and are not resulting in the pitcher having blowup outings. If Holmes can attack the zone and continue to induce weak contact, he should be in store for another solid outing.
• Casey Mize, the Tigers’ starter for game three of this series, has had a very solid season. He has a 3.95 ERA, a WHIP of 1.31, and 107 strikeouts. He has been a big reason why the Tigers, even wth their own struggles, have stayed in prime playoff contention. However, Mize is a very getable pitcher for this Mets’ offense. Outside of a great fastball, Mize’s other offerings have been smoked, mainly his -12 run value splitter. The Mets cannot be too patient in this game, as Mize does not walk too many batters (6.2%). However, New York must hunt mistakes from the former Auburn Tiger; if they can execute this game plan, the Mets should have a great shot to win this game.

The (Other) Main Headline

Consistency. That is really all that matters for the New York Mets as the calendar flips to September.

The energy question has been answered, but only in spurts; New York has shown the fire and ability to battle in games against all types of opponents. However, they have also been lifeless against multiple teams this season (Hello, Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates!)

For the Mets to have any shot of being a legit contender, they need to find some form of consistency as a team. They need some form of consistency outside of Tong, McLean, and most of David Peterson on the pitching staff. They need the bullpen to find a way to consistently hold leads. And while the offense has been great for the majority of the past month, they need to ensure that they stay near that production and do not fall back into an extended slump.

In just about a month from now, the marathon that is the MLB regular season will be wrapping up. If the Mets want to be in a great position, they need to find the consistency buried deep within them in September.

Prediction

In their series against the Tigers, I see the Mets winning two of three games.

On the pitching side of things, Nolan McLean will help the Mets earn a win and move to 4-0 on the season. This start will also create some buzz for McLean’s NL ROY case. 

At the plate, Pete Alonso will have two extra-base hits, Brett Baty will homer, and Mark Vientos will have four RBIs in the series.

After this series, I have the Mets at 75-65 heading into their most important matchup of the season against the Cincinnati Reds.