Series Preview: Mets Look to Turn it Around in Toronto

Well, things escalated quickly for the New York Mets, didn’t they?

At one point in June, New York, despite its slow start to the 2026 season, was only five games out of a playoff spot. In the blink of an eye, the Mets are nearly 10 games out of a playoff spot. They were easily dispatched by the Chicago Cubs, getting swept over the course of a four-game series. After committing eight errors over the last two games, manager Carlos Mendoza was relieved of his duties, with Andy Green taking over in an interim role.

Now, as the Mets are coming off yet another series loss to the Phillies, they are set to hit the road and head north of the border. Facing the underachieving Blue Jays, New York could have a chance to put a few wins together, but the Blue Jays also have the opportunity to fix some of their struggles.

It is time for another series preview. Without further ado, it is time to dive into it!

Sean Manaea by Berto Carlo

Monday: Sean Manaea (1-2, 4.87 ERA) vs. Trey Yesavage (3-3, 3.56 ERA)

Manaea’s last outing did not continue his positive momentum; against the Chicago Cubs, the lefty lasted only three innings and allowed three runs on six hits. Manaea walked two batters while striking out four. The whiffs did not decrease, but the lefty threw 42 pitches out of the strike zone and was forced to put more pitches on the black in the strike zone. Over the past year or so, Manaea has found the most success when locating early in the count and using his offspeed pitches to get batters to chase. His start against the Blue Jays is his next opportunity to get back on track.
Yesavage, an October hero for the Blue Jays, has been rock-solid once again in 2026. In 60.2 innings pitched, Yesavage has 58 strikeouts and has a whiff rate of 29.2%. His expected batting average allowed of .187 is in the 95th percentile, which is bolstered by his very low barrel rates and hard-hit rates. If Yesavage can avoid the walks (12.0% rate) and not run into danger against the Mets’ premier hitters, he should be more than okay on Monday.

Tuesday: Nolan McLean (4-5, 4.03 ERA) vs. Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.36 ERA)

It was a tale of two halves for Nolan McLean in his latest start for the New York Mets. Early on, McLean was rolling, racking up eight strikeouts while working around trouble. His command was not perfect, as he did walk two batters and hit two batters before things spiraled in the fifth inning. McLean gave up a single, a double to Michael Conforto, and a game-tying home run to Michael Busch. In the following inning, McLean barely avoided maneuvering out of trouble, as he gave up a home run to Dansby Swanson to make it a 6-3 ballgame. The rookie right-handed pitcher, as I have said all year, can be an ace for the Mets. He can strike out batters at will, and when he does not lose his control, lineups struggle to do much against him. As New York falls out of contention, McLean will get all of the leeway he needs to continue his development as a player. Even in a lost season, McLean is well worth watching the rest of the season when he takes the hill.
Kevin Gausman has run into some issues in June. In 26 innings pitched, he has given up 22 runs on 28 hits, which includes eight home runs. Gausman has notched 27 strikeouts and walked 10 batters in this time frame. The right-handed pitcher, as a whole this season, has generated plenty of chases (34.8%) and is not walking many batters (5.6%). His fastball has been his best pitch, generating 47 strikeouts, while his split-finger has hitters batting just .219. New York will have a chance to score some runs in this game, but it will still take a very solid effort.

Wednesday: Freddy Peralta (5–6, 4.53 ERA) vs. Patrick Corbin (2-4, 5.09 ERA)

Freddy Peralta, an upcoming free agent, may not be on the Mets by the end of 2026. As a result, his next few starts will be critical for his trade value or his quest to land a long-term deal. In his last start, the right-handed pitcher was much better than his implosion against the Phillies. Over 5.2 innings pitched, Peralta struck out five batters and only walked one. He did allow five hits and three runs, but those runs were all unearned. If Peralta can consistently locate as he did against the Cubs while still generating strikeouts, the pitcher will be on the right trajectory. As a result, his start against the Blue Jays will be an important one to watch.
In June, Corbin has had his fair share of struggles. Holding an ERA of 8.69, the lefty has given up 30 hits and four home runs. He only has 16 strikeouts and has amassed 10 walks in 19.2 innings pitched, with his start against the Phillies on June 8 being the worst of his five in June. The lefty is not throwing hard, is not striking players out at a high clip, and is allowing plenty of hard contact. Out of all three games in this series, the Mets have the best chance to win this one.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Main Storyline

Ahead of this series, my main storyline is easy: Who will play themselves onto the post-trade-deadline Mets and the 2027 version of the team?

Players like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto will remain for obvious reasons. Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean will help to form a nice foundation for the team going forward, with Francisco Alvarez being another name to consider in this group.

Can Brett Baty or Mark Vientos prevent their eventual departures, which currently look like a formality? Can Jared Young or Eric Wagaman lock in their roles with the team? On the pitching side, can a young arm or two, like Zach Thornton, earn themselves an extended run? Can New York find an underrated bullpen arm or two after the fire sale?

These questions will all help inform what the near future looks like for the Mets. Things are very much in flux, and it will be fascinating to see not only how the players influence the decision-making, but also what path the decision-makers go down.

Player to Watch

In the latest early-week series for the Mets, I am concentrating on A.J. Ewing.

Ewing, only a rookie, has found his stride over the past few weeks. In June, the dynamic outfielder has hit 310/.379/.500 with three home runs. He has played impressive defense and had multiple clutch hits, being one of the few players to rise to the occasion when the Mets needed him.

Heading into July, I want to see how Ewing continues to improve and adjust when pitchers start attacking him differently. Alongside Carson Benge and a few other players, Ewing is a key piece of New York’s future. I am very intrigued to see how he does.