Series Preview: Mets to Host MLB’s Best Brewers

It is time for another series preview for the New York Mets.

The Milwaukee Brewers, who own the best record in MLB, are set to arrive in New York for a three-game series. New York will have to contend with some of the Brewers’ best pitchers, including the formidable Jacob Misiorowski.

There is plenty to get into, so let us dive into it!

Tuesday: Zac Thornton (3-4, 3.04 ERA) vs. Kyle Harrison (10–3, 2.84 ERA)

• In his latest start, Thornton ran into a bit more trouble than he has been used to in 2026. Against the Padres, the lefty surrendered three earned runs and gave up seven hits. However, Thornton also struck out seven batters and only walked one batter. Outside of being tagged by the long ball, the lefty has been rock solid and a key piece of the Mets’ rotation. He has done a great job mixing pitches and attacking batters; his 7.0% walk rate is in the 73rd percentile in the sport this season. Thornton threw six shutout innings against the Brewers back in July.
• Kyle Harrison has been simply fantastic for the Brewers, and he has been rolling throughout the month of August. Harrison twirled five innings of shutout baseball against the Mariners in his last start, striking out eight batters in the process. On the year, the lefty has 122 strikeouts and a 30.3% strikeout rate. The Brewers acquired him in the offseason from the Red Sox for Caleb Durbin.

Wednesday: Robert Stock (0–2, 5.40 ERA)  vs. Dustin May (6–8, 4.57 ERA)

• Robert Stock, outside of one blowup start, has been solid for the Mets through four starts. In his most recent outing against the Padres, Stock went 4 1/3 innings, allowed two hits, allowed only one run, and struck out six batters. He did walk three batters, but he worked around the baserunners and helped the Mets stay in the game. Stock will not blow batters away, but he avoids hard contact at a high rate (27.1%) and generates whiffs at a good rate of 26.8%.
• Dustin May has had his struggles in 2026, but when he is right, the pitcher has some of the best pure stuff in baseball. August has been a month full of struggles for May, as he has a 6.00 ERA and given up seven runs in his last start. Outside of that outing, though, May has struck out five or more batters in four of his last five starts.

Thursday: Sean Manaea (4–5, 4.31 ERA) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (13–5, 1.68 ERA) 

• Manaea has been tagged in his past two outings, but he is still giving the Mets decent length on a consistent basis. Against the White Sox, the lefty allowed four runs on five hits, including three home runs. However, he still went six innings and struck out four batters, taking a no-decision in the process. Manaea, no matter the opponent, has given the Mets solid innings at the back end of the rotation.
• The Miz has not been invincible, but he has been the best pitcher in baseball this season. In 24 games, the dominant right-hander has a whopping 216 strikeouts and 13 wins on the season. Misiorowski has averaged 100.6 miles per hour on his fastball, has a 35.3% chase rate, and a 37.9% whiff rate. Simply put, the Mets are in for the challenge of all challenges to close out this series.

The Main Storyline

Ahead of this series, my main storyline to watch is the continued progression of the lineup.

Carson Benge has been playing like a superstar lately.A.J. Ewing continues to progress as a player, while Francisco Lindor is a mainstay in the middle of the lineup for New York. Bo Bichette and Luis Robert Jr., along with Jared Young, have been very solid as of late.

New York needs to keep building the foundation for their 2027 lineup. The overall group has the potential to do damage next season, and with the correct focus and progression, they can build to a point where they hit the ground running in 2026. For that reason, and more, it is my main storyline of the week.

Player to Watch 

In the latest early-week series for the Mets, I am concentrating on Bo Bichette.

Through this point of August, the third baseman is hitting .316 with a .929 OPS. He has four home runs and 13 runs batted in, along with drawing seven walks. Working with a much better approach at the plate, Bichette looks locked in and is playing at the best level that he has all season long.