Series Preview: Mets Look to Play Spoiler in Miami

The horizon quickly approaches for the New York Mets’ 2026 season.

New York returns to Florida to take on the Miami Marlins in a three-game series. The series is an important one for the Marlins, who are still fighting for a playoff spot late in the season.

As always, there is plenty to dive into. Without further ado, it is time for another series preview!

Jonah Tong (21)
Credit: Frank Bowen IV-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Monday: Jonah Tong (1-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. Eury Pérez (7-10, 3.72 ERA)

Welcome back to New York, Jonah Tong! Since making his last start for the Mets on June 2, Tong has gone through his ups and downs in the minor leagues, but recently found his stride. At his best, Tong can strike out batters like a high-end pitcher and limit hard contact at a very good rate. However, Tong has struggled with his command on multiple occasions in 2026. To close out this season, Tong will have a chance to put his best foot forward and work toward a role on the team in 2027.
Eury Pérez, after a great month of August, did not start the last month of the season on a good note. The righty allowed six runs in 4.2 innings pitched against the Royals in his latest start, while also walking three batters. Pérez has the stuff to mow down hitters at a high rate, evidenced by his 26.1% strikeout rate. However, the talented righty struggles with walking batters (10.6% rate) and has a tendency to let up some very hard contact. The version of Pérez that shows up will determine how the Marlins fare in this game.

Tuesday: Sean Manaea (4-7, 4.70 ERA) vs. Sandy Alcantara (13-9, 3.54 ERA)

Sean Manaea continues to struggle down the stretch in 2026. Facing the Rays on September 1, the lefty allowed 11 hits and five runs in 5.2 innings pitched. Manaea keeps giving New York decent length in games, but he has been tagged for multiple runs on a consistent basis. It does not help that the lefty’s strikeout numbers have dipped in conjunction with his struggles. A bounceback start would help Manaea retain a locked-in spot on the team heading into 2027.
Alcantara has been the Marlins’ ace once again in 2026. The righty consistently attacks batters and uses an expansive pitch mix to shut down opposing lineups. While he only has 142 strikeouts this season, Alcantara does a great job limiting hard contact and does a solid job keeping the ball on the ground. I expect the righty to have a very solid outing against the Mets.

Wednesday: TBD vs. Janson Junk (6–9, 4.00 ERA)

As of Monday morning, the Mets have not announced a starter for the final game of this series.
Janson Junk is the perfect rock-solid pitcher at the back end of the Marlins’ rotation. Following a month of August where he pitched to a 2.59 ERA, Junk went five innings and struck out four batters against the Cubs. Junk also allowed only one run and only walked one batter. The righty consistently attacks batters and keeps the ball on the ground, while also striking out batters at a decent clip lately. How he fares against the Mets will be very fascinating to watch.

The Main Storyline/Player to Watch

Ahead of this series, my main storyline to watch and my main players to watch are Sean Manaea and Jonah Tong.

Heading into 2027, starting pitching is the area of the team with maybe the most questions. Sean Manaea and Jonah Tong, among other players, are competing for roles on the 2027 iteration of the Mets. They have the talent to be contributors, but they need to string together one or two more strong outings to end 2026 on a high note. Tong needs to locate his pitches better, while Manaea needs to avoid the hard contact that has caused him issues lately.

Facing the Marlins will be no easy task for the Mets, and that is especially the case for Tong and Manaea. How these players fare, whether good or bad, will help set the tone for the future. As a result, the performance of these two pitchers is what I am keying in on this week.