It was a bash at the beach for the Mets on Monday!

Facing the Miami Marlins, New York erupted for 16 hits and coasted to a 9-4 victory. Jonah Tong made a solid first start of 2026, while the Mets got a little bit of production from every player in their lineup.

Monday’s game was a continuation of the progress New York has made in the second half of 2026, and they look to notch a series win in Tuesday’s game in Miami.

Jonah Tong Records a Solid Start

In his return to the majors, Jonah Tong rode the roller coaster over five innings.

To start the game off, Tong looked elite. He struck out the side, locating both his fastball and changeup at an elite level. However, Tong ran into some issues in the second inning.

Following a strikeout, Tong allowed a single, a triple, a walk, and a three-run home run. The righty left too many pitches in the heart of the zone to begin the inning, which set the plate for Graham Pauley‘s rope to right field. Tong located very well on two strikes, but the infielder sat fastball and used his strength to smoke it pull-side.

In other games Tong has started, this type of inning could have imploded him. Instead, the righty battled and did not let up another run over the next three innings. Tong finished with seven strikeouts, only issued one walk, and went five full innings.

For his first start back at the major league level, there are plenty of positives for the starting pitcher to build upon. Tong’s fastball and changeup were lethal, especially in two-strike counts. He also found a way to consistently limit hard contact, especially once the Mets got the lead back.

Tong, despite his previous struggles, has a very high amount of potential and skill as a pitcher. How he fares for the rest of 2026 and into the offseason will be a very fascinating development to track for the Mets.

The Lineup Goes Off

Success is never given when it comes to hitting at the major league level, especially against a pitcher of Eury Pérez‘s caliber. As a result, New York’s offensive explosion in the win was one of the more impressive aspects.

In the first four innings, New York totaled seven runs and 10 hits off of the Marlins’ talented right-hander. That production from the offense gave New York a cushion they never gave up.

Every player on the team recorded a hit against the Marlins, while five separate players drove in runs.

Marcus Semien was smoking baseballs all over the field, notching two doubles in this game. Juan Soto roped two singles and drew a walk, while also scoring twice. Carson Benge drew a walk, stole a base, roped a deep single to right field, and scored two runs. Nick Morabito notched a key RBI single and his first career stolen base. Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette had multiple hits, while Bichette added an RBI.

The standout of the game was center fielder A.J. Ewing. He tallied three hits and three runs batted in for New York. Ewing arguably had the most important at-bat of the game for the Mets; in a two-strike count, the dynamic outfielder punched a ball to left field for a double, scoring two runs to extend the lead to 7-4.

Ewing has struggled at the plate lately, but he has started to show plenty of signs of getting back on track in September. A game like the one he had on Monday is a great sign for the center fielder and the Mets as a whole.

The Bullpen Shuts Things Down

They will not grab the headlines in this game, but the Mets’ bullpen was key in Monday’s winning effort.

One standout was Dedniel Núñez, who faced trouble in the sixth inning. But like Jonah Tong, he bore down and worked around it. After rolling a double play, the right-handed reliever struck out Owen Caissie to end the inning. Chris Devinski was also lockdown in the seventh inning, striking out two batters while also stranding a baserunner of his own. Austin Warren, in the ninth inning, slammed the proverbial door shut with two strikeouts of his own and picked off a runner at first to end the game.

For a group that moved so many key members at this year’s trade deadline, the Mets’ bullpen has continued to have impressive moments. They are battling through adversity and getting out of tough jams, giving the Mets repeated chances to win games.

It remains to be seen how much of this success will translate to the 2027 season, but like the success of the lineup, the continued progression of the bullpen is a very good sign for the Mets.