It is time for some more New York Mets baseball!

After splitting a series with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets travel to Texas to face some old friends in the Rangers. It is the penultimate series that New York will play in 2026, as they close out their season later in the week against the Washington Nationals.

The Rangers are in the hunt for winning their division, even with a .500 record of 79-79. They’re a game ahead of the Astros. So, they haven’t made rotation decisions for the final two games of the series. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Jacob deGrom pitched Sunday, so the Mets won’t run into him this series. But Brandon Nimmo should be present in the lineup all week.

For the final time this season, I have you covered with the series preview. Without further ado, let us dive into it!

Sean Manaea by Roberto Carlo

Tuesday: Sean Manaea (1-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. MacKenzie Gore (8–11, 4.67 ERA)

  • In his latest start against the Orioles, Sean Manaea turned in a very solid outing. The lefty went 5 1/3 innings, only allowed two runs, and struck out six batters. More impressively, Manaea did not walk any batters and only gave up four total hits. How he fares in one of his last starts of 2026 will be very interesting to watch.
  • MacKenzie Gore, despite being solid overall in 2026, has hit the skids in September. In four starts, the lefty has a 7.16 ERA, as he has allowed 13 runs in 16.1 innings pitched. Gore has allowed three or more runs in three of his four starts, and in the strikeout department, he has only struck out seven total batters in the month. Gore has given the Mets issues before, but New York may be able to put up some runs against this version of the lefty.

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

Wednesday: Nolan McLean (11–10, 3.18 ERA) vs. TBD

  • In the second half of the 2026 season, Nolan McLean has been rock solid for the New York Mets. Facing the Philadelphia Phillies in his latest start, the right-handed pitcher went six innings, only allowed one run, and struck out five batters. He did walk three batters and allow seven hits, but McLean did a great job working around trouble and kept his team in the game. Facing a manageable Rangers lineup, Wednesday could be a very good outing for one of the Mets’ best young players. 
  • As of now, the Rangers do not have a scheduled starter for Wednesday.  

Zac Thornton by Roberto Carlo

Thursday: Zac Thornton (5–5, 3.40 ERA) vs. TBD

  • Zac Thornton has been rock solid for the Mets this season, and that continued against the Phillies in his latest start. In six innings of work, the lefty allowed five hits, struck out four batters, and only walked one batter. Thornton did allow two runs, but with his good command and location, he was able to put the Mets in a position to win the game. I am very interested to see how he fares against the Rangers.
  • As of the writing of this article, the Rangers have not announced a starter for Thursday’s game.

Player to Watch 

Ahead of this series, my main player to watch is standout outfielder Carson Benge.

Benge has been one of the Mets’ best players this season, and especially since the All-Star break. The outfielder is hitting .295 with an .805 OPS, along with eight home runs and seven stolen bases. He has also been impressive in the field this season, with his arm value and arm strength marks from Baseball Savant being in the 100th and 99th percentiles, respectively.

For a team that already knows its season is over, Benge is a major beam of hope for the future. As a result, he is the main player to watch this week.