Friday, September 25, 2026 • 6:45 PM
Nationals Park • Washington, DC
LHP Jefry Yan (2-1, 4.34) vs. LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-6, 3.17)
WPIX
The Mets head to D.C. for the final series of the 2026 season. It’s been a disappointing season for the Mets, who started the year with World Series aspirations. Things fell apart fairly quickly, but since the trade deadline, the Mets have been playing better ball and creating hope for next season. A few players have some major milestones they can still reach over the next few days as well.
The big mystery is the weather. There’s a nor’easter that will mostly be impacting everywhere from New Jersey to Boston, but D.C. is not completely out of the woods. Hopefully the Mets will be able to play these last three games.
Juan Soto by Roberto Carlo
Mets Lineup
- Francisco Lindor – SS
- Juan Soto – LF
- Bo Bichette – 3B
- Mark Vientos – DH
- Carson Benge – RF
- Francisco Alvarez – C
- Marcus Semien – 2B
- A.J. Ewing – CF
- Christopher Morel – 1B
Starting Pitcher: Jefry Yan (opener)
Yan will open for the Mets, but Hagenman is likely to follow in a bulk role after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
Hagenman has pitched in two games this season totaling four innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out two. Last season, he pitched in nine games totaling 23 2/3 innings with a 4.56 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.099 WHIP and a 90 ERA+. Overall in the minors this season, he has pitched 19 1/3 innings with a 3.26 ERA. He’s been stretching it out a bit in his last two starts, going four innings in each start allowing only two runs on four hits over eight innings. This will be his first time facing the Nationals and anyone on the Nationals’ roster in a major league game.
Opposing Lineup
- James Wood – DH
- Andrés Chaparro – 1B
- Brady House – 3B
- Dylan Crews – RF
- CJ Abrams – SS
- Jacob Young – CF
- Daylen Lile – LF
- Keibert Ruiz – C
- Jorbit Vivas – 2B
Alvarez has pitched in 24 games making 16 starts for the Nationals, throwing 108 innings with a 3.17 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 1.259 WHIP and a 136 ERA+. In his last two starts, he has not allowed any runs over 13 innings while striking out 16 batters. In two starts against the Mets this season, he allowed four runs over nine innings.
The Mets have the following career stats against Alvarez:
- Francisco Alvarez 1-3, 2B, BB, K
- Brett Baty 0-1, BB
- Carson Benge 0-3
- Bo Bichette 1-4, K
- A.J. Ewing 0-4, 2 K
- Francisco Lindor 2-4, HR, BB
- Nick Morabito 0-1, K
- Christopher Morel 1-2, K
- Marcus Semien 0-4
- Juan Soto 2-4, HR, K
- Luis Torrens 1-3
- Mark Vientos 0-4, K
Game Notes
- Upon recalling Hagenman, the Mets optioned Jack Weisenburger to the FCL Mets while Xzavion Curry was out-righted to the FCL Mets.
- The Mets need to win one game this weekend to take home the season series against Washington. They haven’t lost the season series to the Nationals since 2020.
Three Things To Watch For
- Juan Soto in Washington. It’s been a few seasons now since the Nationals traded Soto to the Padres. That trade brought over key parts of the Nationals lineup in Abrams and Wood to Washington and set Soto off on a journey that eventually led to the Mets signing him. Especially after the reception that Mets fans gave Pete Alonso, I’m just curious to hear the reaction to Soto even if it has been four seasons.
- Home runs not doubles. The Mets hit two doubles Thursday in Texas. I’ve been looking at box scores most of the season and thought they’ve been hitting a lot of doubles this season and I was so wrong. Just so wrong. The Mets have 205 doubles in 2026, which is good for 29th in the league, five ahead of the Mariners and 80 behind the league-leading Kansas City Royals. This is interesting because the Mets are ninth in the league in home runs, despite getting off to a miserable start hitting them this season.
- Milestones. It’s the final three games of the season! Lindor has been sitting at 299 home runs since September 12. Benge is only one home run away from a 20-20 season. Soto is three home runs and a monster series away from a 30-homer season.
Let’s go Mets!
