Jefry Yan, the 30-year-old rookie southpaw, was called back up to the majors shortly before Wednesday evening’s game and was immediately called upon for long relief after Xzavion Curry lasted just three innings.

Entering the game in the fourth, already down by a considerable margin, Yan retired the side in order. Then, he did it again, with a groundout, a lineout, and a flyout finishing off the fifth. The flamethrower re-entered the game in the sixth, for what would be his final inning, and absolutely dominated. He struck out Christian Encarnacion–Strand swinging, caught Samuel Basallo looking, and put Jeremiah Jackson back on the bench with a swinging strike three. Three batters, three strikeouts. Three innings, nine outs of perfection.

“I felt like I was getting better and better and I was just competing against each and every batter,” Yan said afterwards. “I felt as the game was going on, I was getting stronger and my confidence was getting better”

Additionally, he traded his usual jumping celebration for a more toned-down, but still effective, bend at the knee before shooting his left leg back up in triumph.

One of the largest wins from Wednesday evening was that Yan did not allow a single free pass. Yan struggled with walks in his first stint in the big leagues, surrendering 11 free passes in his first 13 games. However, his control was perfect on Wednesday.

“We sent him down and said ‘if it’s strikes, you’re gonna be a big leaguer for a long time’,” Mets Manager Andy Green said postgame. “Really can’t ask for more than three perfect innings.”

Whatever the change was, Yan seemed tremendously more confident on the mound. And that’s what he gave credit to postgame.

“First and foremost, it’s really the confidence,” he said. “For me, when I was first up here, I was searching a little bit, searching for the results. When I went back down, I said I’m going to go back to being myself. Now that I’m back up, I’m able to command my pitches.”

The post Jefry Yan Goes Three Perfect Innings In Return appeared first on Metsmerized.

Nick Morabito, the 23-year-old outfielder who made his major league debut back in May against the Nationals, was called back up to join the team once again on Tuesday.

After going hitless in one at-bat on Tuesday, Morabito slotted into Wednesday’s game in the sixth inning, pinch-running after Mark Vientos lined a single into right field.

The Mets would fail to score that inning, but that would change a frame later.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, Morabito came up and slashed a double down the left field line, clearing the bases with his first major league hit and giving the Mets a commanding five-run lead.

An inning later, Morabito joined the psychopath club with A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, making an unbelievable diving catch in left field to rob Victor Mesa Jr. of a hit.

With the game securely in the bag, Morabito came up once more in the ninth, lining a single into center field for his second knock of the game.

“It was great,” Morabito said of the game. “Most importantly, we came out with the win.”

That’s the spirit the fans are looking for. After his initial stint in the majors didn’t result in a hit, Morabito has shown up in his three at-bats since, and Mets fans are hopeful the young speedster can join the ranks of rookies lighting up the Mets outfield.

Morabito has had a strong year in Triple-A, especially since being sent down in May, playing fantastic outfield defense and slashing .254/.355/.388. He also has been an elite baserunner down there, swiping 42 bases this season, something the Mets hope he can replicate at the major league level.

“When you’re thinking about what you want to do in the middle of a baseball game, he gives you a lot of options,” Mets Manager Andy Green said postgame.

The post Nick Morabito Shines In Mets’ Win Over Rays appeared first on Metsmerized.

Zac Thornton, the 24-year-old rookie, continued his successful and quality start to his MLB career on Wednesday evening, tossing six innings against the division leaders. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits while walking just one.

Thornton made it through the first frame unscathed, but surrendered a long ball to Lane Thomas in the second, giving the Braves the early lead. Another run scored in the third on a double-play fielder’s choice, and the Mets’ offense was stifled through the early stages of the game.

The fifth inning saw Thornton allow three straight hits, with another run coming across on a Ronald Acuña Jr. single. However, Thornton was able to bear down, retiring the next two batters to escape with just the one run of damage.

It wasn’t perfect, but it showed grit and determination from a young pitcher who obviously didn’t have his A-game.

“Just knowing that I have to consistently keep throwing strikes,” Thornton answered postgame when asked what his strategy is during outings where he may not have his best stuff. “Just knowing that I gotta get in there knowing that I gotta work behind on batters.”

He finished off the evening with a 1-2-3 sixth inning and came out of the game after just 80 pitches, quite the efficient six frames.

Through eight starts, Thornton has posted a 2.78 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP across 45 innings pitched. He’s allowed more than three earned runs just once in those starts and has delivered a quality start in every other outing.

Now, Baseball Savant does predict some regression. Thornton’s xERA, a stat used to estimate what his expected ERA should be compared to his actual mark, sits at 4.63, well above reality. Most of his advanced metrics, though based on a very small sample size, sit in the bottom half of league averages.

However, his pitching run value and fastball run value both sit above the 70th percentile, with his fastball run value showcasing elite potential at the 82nd percentile.

All that said, it’s far too early to compare these numbers to the reality we’ve seen on the mound. Thornton has shown grit, determination, and the stuff to take down MLB-level talent.

It’s been a confidence-boosting start to a career that the Mets will hope continues to shine through this season and, hopefully, more seasons to come.

The post Thornton Bears Down Against Braves appeared first on Metsmerized.

Go figure.

With Christian Scott exiting after five innings, the Mets leaned heavily on their newly assembled bullpen in a 6-5 extra-inning victory over the Cleveland Guardians. It wasn’t the prettiest, but it was a gritty performance from a ragtag group that included several fresh faces and a major league debut.

Jefry Yan
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The biggest storyline belonged to Jefry Yan.

The electric left-hander made his long-awaited MLB debut in the sixth inning, breaking out his signature leaping strikeout celebration in the process. It instantly injected life into the Mets dugout, even if it drew plenty of boos from the Cleveland crowd.

Yan’s debut wasn’t without adversity. He struck out the first batter he faced before loading the bases on a walk and two singles. However, instead of unraveling, the 29-year-old dug in. He struck out Chase DeLauter before inducing a fielder’s choice off Jo Adell to escape the jam unscathed.

That moment gave Yan all the confidence he needed.

“Once I was able to get out of that inning, I said, ‘I can finally breathe right here.'”

The flamethrowing southpaw quickly became the talk of social media, with clips of his celebration spreading like wildfire. Even Guardians players were seen mimicking his dance from the dugout.

“If I freeze him, which is exactly what I did,” Yan said, “I celebrate accordingly.”

As for the boos raining down from the crowd, Yan couldn’t have cared less.

“They’re paying for their tickets,” he said. “If they want to yell at me, if they want to boo me, they can do whatever they want. I’m in my zone. I’m going to enjoy my game any way I want to.”

As long as the results keep coming, few in Queens will complain.

Yan earned this opportunity after a dominant season in the minors, posting a 3.24 ERA and 2.64 FIP over 41.2 innings, holding opponents to a .170 batting average and striking out hitters 43.5%.

And on Wednesday evening, he unleashed the hardest pitch thrown by a Mets pitcher in 2026, touching 101.1 mph.

Jefry Yan’s first MLB strikeout and celebration🕺 pic.twitter.com/CN8qnHsZgn

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) August 6, 2026

The rest of the bullpen held its own as well.

Cleveland briefly grabbed the lead in the seventh after Jared Young‘s fielding error opened the door for two runs against Dedniel Núñez, making his season debut after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2025, but the right-hander prevented the inning from snowballing and kept the game within reach for the offense.

Chayce McDermott, recently acquired from the Dodgers for Ben Rortvedt, took over in the eighth and likely would’ve posted a perfect inning if not for another defensive miscue behind him. He recorded a strikeout before returning for the ninth, where he worked around a leadoff walk to retire the next three hitters in order and send the game to extras.

Daniel Duarte then slammed the door in the tenth, stranding the automatic runner and earning his first save as a Met. After watching far too many late leads evaporate during the first four months of the season, it was a refreshing sight for Mets fans to watch a reliever finish the job.

Two games won’t erase an entire season’s worth of frustrations. The Mets know that, and we as fans certainly know that.

But in a season that has largely slipped away, the organization suddenly has a collection of fresh arms capable of shortening games and giving Andy Green legitimate options in the middle and late innings.

The sample size is just two games. Whether this bullpen renaissance is sustainable remains to be seen. However, in a year without much to celebrate, let’s enjoy jumping for joy off the Cleveland mound.

The post Fresh-Faced Mets’ Bullpen Jumps to Success appeared first on Metsmerized.

After taking game one of the split doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, the Mets sent their 27-year-old right-hander to the mound, marking him responsible for bringing a sweep of the division rivals home to a crowd of fans looking for something to celebrate. While the Mets offense couldn’t manage more than two hits versus Chris Sale and the Braves, Scott did give them something to cheer for.

Scott pitched six innings, his deepest outing of the season so far, allowing five hits and walking one, striking out seven. He matched the southpaw for the Braves for five of those innings, allowing just two hits before taking the mound in the sixth.

During that sixth frame, he began to lose steam, surrendering two hits to start the inning and a one-out single, giving the Braves the lead in what would end up being the first and only run of the game.

He settled down, though, and was able to retire two more batters in the inning via the flyout before taking a seat on the bench, a job well done.

“I felt like my cutter was playing really good today, righty’s as well, just being able to have multiple options to go to when I need them,” Scott said postgame.

The outing lowers his season ERA to 2.99, with a 1.29 WHIP. He also threw 69 of his 98 pitches for strikes, a great sign for a pitcher struggling with the amount of free passes he’s allowing.

“Pretty dominant, only one walk,” said Mets Manager Andy Green postgame. “[He] went toe-to-toe with one of the best in the league today.”

In fact, Scott joined elite company on Wednesday, becoming one of just six pitchers in MLB history to allow four runs or less in their first 24 starts, according to Michael Mayer. He’s among elite company, as Paul Skenes, Cam Schlittler, and Shane McClanahan all reside on that list with him.

With the trade deadline looming and many players set to be shipped elsewhere, Mets fans can be excited about their young pitching, with potentially more talent to come.

The post Christian Scott Gets the deGrom Treament appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 27-year-old right-hander surrendered three runs over 3.2 innings as the Mets fell 4-3, snapping what had been an impressive stretch of dominance.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Scott entered the game riding one of the best runs of his young season. Across his previous two starts, he had not allowed a run, worked at least five innings in both outings, and recorded five or more strikeouts each time. The surge had lowered his ERA to an excellent 2.87 entering Wednesday’s matchup.

Still, his final line does not tell the full story.

Scott worked through a scoreless first inning; however, high pitch counts continued to plague him, needing 21 pitches to get out of the first. He appeared on the verge of escaping trouble in the second. After allowing the first two batters of the frame to reach, he retired the next two hitters and got within one strike of ending the inning unscathed.

Instead, Joey Ortiz lifted a fly ball into right field that should have been the third out. Brett Baty, playing out of position in right, took a poor route to the ball, allowing it to drop near the warning track and bring home two runs. Moments later, Christian Yelich lined a single to score another, turning what could have been a scoreless inning into a three-run rally.

“It’s part of the game; it happens,” Scott said of the play postgame. “I know he’s going to pick me up next time, too.”

To Scott’s credit, he settled down immediately. The right-hander retired the Brewers in order in the third and recorded two more outs in the fourth before his afternoon came to an end due to a rising pitch count. He finished with four hits allowed, three walks, and three earned runs on 89 pitches.

The command was not as sharp as it had been in recent outings, and the walks certainly did not help. But Scott was also one defensive play away from escaping his biggest jam with minimal damage.

More importantly, there is little reason to believe one rough inning changes the bigger picture.

The underlying metrics continue to paint the picture of a pitcher finding his footing at the major league level. Scott’sfastball run value ranks among the top quarter of qualified pitchers, and his strikeout numbers place him among some of baseball’s most effective.

For a Mets team whose 2026 season has long since drifted off course, the emergence of young arms has become one of the few reasons to keep watching. Scott, alongside Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton, has helped inject a much-needed sense of optimism into the fanbase.

Wednesday may not have been his sharpest outing, but it did little to diminish what has been an encouraging breakout season so far.

The post High Pitch Count Continues to Hurt Scott Early appeared first on Metsmerized.

“HIs stuff was moving, I could see it from center,” outfielder A.J. Ewing said of Scott’s performance. “He didn’t need a whole lot of help from me out there today. He was on his game today.”

That outing was pivotal after the Mets simply couldn’t catch a break the night before, when no amount of runs could’ve kept them in the game. On the contrary, Wednesday’s game was low-scoring through most of the opening innings. Scott’s brilliance kept the Mets confident and in the game, as they led 1-0 when he departed for the dugout after the fifth.

Nevertheless, Scott and his player development coaches feel he has more to improve on.

“Knowing what somebody has inside of them and what they’re capable of, you don’t just wanna be like ‘hey great outing, you had good results,’” Mets interim manager Andy Green, who specializes in player development, said postgame. “The process stuff for Scotty can get better and better.”

Scott seems to agree, noting that he has more he would like to continue and improve upon, most notably, becoming a more bullpen-friendly starter and pitching into the sixth and seventh innings more often.

“There’s always something to get better at,” he said. “For me, I know it’s going deeper in games. I take that to heart, I take that personally, and being able to go out there and do that consistently is my goal.”

Scott has pitched past the fifth inning just twice this season, with his longest outing being on June 5th against the Padres, when he was removed with two outs in the sixth.

Regardless of his longevity, Scott was truly on his game Wednesday evening. His 82 mph sweeper that ended the fifth inning on a strikeout was even highlighted on the renowned Pitching Ninja Twitter account; not just anyone gets spotlighted on there. All that to say, the team hopes there are more starts like this on the horizon. The Mets could use those.

The post Christian Scott Delivers Much Needed Scoreless Start appeared first on Metsmerized.

Peralta’s season ERA climbed to 4.81 after he allowed five earned runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out four. The long ball continues to be a problem. He’s surrendered five home runs since the start of June, and 13 on the season.

“I just need to be better,” Peralta said after the game, calling this stretch of starts the roughest of his career. “I don’t feel good. I am just trying to come back and make the adjustments.”

The biggest concern lies within Peralta’s secondary pitches. His fastball remains among the most effective in baseball, with a run value ranking in the top 20 percent of the league. His breaking and offspeed offerings, however, have cratered. Both currently rank in the bottom 15 percent of qualified pitchers by run value.

The contrast from last season is staggering. In 2025, Peralta’s offspeed pitches ranked in the 96th percentile in run value. He finished among the league’s elite, placing in the top three percent of qualified pitchers in overall pitching value. Hitters appear to be far more comfortable against pitches that once made him one of the league’s most difficult starters to solve.

That decline is beginning to impact more than just the Mets’ place in the standings. With free agency approaching, Peralta has become one of the most intriguing names to watch ahead of the trade deadline. Just a few months ago, he looked like the type of pitcher who could command a significant prospect return if the season wasn’t panning out. 

Not only would an acquiring team be getting a proven frontline starter, but one who seemed like a near lock to reject a qualifying offer and pursue a lucrative multiyear deal in free agency. The qualifying offer, which is expected to exceed $22 million this offseason, only holds value if a team is comfortable paying that salary should the player accept. Earlier in Peralta’s career, that decision would have been a no-brainer. If he declined, the offering team would receive draft-pick compensation. If he accepted, they would still be getting an ace at a reasonable rate.

Now, that safety net is far less certain. Should Peralta continue to struggle, an acquiring club may be hesitant to extend a qualifying offer at all, eliminating the possibility of draft-pick compensation and reducing his value to little more than a shaky two-month rental. 

That uncertainty naturally weakens the prospect package the Mets could expect in return. The next few weeks will likely determine how the market views him. If Peralta can rediscover the form that made him one of the National League’s premier starters last year, contenders may once again be willing to part with premium prospects, confident they could either retain him or recoup value through the qualifying offer process. If the struggles continue, however, that leverage evaporates.

The Mets now sit 15 games under .500, and the front office faces increasingly difficult decisions as the deadline approaches. Peralta’s performance over his next handful of starts may play a significant role in shaping them.

The post Peralta Implodes Against Jays In Canada Day Dismantling appeared first on Metsmerized.

At first, it looked like smooth sailing. McLean cruised through four scoreless innings, keeping Chicago quiet and appearing firmly in control. But the waters got choppy in the fifth.

After recording two quick outs, McLean couldn’t put the inning away. He allowed three consecutive hits of increasing consequence, culminating in a two-run homer from Michael Busch that tied the game at three.

The sixth inning followed a similar script. Once again, McLean found himself one out away from escaping trouble with only a runner on base. And once again, he couldn’t finish the frame. A bloop hit extended the inning before another long ball broke the game open, giving the Cubs a three-run lead. The Mets never got it back.

Early in the game, McLean looked every bit the frontline starter the Mets expected. His fastball had life, his sweeper was effective, and he was generating weak contact. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he lost his footing.

When hitters weren’t making outs, they were barreling baseballs. McLean repeatedly left pitches over the heart of the plate, and the Cubs made him pay.

“Nobody likes losing,” McLean said postgame. “Any time I go out there and put my team in a bad position to win, that’s very frustrating. My job is to go out there and limit the score and I haven’t been doing that this year.”

To be fair, McLean has done exactly that for much of the season. But the ace-like status he proudly carried at the end of last year has started to flicker a bit. His ERA has climbed back above 4.00, ballooned by starts like this one, while his WHIP sits at 1.12.

The culprit appears to be his breaking ball. Its run value ranks in the bottom quarter of the league, a stark contrast to his fastball, which remains among baseball’s elite. His chase rate has also dropped significantly from last season’s sample, suggesting hitters simply aren’t being fooled by his off-speed pitches when they leave the strike zone.

The encouraging part? That’s fixable. The velocity hasn’t disappeared and the spin rate hasn’t vanished. His fastball remains a premium. The issue is command, particularly with the breaking stuff.

Add it to the growing list of things that have gone sideways for the Mets this season. If there was ever a year to work through mechanical issues without the weight of expectations crushing every outing, this is quickly becoming that year.

At least the Norwegian fans got the full Mets experience. And judging by the smiles in the stands, they seemed to enjoy it anyway.

The post McLean Struggles Despite Norwiegian Cheers appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 24-year-old flamethrower was electric Wednesday afternoon, tossing seven dominant innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out nine, allowed just three hits and one walk, and delivered his longest outing of June.

“That was excellent,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game.

That comment was an understatement.

McLean’s struggles in May were well documented. Across six starts, he posted a 6.10 ERA and allowed 21 earned runs. For comparison, he surrendered just 10 earned runs over the first month and a half of the season.

Whatever adjustments he’s made during this time appear to be paying off. Through three June starts, McLean has allowed just three earned runs across 17 innings, good for a 1.59 ERA. The strong stretch has helped lower his season ERA back below 4.00, where it now sits at 3.67.

“I was establishing the zone early. I was able to get some chases late,” McLean said of his outing.

The righty retired the first seven batters he faced before running into his only real trouble in the third inning. An error, a double, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and led to a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as Cincinnati would come to making things interesting.

The Reds were completely overmatched after that. They managed just one hit in the sixth and another in the seventh, but neither runner ever posed much of a threat. McLean continued to pound the zone and miss bats, and with the offense generating more runs in game three than they scored all series long, the Reds were buried beyond retribution.

For a pitcher of McLean’s caliber, Wednesday felt like a return to form. The version of McLean that dazzled Mets fans early in the season appears to be back.

Now, will that help the Mets crawl out from the hole they seem trapped in? So far, it seems unlikely. However, McLean doesn’t seem to feel that pressure when comparing himself to the rest of the pitching staff.

“I wouldn’t say I put any more pressure or responsibility on myself,” he said when asked about the rest of the starting rotation’s issues. “Every time I go out there, I’m trying to win a baseball game.”

The post McLean Rebounds In a Big Way Against Cincinnati appeared first on Metsmerized.