After a series win against the Phillies, the Mets head to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers. It will be a homecoming for Freddy Peralta, while Brandon Sproat, dealt to Milwaukee with Jett Williams in exchange for Peralta and Tobias Myers, will face the Mets for the first time.

There is plenty to dive into with this series and the Mets as a whole. Without further ado, let us get started!

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Monday: Freddy Peralta (5–8, 4.66 ERA) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (10–4, 1.62 ERA)

• Peralta, like much of this season, did not have a very good outing in his last appearance. Facing the Boston Red Sox, the righty only lasted 4.1 innings pitched, walking five batters and allowing two runs in the process. Peralta struck out six batters, but when combined with the other aspects of his start, it wasn’t enough to cancel them out. 2026 has seen Peralta struggle in a variety of ways. His command has been spotty, his arsenal has been hit much more frequently, and he has not been able to last long in his outings. It feels, compared to his successful tenure with the Brewers, that everything is going wrong for Peralta. Ahead of the trade deadline, a start in his former home ballpark could be what the starting pitcher needs to right his ship. On the other hand, the outing could continue to solidify 2026 as a poor season for Peralta. Either way, Monday will be an interesting game to follow. 
• An ace in every sense of the word, Jacob Misiorowski should be in store for another quality start to begin this series. The Brewers’ ace is mowing down batters at a ridiculous 39.6% rate, and he already has 167 strikeouts this season. Misiorowski’s fastball is arguably the best in baseball, and his other offerings (cutter, curveball, slider) have been really good as well. New York has its work cut out against one of the Cy Young favorites. 

Tuesday:  Zac Thornton (0–1, 2.60 ERA) vs. Brandon Sproat (3–4, 5.16 ERA)

• Thornton, in a short number of starts, has been very solid for the Mets. Outside of his first blow-up outing, the southpaw has gone at least six innings and struck out at least five batters in his last two starts. He has given up one total run and only walked three batters in this time frame. And while it is a small sample size, Thornton sports a chase rate of 34.1% and a walk rate of 7.5%. Attacking batters well with a four-pitch mix, Thornton has been a nice addition to a Mets rotation that badly needed consistency.
• Facing his old team for the first time, Brandon Sproat will be looking to turn around his rocky 2026 season. Sporting a 5.16 ERA, Sproat only lasted three innings in his last start, giving up two earned runs in the process. He has struggled with the walks, is not avoiding hard contact (42.7% hard-hit rate), and is not getting batters to chase or whiff. If Sproat can locate his arsenal correctly, he should have a chance for a quality start. If not, though, New York will likely make him pay for falling behind in counts consistently.

Wednesday: Christian Scott (3–1, 2.87 ERA) vs. Logan Henderson (3–1, 2.97 ERA) 

• Christian Scott, in a season with a lot of strife for the Mets, has been a breath of fresh air. In his last outing against the Phillies, Scott spun 5.2 innings of shutout baseball. He struck out seven batters, did not walk a hitter, and only allowed three hits. Mainly relying on his four-seam fastball, sweeper, and cutter, Scott has continued to find success in outings. He is attacking batters at a much better rate and is starting to avoid hard contact. Scott is mixing his pitches well, too, which is allowing him to strike out batters consistently.
• Henderson already has 38 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched and has struck out at least four batters in all but one of his starts. He is rarely walking batters, is avoiding hard-hit baseballs, and has done a solid job of generating whiffs. Mainly working with a fastball, change-up, and cutter, Henderson has kept hitters off balance with his pitch movement and location. It will be very interesting to see how he pitches against the Mets, especially with how aggressive their lineup can be.

The Main Storyline

Ahead of this series, my main storyline… well, it should be obvious at this point. My main storyline is about who will be on the Mets past the trade deadline.

No, the group of players in question does not include Francisco Lindor. If you think he should or will get moved, I have a van down by the river that I would love to sell you.

The same names discussed in previous weeks still apply this week, especially with the deadline approaching rapidly. Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes either have been or will be popular names, solely based on the limited quantity of starting pitching available. Luke Weaver could be one of the best relief pitchers on the entire market. Players like Tyrone Taylor, Brett Baty, or Luis Torrens could even be players that contenders are interested in.

Ultimately, the fate of the Mets’ post-trade-deadline roster will be determined by how they want to approach 2027 and beyond. Some players could contribute to future iterations of the Mets; however, they are also the players who could help bolster the team’s farm system.

The next few weeks will be very interesting, and as a result, my main headline will continue to revolve around the trade deadline.

Francisco Lindor by Berto Carlo

Player to Watch 

In the latest early-week series for the Mets, I am concentrating on Francisco Lindor.

Despite his struggles at times this season, Lindor broke out at the plate in a big way on Sunday, reaching base five times and hitting a monster two-run home run. He looked comfortable at the plate and put the Mets on his back, allowing them to secure the win in Philadelphia.

I am very intrigued to see if this is the point of the season where Lindor will hit his stride. He looks much healthier than at any other point this season, and it seems that his power has returned at the plate. Even in a lost season, Lindor mashing baseballs and playing at a high level would be a great way to head into the back half of the 2026 season and set the tone for 2027.

Prediction

In their series against the Brewers, I have the Mets winning two of three games.

The post Series Preview: Mets-Brewers Trade Comes Full Circle appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In Philadelphia for a three-game series, the Mets took two out of three from the Phillies. As has been the case throughout this season, it wasn’t always perfect or pretty.

However, while series wins don’t matter all that much now, it was nice to see some things click, especially in a dominant performance on Sunday to clinch the series.

With that, let’s recap everything from the Phillies series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down..

Jun 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts before an at bat during the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

3 UP

LINDOR’S BIG DAY

Boy, did Francisco Lindor need Sunday. The shortstop has struggled since returning from injury, and he suffered another defensive mishap on Saturday. Furthermore, Lindor has been the subject of intense trade speculation in recent days. However, ignoring the noise, he reminded everyone in the series finale just how valuable he can be to the Mets. Lindor was a triple shy of the cycle, reaching base a total of five times. He finished 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, one run, three RBIs, and two walks. Talk about a monster day at the plate. It was easily Lindor’s best game of the year, and hopefully a precursor of greater things to come.

DAZZLING MCLEAN

Nolan McLean, the ace, is well and truly back. The young starter has seemingly put his struggles behind him, and he was stellar in the finale on Sunday. He was virtually unhittable, allowing just two hits over six scoreless innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts. As a result, McLean has now given up just two earned runs over his last four outings, while striking out 29 batters against seven walks over that span. This is exactly the level of dominance we expected to see from McLean. Long may it continue.

RISING STAR

McLean wasn’t the only starter to impress over the course of this series. Christian Scott showed on Thursday why he could be a cornerstone of this rotation moving forward. The righty was outstanding in his latest start, allowing just three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over 5.2 scoreless innings. Scott is trending in the right direction, and the talent and potential are clearly there. Now all he needs to do is start going deeper into games.

Jun 16, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) looks to the video board during an ABS system challenge during the game against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

END IN SIGHT?

Is it nearly the end of the road for both Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga? One could make a compelling argument that it certainly should be. The duo was responsible for chucking Saturday’s game away, combining for six earned runs over just 5.3 innings. Manaea was the worst culprit, surrendering a pair of homers. With the offense doing nothing, Manaea and Senga only doomed their team thanks to their respective poor efforts. Consequently, it is hard to envision either pitcher having much left to offer the Mets going forward.

HURTING THEMSELVES

What has been most infuriating about this season has been how the Mets have found new ways to lose games on an almost daily basis. They’ve been unable to get out of their own way while committing the most basic of errors. Look at Saturday’s game as a case in point. The Mets made three errors and committed a slew of sloppy defensive miscues in just an ugly, dispiriting display of ineptitude. The fact that the team also finished with the same number of errors as hits truly says it all. With 69 errors on the season – the second-most in the majors – it is no wonder why the Mets have struggled as much as they have.

BRACE YOURSELVES

I hate to be a gloomy Gus, but the two wins we saw in Philly may be about as good as it will get the rest of the way. Not only do the Mets have one of the toughest remaining schedules, but they also seem truly open for business. With only five players considered untouchable, we could be about to see a lot of talent go out the door. That will likely include Luke Weaver, who has been the team’s best and most reliable reliever this season. As a result, maybe we should enjoy this series win before things potentially fall off even further once pieces begin to be traded away.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Come Out Of Break Strong appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Offensive Player of the Week: Francisco Alvarez

Only playing in two out of the three games this week, Francisco Alvarez still made an impact. In the shortened week, Alvarez slashed .333/.500/1.333 with an OPS of 1.833. His biggest impact was on July 16. He smashed two home runs, one going for 416 feet. These two home runs in the game helped secure the Mets’ 4-1 victory against Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola.

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Pitcher of the Week: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean had a very strong start against the Phillies on Sunday. He went six innings, only allowing two hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since his start against the Braves on July 5, where he allowed two runs. This is the McLean that we were expecting all season long. This performance helped lower McLean’s season ERA to 3.34. Despite all that has gone wrong this season, it can be an extremely positive sign to see McLean crushing it the way he did when he first came up.

Honorable Mention: Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor had his best game on Sunday of 2026. Lindor went 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in three and blasting a two-run home run to secure the series win in Philly. There were plenty of rumors floating around about Lindor as the trade deadline looms. He stated before the game about the rumors that “I try to stay away from it. I try not to read it or really talk about it. It’s just an unnecessary distraction.” Suffice to say, it’s been an odd season for Lindor, and regardless of his future, this game reminded people of the player he is.

Up Next:

The Mets end their road trip with a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers starting on Monday. They then return home to begin a homestand against the Dodgers, Braves and Marlins, all teams sitting above .500 and in the hunt for October.

The post Players of the Week: McLean, Alvarez Go Off in Philly appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Lindor had a monster day, starting with a two-run home run in the top of the first. He turned on a four-seam fastball and crushed it to the second deck in right field. In the following inning, he tacked on another hit with an RBI single to right field. In the top of the eighth, Lindor added his third hit of the day with a line drive double to center field. He finished 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and two walks.

A 420 foot BLAST from Francisco Lindor 💥

He gives the Mets an early 2-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/6nNT5fwDD4

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) July 19, 2026

“There’s no other option. I have to play to a higher standard. I have to play to the level that the organization wants me, and I have to play to the level that I expect myself to be at. I’m putting in the work and the coaching staff here is helping me a lot,” Lindor said.

It has been a difficult year for him, across the board. Since returning from the injured list on June 24, Lindor is slashing .211/.291/.437 with four home runs, seven total extra-base hits and 10 runs batted in. Hopefully, his individual performance against the Phillies is a sign he is beginning to get his timing back at the plate.

With the amount of injuries he’s had, dating back to the winter, you have to wonder how much of a factor that has played in his struggles. After the 2025 season, he had offseason surgery on his right elbow. In February of this year, he was forced to have another surgery, this time on his left hamate bone. Lindor returned in time for the start of the season, but his rhythm at the plate looked off. And just when it looked like he was finding himself in late April, he went on the injured list with a left calf strain.

Has Lindor played well this season? No, inconsistency at the plate and uncharacteristic errors in the field have been more noticeable. With that being said, the factors behind that should not be ignored. Lindor, who will turn 33 in November, is under contract through 2031. While this season has not gone well for him, his overall track record points to him as a cornerstone in the franchise. Building a championship contender around Lindor and Juan Soto makes sense on paper. The question is, do the Mets still believe that?

The post Lindor Reminds Fans Who He Is appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The lefty has fanned 31 and walked seven in his last three starts. The Mets selected him in the second round of the 2024 Draft out of Duke, and he pitched to a 3.06 ERA in 117 2/3 innings between Binghamton and Brooklyn in 2025. His ERA this year is at 3.78, which leads the team and is fourth in the Eastern League.

He is ranked the team’s third-best pitching prospect on MLB Pipeline behind Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Triple-A 

Buffalo Bisons (46-50) 7, Syracuse Mets (47-48) 3

Box Score

• 3B Christian Arroyo, 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI (.777 OPS)
• 1B Christopher Morel, 2-for-4, R, 2 K (.994 OPS)
• SS Ronny Mauricio, 1-for-4 (.876 OPS)
• DH Nick Morabito, 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K (.781 OPS)
• RF MJ Melendez, 1-for-4, K (1.018 OPS)

Melendez is 10-f0r-25 with four homers and two doubles on his current six-game hitting streak.

• RHP Robert Stock (2.25 ERA) 4 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 K, HR
• RHP Tobias Myers (3.27 ERA) 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, K, HR
• RHP Dedniel Núñez (4.91 ERA) IP, H, K

Nick Lorusso. Photo Credit: Rick Nelson

Double-A

Akron RubberDucks (42-47) 7, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (33-57) 3

Box Score

• 3B Nick Lorusso, 2-for-4, R (.805 OPS)
• CF Jose Ramos, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K (.710 OPS)
• C Chris Suero, 0-for-3, R, BB, 2 K (.760 OPS)

Lorusso had a pair of singles and remains tied with Ryan Clifford for the Mets’ minor league home run lead with 16. Suero leads the team in walks (52) and is second in strikeouts (101). Ramos, who has taken 34 more at-bats than Suero, leads the team in strikeouts (104) and is second in walks (47).

• LHP Jonathan Santucci (3.78 ERA) 5 2/3 IP, 5 R, (4 ER), 6 H, 2 BB, 13 K, L

High-A

Hudson Valley Renegades (42-45) 14, Brooklyn Cyclones (37-50) 2

Game 1 Box Score

• CF John Bay, 2-for-3, 2 2B, R (.824 OPS)
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, K (.635 OPS)
• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-3 (.764 OPS)

Bay is 12-for-40 in 11 games this month with three homers, three doubles and a triple.

• RHP Frank Camarillo (3.97 ERA) 3 ER, 5 H, BB, K, L

Hudson Valley Renegades (43-45) 5, Brooklyn Cyclones (37-51) 2

Game 2 Box Score

• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-4, RBI, K (.754 OPS)
• LF JT Benson, 1-for-1, 2B, SB, 2 BB (.883 OPS)
• 3B Colin Houck, 1-for-2, 3B, R, BB, K (.602 OPS)

Benson’s OPS would lead the team if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He’s played 39 games for Brooklyn after posting a .938 OPS in 33 games at St. Lucie.

• RHP Jose Chirinos (5.22 ERA) 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, HR, L

Trey Snyder, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (41-47) 8, Palm Beach Cardinals (46-43) 6

Box Score

• CF Trey Snyder, 4-for-5, HR (2), 3B, 5 RBI, SB, 2 R, K (.765 OPS)
• 2B Branny De Oleo, 2-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, BB, K (.670 OPS)
• DH Mike Tauchman, 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R (.821 OPS)
• 3B-SS Antonio Jimenez, 2-for-5, K (.780 OPS)
• 1B Randy Guzman, 1-for-4, RBI, 2 R, BB, K (.849 OPS)

It was the first four-hit game of the year for Snyder, 20, who was a fifth-round pick in 2024 out of a Missouri high school. He has improved his slash line across the board from a year ago when he posted a .624 OPS in 115 games with St. Lucie last year.

• RHP Ethan Lanthier (4.66 ERA) 2 1/3 IP, H, BB, 4 K
• RHP Tyler McLoughlin (6.37 ERA) 1 2/3 IP, H, BB, 3 K, W
• RHP Miguel Mejias (3.00 ERA) IP, 3 K, SV

The post Mets Minors Recap: Santucci Notches Career-High in Strikeouts appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Rival executives told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that they believe Francisco Lindor will be traded this winter, but will remain a Met through the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Lindor has five years and $160 million left on his contract after this year, making him tough to deal by the deadline. He also has a full no-trade clause.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nightengale also reported that the Mets expressed interest in having Carlos Beltran take over as manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired, but he passed because of his Hall of Fame commitments. Beltran, who will be inducted into Cooperstown on Sunday, is apparently the Mets’ first choice to maange the team in 2027. The Mets have not started a managerial search.

A couple more Nightengale nuggets: The White Sox assigned someone to monitor Clay Holmes. The Phillies are interested in Luke Weaver.

Latest Mets News

On a related note, before Sunday’s game, Lindor talked to Chelsea Janes of SNY about being the subject of trade rumors.

“It doesn’t bother me when it’s coming from outside sources,” he told Janes. “When it’s more inside, that would bother me. But that’s not happening. I try to stay away from it. I try not to read it or really talk about it. It’s just unnecessary distraction. But I am human. I have a family and they all talk and they all hear it. But since it’s not happening in here, it’s OK.”

On the field, Lindor went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer, an RBI double and two walks to lead the Mets to a 6-1 win over the Phillies. A.J. Ewing, Juan Soto, Bo Bichette and Luis Torrens chipped in with two hits apiece.

Nolan McLean struck out a season-high-tying 10 over six scoreless innings and lowered his ERA to 3.34. Read more on the win in Johnluke Chaparro’s recap here.

The Mets (42-58) will be in Milwaukee Monday, where Freddy Peralta (5-8. 4.66 ERA) will make his first start against the team he won 70 games for over eight seasons. Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.62 ERA) goes for the first-place Brewers. Game time is 7:40 p.m. ET.

Latest MLB News

Duane Ward, a key reliever for the Blue Jays when they won back-to-back championships in 1992-1993, died of natural causes at 62, the team announced Sunday. Ward set a franchise record with 45 saves in 1993 and was the winning pitcher that year when Joe Carter hit a World Series-ending walk-off homer in Game 6 against the Phillies. He was a 2020 inductee of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Shohei Ohtani will miss his scheduled start Wednesday due to a left knee issue and it is unclear when he will take the mound again. Manager Dave Roberts said he isn’t sure if the start will be delayed a few days or skipped, but he fully expects Ohtani to pitch again this season. He hasn’t pitched since July 3. Roberts said the knee doesn’t bother Ohtani when he hits.

Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo exited in the second inning Sunday with left shoulder discomfort.

Latest on MMO

John Stocum with lots of insight on the poor showings Saturday by Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga.

A recap of Saturday’s minor-league action, which included a Luis Robert Jr. homer that backed a Jonah Tong win for Triple-A Syracuse.

On This Date in Mets History

1985: Darryl Strawberry hits two homers, including a grand slam, and drives in seven runs in a 16-4 win over the Braves. Danny Heep, Howard Johnson and Clint Hurdle also go deep. Dwight Gooden gives up one run over six innings to improve to 14-3 and lower his ERA to 1.67.

1975: Dave Kingman hits two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run shot in eighth of a 10-9 win over the Astros. The Mets rallied from deficits of 7-1 and 9-6.

1971: Ed Kranepool hits career homer No. 70 off the Cubs’ Fergie Jenkins to pass Ron Swoboda for the most home runs in franchise history.

On This Date in 1986 Mets

The Mets scored three runs in the top of the ninth at the Astrodome to tie it, but fall 9-8 in 15 innings when Kevin Bass bounces a grounder for a walk-off fielder’s choice off of Roger McDowell. Nearly three months later, the Mets would score three runs to tie a game in the top of the ninth at the Astrodome again, this time it is Game 6 of the NLCS.

Bass had a chance to be the walk-off hero again, but with the Mets up 7-6 and the tying run on second in the 16th inning, Jesse Orosco strikes him out for the final out of the game and series.

Born on This Date: Ty Kelly (1988), Nelson Doubleday (1933).

The post Morning Briefing: Execs Believe Lindor Will Be Dealt After Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Holmes, who broke his right fibula on May 15, has a 2.39 ERA across 52 2/3 innings this season. He was terrific in his first full season as a starter, going 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA across 165 2/3 innings in 2025.

The 33-year-old is on rehab assignment with the Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A). Brooklyn’s game got rained out on Saturday when Holmes was suppose to make his first start. He was, however, able to still get some work in. There has been no news on when his next appearance is slated for.

Holmes has an opt-out in his contract following the 2026 season. He signed a three-year, $38 million deal as a free agent prior to the 2025 season. With Holmes only due $12 million 2027, he is surely going to exercise that opt-out given he will be in for a substantial payday.

With that being said, and despite the report of the White Sox interest, Holmes and the Mets were reportedly set to begin extension conversations in the near future.

Holmes, among several other Mets, are likely to hear their names discussed ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.

The post Nightengale: White Sox Keeping Tabs On Clay Holmes appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Nolan McLean was all the Mets needed on the bump, as he delivered six impressive innings while recording a season-high 10 strikeouts, allowing just two hits and two walks, notching his seventh win of the season.

Following his excellent performance, he lowered his season ERA to 3.34 and 1.50 in July. In his last eight starts, McLean has gone five or more innings seven times and has only given up three or more runs once in that span, along with 48 total strikeouts.

A.J. Minter relieved McLean and allowed three hits, including a home run by Alec Bohm, but managed to limit the damage to just one run. Huascar Brazoban then struck out two consecutive batters to close out the eighth inning. Cionel Perez would be called upon to finish the game, and after allowing a hit to Brandon Marsh, was able to hold the fort and close out the afternoon for the Mets.

The Mets quickly got to Phillies starter Alan Rangel, chasing him early in the game and later adding another run against reliever Tim Mayza. Francisco Lindor spearheaded the offensive effort with one of his best games of the season, finishing 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, a single, three RBIs, two walks, and three runs scored.

Lindor kicked off the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI single during a three-run second inning, which also featured a double from Luis Torrens and a sacrifice fly from Carson Benge, giving New York a commanding 5-0 lead. The Mets increased their advantage to 6-0 in the sixth inning when Juan Soto hit an RBI single to center field.

Along with Lindor and Soto, A.J. Ewing, Bo Bichette, and Torrens also contributed with multiple hits during the game. The Mets left 15 runners on base and went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

Amidst a flurry of trade whispers from outside the room, Francisco Lindor showed exactly why he is the guy the Mets want as short, as he went 3-for-3 with a home run that was blasted into the second deck, a double, a single, two walks, and three runs scored.

Even during what might be a lost season, a resurgent Francisco Lindor would aid this franchise in many ways now and in the near future.

On Deck

The Mets waste no time and head on the road again, this time to American Family Field in Milwaukee to take on the Brewers. Freddy Peralta (5-8, 4.66 ERA) will begin the Mets’ night on the mound, while they’ll be greeted with Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.62 ERA). First pitch is at 7:40 pm local time and will be broadcast on SNY and Mets Radio 880 AM.

The post Lindor Propels Mets To 6-1 Series Victory In Philadelphia appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets flashed all their 2026 struggles Saturday. The team only mustered three hits, all from the bottom of the lineup. Collectively went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. Committed three errors. Had a starter allow four runs, including two in the first. Just a poor showing all the way around. But the Mets won on Thursday, and a win today means the Mets would win the series.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. A.J. Ewing – CF
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Francisco Lindor – SS
5. Carson Benge – LF
6. Jared Young – RF
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Brett Baty – RF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean has made 19 starts this season totaling 107 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.118 WHIP, and a 118 ERA+. Over his last three starts he has allowed only two earned runs (five runs total) over 18 innings from 15 hits and five walks while striking out 19 batters (1.00 ERA, 2.16 FIP). In his last eight starts, he has a 2.35 ERA, 3.19 FIP and that includes a start where he allowed six runs over six innings.

The Phillies have the following career stats against McLean:

• Alec Bohm 2-3
• Bryce Harper 1-6, 3 K
• J.T. Realmuto 0-5, BB
• Kyle Schwarber 0-5, BB
• Edmundo Sosa 1-2, K
• Bryson Stott 1-5, K
• Trea Turner 0-2, K

Phillies Lineup

1. Trea Turner – SS
2. Kyle Schwarber – DH
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Brandon Marsh – LF
5. Alec Bohm – 3B
6. Bryson Stott – 2B
7. J. T. Realmuto – C
8. Gabriel Rincones Jr. – RF
9. Justin Crawford – CF

Starting Pitcher: Alan Rangel

Alan Rangel has pitched in five games this season (two starts) totaling 19 1/3 innings with a 4.19 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.397 WHIP, and a 109 ERA+. His first start on July 2 was solid, holding the Pirates scoreless over four innings. Last time out he allowed three runs, including two home runs against the Reds over 3 1/3 innings.

On June 27 he pitched four innings in bulk relief against the Mets allowing four runs from four hits and two walks. The Mets have the following numbers against Rangel:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-2, K
• Brett Baty 0-2
• Carson Benge 0-2
• Bo Bichette 1-2, K
• A.J. Ewing 1-2, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-2, 3B
• Juan Soto 1-1, BB
• Jared Young 0-1, BB

Game Notes

In 13 games since June 30, Brett Baty is batting .306 (15-49) with nine runs, four doubles, two homers, six RBI, two walks, two steals. He has a .321 on-base percentage, a .510 slugging percentage, and an .831 OPS.

Juan Soto has hit 265 home runs in his career, tied with George Bell for the 20th-most in major league history by a player born in Dominican Republic. His 265 career home runs are the 11th-most in MLB history prior to turning 28.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Get hits. Saturday, the Mets only had three hits as a team, with Tyrone Taylor and A.J. Ewing getting all three as the seventh and eighth hitters in the lineup. Since the Red Sox series last weekend, the Mets have gone an astounding 1-for-33 with runners in scoring position. This has been a problem for most of the season, and almost impossible to win games without getting big hits. At some point that number has to regress to the mean, and for the Mets that would mean actually getting some big hits.
2. Stealing bases. In the last five games the Mets have stolen five bases and haven’t been caught. For most of this season, the Mets were stealing bases at a clip far lower than last season but being caught at a much higher rate. With the Mets struggling at the plate, there’s a lot of pressure to manufacture runs on the base paths.
3. Bullpen arms. The Mets used Kodai Senga and Xzavion Curry Saturday to finish off the last 3 1/3 innings they needed, saving all of the arms in the bullpen that may be moved in the next two weeks. With all the high-leverage relievers last pitching on Thursday, the group of tradeable relievers are all available Sunday.

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Sean Manaea, Saturday’s starter, only lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits, four earned runs, and a pair of home runs. Kodai Senga, who I’m sure manager Andy Green hoped would be able to eat bulk innings, lasted only 1 1/3 innings, giving up three hits, two earned runs, and walking three. For Manaea, it had looked like he had turned things around, before returning to his struggles in July. For Senga, well, this is just more of the same of a nightmare of a season.

Sean Manaea by Berto Carlo

In the months of May and June, Manaea had started to look like the 2024 version Mets fans thought they were getting. Over that span, between a mix of bullpen outings and starts, he had pitched 41 innings with a 3.73 ERA. During those months, Manaea had only given up three home runs, with no more than one in a single outing. Most notably, his fastball velocity had returned to where he was at pre-injury. Unfortunately, July has not been kind to Manaea. Over 16 2/3 innings, Manaea’s ERA has jumped back up to 4.86, and has given up two home runs in each of the last four starts.

Manaea’s biggest problem, despite what it might seem, has not been his fastball. It has been his lack of a real secondary pitch. This year, almost 90% of pitches he has thrown have been fastballs, sweepers, or sinkers. The results on his fastball have been good, his sinker is fine, so what’s the problem?

Well, the problem is that Manaea’s sweeper is the single worst breaking ball in all of baseball. Manaea’s sweeper has a run value of -11 this year, making it the single worst breaking ball of any pitcher or breaking pitch type in the majors this year. Not just sweepers, all types of breaking balls. The thing is, the pitch is not grading that poorly from a metrics perspective. It’s spinning as much as ever, has solid movement, and has a proper drop in velocity compared to his hard stuff. However, that might be part of the problem.

Manaea’s sweeper, on average, is only 75.4 mph. Eventually, with how good the hitters are today, it’s probably going to get hit. This year, hitters are hitting .289 off the sweeper, with a whopping .506 SLG off the sweeper. The problem is, the solution is not as easy as “just throw it less.” He simply doesn’t have any other breaking pitches that he is able to throw.

Senga, on the other hand, is struggling all around. No matter what role the Mets try to use him in, he just simply cannot perform. Saturday was no different, giving up two earned runs in only 1 1/3 innings of relief work. The story was very similar for Senga: a combination of a staggering inability to throw strikes and having no success with any pitch other than his forkball.

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Kodai Senga has now thrown 40 2/3 innings this year. Of any pitcher with at least 40 innings pitched, Senga ranks: lsast in BB/9, second to last in BB%, last in ERA, last in WHIP, tied for last in HR/9, and last in FIP.

Earlier, it was mentioned how Manaea’s sweeper was the worst breaking ball in all of baseball. Manaea’s sweeper pales in comparison to Senga’s fastball. Senga’s -8 run value on his fastball is tied for 10th worst in baseball, and the only reason why it’s not number one or two is because he hasn’t had the change to throw it enough.

This year, when throwing a fastball, opposing hitters are hitting .328 and slugging .655. For reference, Luis Arraez is hitting .327 this year (second in baseball), and Yordan Alvarez leads baseball with a .635 SLG. When Senga throws his fastball, combine Arraez and Alvarez, and you still aren’t as good as opponents are currently doing off Senga.

Two things can be true. The Mets were never going to win this game because of how poorly their offense and defense played, but their pitching was not nearly good enough to win the game.

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