As mentioned, Holmes was strong once again. His only blip came in the game’s first inning as he walked the first two hitters of the game and allowed a run-scoring single. After that, he settled in and was clean the rest of the way. His day ended after a bounced-throw by Bo Bichette was mishandled by Mark Vientos. Nearing 100 pitches, manager Carlos Mendoza removed Holmes 1/3 inning shy of getting through seven.

In all, Holmes went 6 2/3 innings allowing four hits and one run. He walked three but struck out six. He threw a season-high 99 pitches. As a result, his sparkling ERA is down to 1.69. A league-leading mark.

Following Holmes, Weaver threw 1 1/3 of clean ball, striking out three. Brooks Raley then came on with a four-run lead in the ninth inning and brought the Mets home.

Offensively, New York was relatively quiet until a big eighth inning provided the club with some insurance. Prior to that, the only scoring was a two-run homer off the bat of Mark Vientos in the fourth inning. This gave the Mets a 2-1 lead and they did not look back.

In the eighth, Carson Benge, who also walked twice, lined a double down the line to score Brett Baty, who was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Vientos then drove in Benge via his second home run of the game. That spelled the end to all the scoring as New York held on for the 5-1 victory.

This was the Mets first road series since April 2-5 in San Francisco.

Player of the Game: Mark Vientos

Mark Vientos looked like the player he was in 2024 on Sunday. He smashed two home runs raising his season OPS from .650 to .737. He finished the game 2-for-4 with the two homers and four RBIs. With all the injuries the Mets are battling, the re-emergence of Vientos would be monumental.

On Deck

The Mets are right back in action Monday night in Colorado. The first game of the three-game set is slated for a 8:40 pm ET first pitch. Tomoyuki Sugano is the Rockies’ probable starter. The Mets have not officially announced a pitcher, but David Peterson is expected to see action in some capacity.

The post Mets Notch 5-1 Victory To Capture Series Over The Angels appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Things continue to trend downward for the New York Mets. The Mets were down most of Saturday night and tried to stage a late comeback, but ultimately failed in extra innings against the Angels. Additionally, Ronny Mauricio fractured his thumb sliding into first base leaving the New York without a shortstop again.

The Mets can still win the series with a win this afternoon but the team is hurting. Saturday, they had to start a lineup with Austin Slader and Andy Ibáñez. The Mets are starting to run out of healthy options.

Mets Lineup

1. Bo Bichette – 3B
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. MJ Melendez – LF
4. Brett Baty – 3B
5. Marcus Semien – 2B
6. Carson Benge – RF
7. Mark Vientos – 1B
8. Tyrone Taylor – CF
9. Luis Torrens

Starting Pitcher: Clay Holmes

The Mets are going to need another stellar performance from Clay Holmes this afternoon. Over six starts Holmes has pitched 36 innings with a 1.75 ERA (league-leading), 3.84 FIP, 0.972 WHIP, and a 230 ERA+ (league-leading). He is coming off of a start where he held the Nationals scoreless over six innings, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out six.

The Angels have the following career numbers against him:

• Travis d’Arnaud 0-1
• Adam Frazier 0-6, K
• Josh Loew 0-5, BB, 2 K
• Yoan Moncada 0-1, BB
• Zach Neto 0-2, K
• Nolan Schanuel 0-1, K
• Jorge Soler 1-2, 2B, K
• Brent Suter 0-2, K
• Mike Trout 0-3, BB, K

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Angels Lineup

1. Zach Neto – SS
2. Mike Trout – CF
3. Nolan Schanuel – 1B
4. Jorge Soler – RF
5. Jo Adell – DH
6. Josh Lowe – LF
7. Vaughn Grissom – 2B
8. Oswaldo Peraza – #b
9. Sebastian Rivero – C

Jack Kochanowicz if off to a great start for the Angels this season. Over 35 innings (six starts). he has a 3.09 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.200 WHIP, and a 140 ERA+. He’s coming off of an average start where he allowed three runs (two earned) over six innings in a game the Angels eventually lost.

The only members of the Mets who have seen Kochanowicz in a major-league game are Bo Bichette (1-for-3) and Marcus Semien (6-for-13, 2 BB).

Game Notes

Prior to the game, the Mets announced they selected infielder Vidal Bruján to the major-league roster. Additionally, they designed infielder Eric Wagaman for assignment.

The above moves were necessary as infielder Ronny Mauricio fractured his thumb last night sliding into first base. Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that news late Saturday night.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Marcus Semien. For a second-straight game, Marcus Semien has excellent career numbers against the opponent’s starting pitcher. Semien went 1-for-4 with a run scored Saturday. With the way he has been hitting this season (.562 OPS, 60 OPS+), any hits recorded are a positive development. As the Mets lineup gets weaker and weaker by injury, they need Marcus Semien to step up.
2. Short. The Mets have a giant question mark at shortstop now. A potential lineup the Mets can go with, as they are Sunday, is Brett Baty at third, Mark Vientos at first, and Bo Bichette at shortstop. For the foreseeable future it is likely fans are going to see a lot of Bichette and Vidal Bruján. Bruján played 24 games in Syracuse (Triple-A) this season and is slashing .241/.304/.313 with three doubles and a home run. He also has five stolen bases.
3. Hope you like grounders. The Mets defensive alignment Sunday is incredibly important with Holmes on the mound. Hitters are hitting grounders 58.1% of the time against Holmes, which is in the 94th percentile. This is slightly higher than last year were he had a 55.9% rate.

The post Game Chat: Mets vs. Angels, 4:07 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets

Hitter of the Month: Cristian Pache

Statistics: 23 G, .309/.349/.494/.843, 2 HR, 5 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 23 SO

Can A.J. Ewing be the Triple-A player of the month with just three games played? For this exercise we opted to go with someone with a bit more of a sample size at the level. That gives the crown to Cristian Pache, who carried over his torrid pace from spring training into the regular season. The former top prospect of the Atlanta Braves has had a tough go in the big leagues throughout his career, but has slugged for the Mets down in Triple-A to begin 2026.

Pache might not have had the best slash line of anyone on Syracuse, but it was still great. That, coupled with him playing some of the most of any player and trailing just Ryan Clifford in extra-base hits, gave him the edge over other contenders. With all the Mets’ troubles offensively this season as well, Pache is making a strong case to get a shot. He’s always been highly touted for his glove in center field, but he could never hit enough. If he can even hit close to this level in the big leagues, he’ll be good enough to at least be a bench player on an MLB roster.

Pitcher of the Month: Jack Wenninger

Statistics: 5 G (5 GS), 22 1/3 IP, 16 H, 5 R (4 ER), 26 SO, 12 BB, 1.61 ERA, 1.25 WHIP

Has Jack Wenninger pitched his final game in Triple-A? Probably not. But the Mets have a glaring issue with one of the spots in their rotation, and Wenninger is carving in Syracuse.

He’s still not a finished product. Wenninger’s in-zone percentage and general control is still a work in progress, but it’s good enough to be an upgrade over what the Mets currently have in the rotation. Everything else is ready. His arsenal is solid, headlined by his double-plus splitter, and he’s fully built up to handle a starter’s regular workload. He’s a major-league pitcher, the only question is when.

A.J. Ewing Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Hitter of the Month: A.J. Ewing

Statistics: 18 G, .349/.481/.571/1.052, 2 HR, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 17 BB, 15 SO, 12 SB (1 CS)

Is Ewing playing himself into a major-league call-up already? There’s a reason he made a case for Triple-A player of the month in just three games. He does everything well. He makes a ton of contact with a good approach, he plays great defense (at two positions to boot), and he’s showing serious growth in what was his one shortcoming: power. He’s hitting the ball with authority, and while it’ll never be upper-echelon power, it might be good! He’s played himself into being the Mets’ best prospect and is making a strong case to join the big league club.

Pitcher of the Month: Gabriel Rodriguez

Statistics: 7 G (0 GS), 8 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0ER), 14 SO, 5 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP

The Mets have many interesting starting pitching prospects in Double-A, but all of them were, at best, inconsistent in April. Gabriel Rodriguez, a 27-year-old reliever, was the opposite of inconsistent. He gave up one hit in eight innings, struck out a huge percentage of the batters he faced, and was overall dominant. For someone signed as a free agent in February who last pitched in affiliated ball in 2023, and never above Single-A, Rodriguez is looking like a find. Considering his age, Syracuse (Triple-A) could be close on the horizon, and if things go well, Queens not far after. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a lefty, either.

Irving Cota. Photo by Ed Delany, Metsmerized

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones

Hitter of the Month: John Bay

Statistics: 20 G, .234/.410/.422/.832, 2 HR, 4 2B, 1 3B, 10 RBI, 11 BB, 23 SO, 6 SB (1 CS)

It hasn’t been a great start to the season for the Cyclones, and the lineup hasn’t had many standouts. Really, the only one has been John Bay, a 24-year-old outfielder signed as an undrafted free agent last season. Bay’s showing both strong power and on-base skills, and has been playing more center field this season than ever before. That might be more because of need; Brooklyn doesn’t have much on the roster in terms of outfield options, but he’s handled it well, regardless. It’s going to take a lot for Bay to appear on prospect radars, but this is a great start.

Pitcher of the Month: Irving Cota

Statistics: 5 G (3 GS), 18 2/3 IP, 12 H, 2 R (2 ER), 11 SO, 5 BB, 0.96 ERA, 0.91 WHIP

Brooklyn’s pitching staff has been a little better than the bats, but many of the bigger names like Noah Hall and Joel Díaz have struggled. Irving Cota, while he hasn’t been overwhelming, has done a great job of both keeping hitters off the bases and keeping runs off the board. The 22-year-old righty has impressed at every stop of his minor league career, and he’s making another strong impression to begin 2026.

Elian Peña. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets

Hitter of the Month: Elian Peńa

Statistics: 22 G, .353/.467/.482/.949, 1 HR, 8 2B, 11 RBI, 17 BB, 16 SO

Who else but Elian Peña? If not for Ewing, Peña would easily be the Mets prospect attracting the most attention. Even with Ewing stealing the show, Peña is still demanding plenty of eyeballs. Contact, power, speed, he’s showing it all. It will be a shock if Peña is not a universal top-100 prospect by the midseason update. Randy Guzman and AJ Salgado deserve shoutouts, both with several home runs already this year (five in April), but it was always going to be Peña here.

Pitcher of the Month: Nicolas Carreno

Statistics: 5 G (3 GS), 16 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 ER), 18 SO, 7 BB, 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Nicolas Carreno might be the next breakout to come out of the Mets’ pitching development system. The ERA and WHIP are obviously great, but the strikeouts really stand out. In 16 innings, 25 strikeouts is a fantastic mark. He has both a four-seam and a sinker and throws each of them hard, but the star is his slider. It’s his most used pitch, and hitters can’t lay off, chasing it 44.2% of the time so far this season and whiffing at it even more. Still just 19 years old, Carreno is a name to watch.

The post Mets Minor League Players of the Month: April 2026 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, the Mets are expected to call-up infielder Vidal Bruján.

You can read more about Bruján and what he may bring to the Mets below.

Original  Post –

The New York Mets suffered another injury blow and to a position that their depth is being tested greatly. On Saturday, Ronny Mauricio fractured his wrist diving into first base. As a result, he will now surely miss time and the Mets will have to make another recall from Triple-A Syracuse.

After the game manager Carlos Mendoza noted current third baseman Bo Bichette is, “in the conversation” to replace Mauricio as the team’s everyday shortstop. So, whoever the Mets recall from Syracuse will need to have some versatility throughout the infield.

With that being said, what are some of the options that make the most sense?

Vidal Bruján. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Vidal Bruján seems to be by far the most realistic option. Bruján is the definition of infielder versatility thus far as he’s started 13 games at shortstop, six at second base, and five at third base for the Syracuse Mets in 2026. At the plate, Bruján is slashing .241/.304/.313 (.617 OPS) across 83 at-bats.

As for his major-league experience the 28-year-old has five years experience with five different teams. He owns a career .543 OPS (.199 batting average) across 584 at-bats in the big leagues.

Bruján has played 84 games at second base, 56 at shortstop, and 36 at third base. He has also gotten a lot of run in the outfield (67 games). As far as defensive runs saved (DRS) and outs above average (OAA) he’s a negative defender at each of the three infield positions besides his DRS at shortstop.

Three other Triple-A options are Eric Wagaman, Christian Arroyo, and Jackson Cluff.

Wagaman, who was acquired via waivers, is an option if New York flips Bichette to shortstop while Lindor heals. Wagaman slashed .250/.296/.378 (.674 OPS) across 476 at-bats in 2025 for the Miami Marlins. He hit nine homers and drove in 53 runs. The underlying metrics painted a much stronger picture than the .674 OPS.

The only downside to Wagaman as an option is most of his big league experience has come at first base. He did play 151 1/3 innings at third for the Angels in 2024. He also 54 1/3 innings at third base in Triple-A this season.

Christian Arroyo. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Arroyo has the most major league experience of the group. Across seven seasons, he’s slashing .252/.299/.394 (.693 OPS). He has just under 1,000 major league plate appearances. For Triple-A Syracuse this season he has excelled early on at the plate slashing .304/.351/.406 (.757 OPS).

The 30-year-old has always been a relatively strong defender at second base, where he has spent the majority of his time in the big leagues. He also has played 447 innings at third base and 195 1/3 at shortstop throughout his major-league career.

Lastly, Cluff, like Bruján, has extreme versatility in the infield. He’s played 81 innings at shortstop, 58 2/3 at second base, and 53 at third base for Triple-A Syracuse in 2026. The 29-year-old is only slashing .139/.222/.292 (.514 OPS) though. He owns a career .680 OPS in the minors and has yet to make an appearance at the big-league level.

One would expect an announcement of Mauricio to the injured list and a call-up of one of the individuals listed above prior to the team’s series finale in Anaheim on Sunday.

The post Report: Vidal Bruján Set To Join Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The performance of the day goes to Brooklyn Cyclones’ (High-A) starter Channing Austin, who went 5 2/3 scoreless with just one hit and seven strikeouts. The 24-year-old is putting his name on some radars early this season, and could find himself cracking the back-half of top-30 prospect lists if he keeps his current pace up. On the other side, the Syracuse (Triple-A) bullpen squandered Jonah Tong‘s great start, allowing eight runs in three innings of work.

Jonah Tong via Syracuse Mets

Triple-A

Lehigh Valley (17-15) 7, Syracuse (17-14) 6

Box Score

• LF Cristian Pache: 2-3, 2 2B, SB (.831 OPS)
• RF A.J. Ewing: 2-5, SB (1.314 OPS)
• 3B Christian Arroyo: 1-3, BB, SB (.768 OPS)
• DH Ryan Clifford: 1-5, BB (.713 OPS)

The Syracuse offense got off to a hot start on Saturday, and it more than did its part to remain in the game. A.J. Ewing has been impressive since reaching Triple-A, and could find his way to Queens before long if he continues his production at the plate, along with his strong defense and stellar running game. Cristian Pache might not be far off the Mets’ radar with their recent offensive struggles, and his two-double performance certainly helped.

• RHP Jonah Tong: 6 IP, H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (4.60 ERA)
• RHP Joey Gerber: IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, K (7.71 ERA)
• LHP Anderson Severino: IP, H, R, 0 ER, K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Luke Jackson: 0.1 IP, H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, K (81.00 ERA)

After signing a minor-league contract with the team, Luke Jackson was roughed up in his debut with the Mets’ organization. Jonah Tong turned in a strong start for Syracuse, looking much more like the player who dominated minor league baseball throughout the 2025 season. Tong did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, marking his longest no-hit bid since just last year with Binghamton (Double-A). The bullpen behind him allowed seven earned runs, wasting his incredibly strong performance.

Jonathan Santucci. Photo by Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

New Hampshire (14-9) 2, Binghamton (9-16) 1 / SUSPENDED – Bottom 4th

Box Score

• 3B Jacob Reimer: 1-3 (.675 OPS
• LF Jose Ramos: 1-2 (.625 OPS)

Binghamton only had four trips to the plate before the game was suspended on Saturday, recording only two hits in the four innings. Ramos will lead off for Binghamton when play resumes.

• LHP Jonathan Santucci: 3.2 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K (5.57 ERA)

Santucci was struggling mightily with his command in this game, putting seven runners on base before the rain bailed him out for the day. Whoever resumes the game for the Rumble Ponies will have to deal with a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the fourth with the bottom of the Fisher Cats lineup at the plate.

Channing Austin. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A 

Brooklyn (7-18) 3, Frederick (13-12) 0

Box Score

• CF John Bay: 1-3, BB, 2B (.854 OPS)
• C Ronald Hernandez: 1-2, HR, 2 BB (.739 OPS)
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 1-3, 3B, BB (.717 OPS)

The Cyclones’ offense did the bare minimum they needed to on Saturday to bring home a win, scoring two runs and recording just five hits as a whole in a shutout win. Ronald Hernandez connected for his first homer of the year, while John Bay continued his incredible start to the season with another double and multi-total base performance.

• RHP Channing Austin: 5.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (1.21 ERA)
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (4.70 ERA)
• RHP Hoss Brewer: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB (5.00 ERA)
• RHP Hunter Hodges: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, K (4.66 ERA)

Undrafted free agent Channing Austin, albeit much older than the average age of a player in High-A, has continued to dominate the High-A ranks to begin his third professional season. He was backed up by superb pitching out of the Cyclones’ bullpen, with 10 straight outs being recorded by the Brooklyn staff. In total, just four Keys reached base in a combined one-hitter effort.

Single-A

Tampa (12-14) 5, St. Lucie (11-15) 2

Box Score

• C Chase Meggers: 1-4 (.586 OPS)
• 1B Randy Guzman: 1-3 (.906 OPS)
• DH Julio Zayas: 1-3 (.635 OPS)
• CF Edward Lantigua: 0-3, 2 SB (.435 OPS)

The St. Lucie bats were incredibly quiet on Saturday night, mustering just two runs and posing minimal threats for the majority of the night. Randy Guzman has continued to be an interesting name to follow on the farm so far, and could find his way to High-A Brooklyn before long, which would be a much more significant test of his skills in such a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Despite not recording a hit, Edward Lantigua recorded his first multi-steal game of the season.

• RHP Jose Chirinos: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (2.84 ERA)
• RHP Elwis Mijares: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 3 K (2.38 ERA)

Unlike the hitting, the Mets’ pitching staff was incredibly strong Saturday afternoon. Jose Chirinos and Elwis Mijares combined for seven solid innings, giving their bats every chance to bring them back into the game. The issue, however, was that the St. Lucie defense let Chirinos down early on, contributing to his three unearned runs on the day.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Jonah Tong Turns In Dominant Outing For Syracuse appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets dropped Game 2 of the series to the Angels, 4-3 in 10 innings. They close out their series with the rubber game on Sunday at 4:07 p.m. ET. It will be the righty Clay Holmes (302, 1.75 ERA, 25 SO) on the mound for New York against right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09 ERA, 24 SO).

Along with dropping the game in the 10th, the Mets’ injury woes continued as Ronny Mauricio exited the game early on Saturday. Carlos Mendoza told reporters later that Mauricio is heading to the IL with a fractured thumb.

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The New York Mets announced that they have come to an agreement with Luis Torrens on a two-year extension for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. And they did so on his birthday. Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, the deal is for $11.5 million through the 2028 season and includes $2 million in incentives, $1 million each in 2027 and 2028 with no options.

Mets prospect and the No. 42 prospect in all of baseball, Jonah Tong, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and retired 16 batters in a row in a great outing for Syracuse. In his outing against Lehigh Valley, he gave up no earned runs (one unearned run) on one hit and two walks while striking out six through six innings of work.

Latest MLB News

Saturday was a special day in the Seattle Mariners organization as they officially retired Randy Johnson’s No. 51, forever etching him into Mariners history.

According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, the San Diego Padres announced the team has been sold to Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones, pending approval of the MLB owners. Gonzalez shared the statement made by Padres chairman John Seidler.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced that 1B/ OF Eloy Jimenez has cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was removed from the Braves’ Saturday night game with left hamstring tightness.

The Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez joins elite company in picking up his 300th career stolen base.

According to Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres are planning to activate Griffin Canning, the former Met, to their roster.

Latest on MMO

Satish Ram recaps the Mets’ minor league games from Friday, including dominant performances from A.J. Ewing and Randy Guzman.

Mojo Hill recapped Mauricio’s performance from Friday, including a clutch seventh inning base knock.

Chris Bello recapped Christian Scott’s stellar outing from Friday in which he struck out eight.

Robert Colonna breaks down Luis Torrens’ extension with the Mets.

Chris Bello talks about the 2026 MLB power rankings for week five and who sits atop the standings.

On This Date in Mets History

1988: David Cone pitched his first career shutout.

Born on this Date: Joey Gerber (1997), Walker Lockett (1994), Jack DiLauro (1943), Chris Cannizzaro (1938).

The post Morning Briefing: Ronny Mauricio Fractures Thumb appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Austin Warren almost pulled a rabbit out of the hat, but still, he allowed a game-winning single to Oswald Peraza. There was a play that should’ve been challenged by the Mets early in the game that ended up costing them a run. Their best hitters did not come through on multiple occasions. Even Nolan McLean did not exactly pitch his best and went four innings. They all led to another game the Mets could’ve won, but for more than one reason, they didn’t. They seem to play the same game every day. The Mets also lost Ronny Mauricio to a fractured thumb.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Mets Don’t Challenge

In the first inning, after retiring the first two batters he faced, Nolan McLean allowed back-to-back singles to Nolan Schanuel and Jorge Soler, bringing up Jo Adell. Adell singled to right field, and Austin Slater actually threw out Soler as he tried to go to third base before Schanuel reached home plate. However, the home plate umpire ruled that Schanuel scored before the tag, and the Mets decided not to challenge. The play was reviewable, and if they had challenged, New York would’ve surely won and erased the Angels’ run. Alas, they did not, and Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead that they never should’ve had.

Bichette (Twice) & Soto Come Up Short in Big Spots

McLean allowed two more runs to score in the fourth inning, bringing the Mets down 3-1. For a while, the Mets had no answer for Angels starter Reid Detmers, as Bo Bichette‘s RBI single in the third inning was all the Mets could muster until the seventh inning, when New York started a rally. Mark Vientos started things off with a double. After a Marcus Semien single, Andy Ibáñez drove in Vientos with a sacrifice fly. Tyrone Taylor would tie the game with an RBI single of his own. Mauricio beat out an infield single by sliding into first base (which fractured his thumb in the process) to load the bases for Bichette and Soto.

Despite his RBI single from earlier, Bichette would have multiple big opportunities to put the Mets ahead. On the first occasion, he grounded into a forceout at home plate. Soto stepped up next and struck out swinging on a slider in just a four-pitch at-bat. The second shot for Bichette came with first and second and nobody out in the top of the tenth inning; he grounded into a double play. The Angels walked Soto, and then Alvarez would pop out to end the Mets’ tenth inning. With numerous starters out with injuries, the Mets need their big free agent signing from the last two offseasons to carry the load, and on Saturday night in big spots, they failed to do so.

No MVP Performance for Warren On This Day

With the game tied at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the tenth inning, the Mets called on Warren again in a big spot. He walked Soler, and then a single by Adell loaded the bases up with no outs and put Warren in a jam. He almost worked a miracle. A short line out to Carson Benge by Josh Lowe did not score the runner from third, and a short fly out to Benge by Vaughn Grissom got Warren one more out away from getting this game to the eleventh inning.

With two strikes, Oswald Peraza took a Warren curveball to left field for the game-winning hit. Two strikes and two outs, Warren was that close to getting out of it, but as has been the case so far in 2026, the Mets can’t get either the big hit or the big out.

Player of the Game: Tobias Myers

After McLean went only four innings, Tobias Myers gave the Mets 2 2/3 innings to keep them in the game, as he continues to be a reliable arm out of the bullpen.

Ronny Mauricio To The IL

Just one day after his heroics on Friday night, Mauricio now joins what is becoming a laundry list of everyday players on the Mets’ injured list, along with Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. Even Mike Tauchman could’ve made the roster if he hadn’t gotten hurt shortly before opening day. Manager Carlos Mendoza announced after the game that Mauricio fractured his hand on the slide to first base and will now go on the injured list, shortening the Mets’ depth even more.

On Deck

In the Sunday rubber game, the Mets will send Clay Holmes to pitch against the Angels’ Jack Kochanowicz. Game time is set for 4:07 pm and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ at 880am. 

The post Mets Fall 4-3 in Extras to Angels appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets finally did something last night that has been missing since last July – win a game late after being down! The Angels immediately took the lead last night and by the fifth inning it was feeling like another one of those nights for the Mets. The Mets would go on to score three runs in the sixth to tie the game 3-3, and Ronny Mauricio hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh. Devin Williams shut down the Angels in the ninth and the Mets found themselves in the win column.

The Mets now go for the series win this afternoon and remain undefeated in the month of May. Let the momentum flow!

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Bo Bichette – 3B
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Francisco Alvarez – C
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Marcus Semien – 2B
6. Andy Ibáñez – LF
7. Tyrone Taylor – CF
8. Austin Slater – RF
9. Ronny Mauricio – SS

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean has been a rock star in the Mets’ rotation this season. Over six starts, he has tossed 35 1/3 innings with a 2.55 ERA, 2.26 FIP (league leading), 0.849 WHIP, and a 160 ERA+. He has 45 strikeouts and is getting strikeouts at an 11.5 K/9 clip. McLean has a 2.29 xERA (94th percentile), 85.2 mph average exit velocity (93rd percentile), and a .188 xBA (91st percentile). Just dominant stuff. This will be McLean’s first start against the Angels, and no one on the Angels roster has faced him before in a Major League game.

Opposing Lineup

1. Zach Neto – SS
2. Mike Trout – CF
3. Nolan Schanuel – 1B
4. Jorge Soler – DH
5. Jo Adell – RF
6. Josh Lowe – LF
7. Vaughn Grissom – 2B
8. Oswaldo Peraza – 3B
9. Travis d’Arnaud – C

The Mets’ bats will get a look at Reid Detmers tonight. Over 33 2/3 innings (six starts), Detmers has a 4.28 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 1.099 WHIP, and a 101 ERA+. Three starts ago, Detmers held the Yankees to one run over seven innings. Since then, he has allowed seven runs from 10 hits and three walks over 11 innings. He’s been pitching a lot better though than traditional stats suggest. His xERA is 2.95, and he’s getting hitters to chase his pitches 34.1% of the time (81st percentile). Detmers faced the Mets once in relief last year, allowing a run and a hit in an inning of work. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Bo Bichette 2-7, K
• Andy Ibáñez 2-4
• MJ Melendez 1-4, HR
• Marcus Semien 13-31, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 BB, 6 K
• Juan Soto 1-1
• Luis Torrens 3-4, 2B, HR

Game Notes

• The Mets extended Luis Torrens on a two-year, $11.5 million deal earlier Saturday. Torrens was picked up mid-way through the 2024 season and has registered a .628 OPS in 152 games with the Mets.
• With a win tonight, the Mets would win two games in a row for just the third time in the 2026 season. The last time the Mets won two games in a row was back on April 23.
• Nolan McLean has the opportunity to put up video game strikeout numbers against the Angels tonight. McLean enters Saturday with an 11.5 K/9 and faces the Angels, who have struck out a major league-leading 328 times.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Marcus Semien. On paper, this seems like a Marcus Semien game. Semien has a .471 OBP in over 30 AB’s against Detmers over his career and has a 1.116 OPS. Semien has been off to a rough start this year with the Mets. He has a .288 xwOBA (23rd percentile), .231 xBA (35th percentile), and .361 xSLG (31st percentile). He’s hitting the ball just as hard as he did last season (34.8% this year, 35% last year), but he’s just not getting results.
2. Rack up strikeouts. Nolan McLean is a strikeout machine, and the Angels are coming off a long night. Yesterday, the Mets got the Angels to strikeout 14 times, including three strikeout nights from Mike Trout, Yoan Moncada, and Jo Adell. Additionally, the Mets didn’t walk any hitters last night! They can’t get on base if they’re striking out!
3. Andy Ibáñez. The Mets claimed Ibáñez from the Athletics and activated him before yesterday’s game (optioning Eric Wagaman to Syracuse). Ibáñez is mostly known for his defensive utility. He can play all over the infield and the outfield corners. Over his career, he is a .252/.303/.385 hitter and is coming off a particularly brutal start to 2026, hitting .118/.167/.118 with a -21 OPS+. Last season he played in 91 games with 193 PAs, hitting .239/.301/.352 with an 81 OPS+ with the Tigers.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Mets vs Angels, 9:38 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

That division through April looks like the real deal. Every single team is above .500 and chock full of talent. The Pirates have finally put together a competent offense behind their rotation, the Reds have finally developed a rotation behind their star-studded infield, the Cubs are mashing with newcomer Alex Bregman, the Brewers are still winning with infield singles, and the Cardinals are … good?

Yeah, the Cardinals are good. Way earlier than anyone anticipated. JJ Wetherholt looks like the steal of the draft at seventh overall, and enters Saturday’s games with a .824 OPS and seven homers through 32 games. Jordan Walker has also finally found his swing. The COVID draft pick was one of the top prospects in baseball, floated around for quite sometime, and in year four has a .308/.373/.583 slashline and 1.9 bWAR. For reference, Walker has never registered a season with positive bWAR.

The NL Central hasn’t been this loaded since 2015.

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

1. Braves

Life is all about ebbs and flows. Well after a couple seasons of ebbing, the Braves are flowing.

They hold the best record in baseball at 23-10. They hold the best run differential at +63. They’re second to the Dodgers in team OPS (.789), second to the Yankees in homers (45), and second to none in runs scored (185).

The team is also clutch. Last week alone they saw dramatic, comeback wins. Matt Olson clubbed a walk-off two-run dinger against the Tigers in the ninth. Then Friday saw Atlanta claw back from an early 6-0 deficit against Colorado, capped off by a Michael Harris II go-ahead homer in the ninth.

Anyways, it’s May now. This is the last time I’ll play into the “Atlanta is back” card. They’re legit and look like the only team in the NL who can usurp the Dodgers.

2. Yankees

The Yankees are back in full force.

They had an eight-game winning streak stopped Wednesday via a 3-0 loss to the Rangers, but let’s not overreact — they’re 10-2 in their last 12 games.

And it’s all because of Ben Rice. No, really. This isn’t the first time we’ve highlighted the Dartmouth product either, because he’s still putting up AL MVP numbers into May. Entering Saturday, Rice is slashing .330/.441/.728 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs. His .728 slug and 220 OPS+ leads the majors. He’s the protection for Aaron Judge.

Then there’s the pitching. It still leads the majors with a 3.01 ERA without Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon, the latter who struck out eight in 5 1/3 Thursday in a rehab outing.

3. Dodgers

A three-game losing streak for the Dodgers? Looks like their reign of dominance is over.

Anways joking aside, it was an okay week for the Dodgers. They dropped a series to the Marlins for the first time since 2018, and left the bases loaded in the ninth Wednesday to drop the series finale 3-2. There’s nothing really new to highlight with the Dodgers.

We could highlight a good and bad for the club. Hyeseong Kim has quietly slashed .302/.375/.411 in 22 games for the club. That’s a positive with Mookie Betts injured. A negative? Kyle Tucker is batting .237 with a .693 OPS.

Imagine if Tucker had signed and performed like that in Queens? Helps when the fans are making TikToks all game.

4. Cubs

Judging the NL Central teams is incredibly hard right now. But the Cubs look like the frontrunner out of the five teams.

Sure, they’re in first right now. But that’s not why. They have the second-best run differential at +36, and have a loaded lineup of proven guys who have won. That’s no knock on the Brewers, but I’ll take a star-studded lineup over the Cleveland Guardians of the National League.

They did lose two of three in LA last weekend following a 10-game win streak, but Chicago has bounced back with three straight wins over the Padres and Diamondbacks. Mostly due to Seiya Suzuki leading the charge. He’s got a .965 OPS and five homers in 19 games. He’s come back from the WBC injury on fire and could earn himself a lot of money in his contract year.

5. Pirates

Pittsburgh had a horrid week. But not bad enough for me to drop them in the power rankings.

The Red Birds came to town and swept Paul Skenes and co. for four games. The pitching allowed 30 runs over the four games, and the offense produced only 18.

Still, there shouldn’t be concern for the offense or the lineup. They currently have six players with OPS+s over 100, including a 131 OPS+ from Bryan Reynolds through April. If that held, it would be the first time since 2018 the Pirates would finish with six above league-average hitters in their lineup. Last season they had just one.

Also can the Pirates get a closer? Dennis Santana was fun for the first couple weeks, but has stumbled as of late. A reliable, big-name reliever would transcend this team. Maybe a guy like David Bednar? Jokes guys, jokes.

6. Cardinals

From 23 to six. Maybe I don’t know ball.

The Cardinals dominated the Pirates last week, going on the road and taking all four games in the series. Wetherholt was the dominating force for the Red Birds, clubbing two homers and one against Skenes. He’s filled in nicely for Brendan Donovan.

Pay attention to St. Louis going forward. They’re a couple years ahead of schedule under Chaim Bloom, and could transform their team with a strong deadline. The young guys are hitting, and Alec Burleson is driving them in.

Also, for fantasy purposes, check to see if Riley O’Brien is on waivers in your league. The 31-year-old closer has a sparkling 1.17 ERA and is 8/8 in save opportunities.

7. Padres

The path is diverging for the Friars.

They sold their club and switched controlling ownership earlier Saturday, which doesn’t mean anything as of now due to the Padres being one of the league’s biggest spenders.

But that has nothing to do with their ranking on this list. Just important Padres news. The club is 19-12. Mason Miller had his scoreless streak snapped but is still perfect in the ninth. The offense, especially Fernando Tatis Jr., has been lackluster. But they still score enough runs to win.

They have the talent to be much higher on this list. And the record to be top-5. But they need Manny Machado (101 OPS+) and Jackson Merrill (67 OPS+) need to be better.

8. Brewers

I might be doing the same with the Brewers as I did with the Blue Jays last season.

I slept on them. Didn’t believe in them. Refused to rank them for awhile. But I’m getting ahead of the curve this season, and will begrudgingly rank them.

In a loaded NL Central, the Brewers are 17-14 and have the best run differential at +43. Their team leads the majors in stolen bases (38), is fifth in OBP in the majors (.338), and they have thumping bats like William Contreras in the middle of the order to drive guys in.

It’s the same formula every year. Get on base, move runners via bunts and stolen bases, and pray a couple guys hit enough homers to drive them in. It’s good enough to get the team on the list and make the playoffs. But I don’t believe it’ll ever be enough to hoist a World Series trophy.

9. Rays

How about another 19-12 team that nobody is paying attention to?

The Rays have hung around the Yankees for first in the AL East. A team that most, if not none, had better than the Orioles, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. They’re winning behind strong pitching (what’s new), and right now Nick Martinez is pitching to a 1.70 ERA through six starts. His career ERA before joining the Rays from the Reds was 4.16.

Along with Martinez is a healthy Shane McClanahan (3.10 ERA) and Drew Rasmussen (2.64 ERA). The rotation is back in full swing, and a lot of their arms could dominate in a playoff setting. We’ll just have to see if Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, and Jonathan Aranda is enough at the plate.

10. Rangers

Texas had a scare last week.

It looked like Brandon Nimmo had gotten injured in a game versus the Yankees, but after being pulled with a hamstring issue, the outfielder eventually jumped back in the lineup.

Losing Nimmo would have been disastrous for the Rangers. Despite registering a .690 OPS over his last 10 games, he leads the Rangers with a 150 OPS+ and is one of the main reasons they jumped out to a hot start.

The Rangers entered Saturday with a 16-16 record. Not great. But they’re second in the division and have a +9 run differential to lead the AL West.

Their pitching is also strong in name. MacKenzie Gore and Nathan Eovaldi have struggled to begin the year, but both have too much raw talent to register ERAs north of four. If they can get one of those guys to take a leap forward, it would help Jacob deGrom at the top with his 2.01 ERA.

Rest of the Field

11. Reds
12. Mariners
13. Diamondbacks
14. Guardians
15. Tigers
16. Blue Jays
17. Marlins
18. Athletics
19. Twins
20. Orioles
21. Phillies
22. Giants
23. White Sox
24. Royals
25. Astros
26. Red Sox
27. Nationals
28. Mets
29. Rockies
30. Angels

Previous Rankings: W4 | W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Five Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

By Roberto Carlo

Torrens has been among the best in the league at catching baserunners, placing 94th percentile in 2024, 100th percentile in 2025, and is currently in the 100th percentile in 2026. He has also placed in the top 20% in framing, though he has typically rated as a below-average blocker.

Offensively as a Met, Torrens has slashed .225/.281/.347/.628, which is good for a 78 WRC+. Among catchers since the start of 2024, he ranks 39/52 in WRC+.

There are some concerns with locking up a defensive first catcher into their 30s. Torrens framing has declined over the last two years, and pop time typically starts to decline in a catcher’s early 30s. Torrens has also struggled offensively both results-wise and under the hood in 2026. He is chasing almost twice as much as he did in 2025 and is not hitting the ball hard. He has yet to barrel up a ball once. A two-year contract also likely comes with some level of promised playing time making it harder to cut him if he were to struggle.

The Mets must see something they like in Torrens, whether on or off the field to extend this contract. Torrens will be with the club through 2028 and gets to boast that he has one of the 80 largest catcher contracts in the history of the sport.

The post Mets Extend Luis Torrens on Two-Year Deal appeared first on Metsmerized Online.