It’s time for Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr. and Robert Stock to become cheerleaders. With an eye toward 2027, the Mets should make changes to the starting lineup and the rotation next month.
Teams can expand rosters to 28 on Sept. 1, with a cap of 14 pitchers. Who should get called up and how should the playing time shake out? Here’s a plan.
Position Players
Ronny Mauricio, 25, has nothing left to prove at Triple-A, where he’s hit 16 homers in 53 games this year and posted an .885 OPS. Start him at third base every day. Even if he’s not on the major-league roster next season, a hot month would up his trade value. Bo Bichette can play second, short (when Francisco Lindor gets a day off) or DH.
Outfielder Nick Morabito can play defense and run. The 23-year-old is hitting .254/.355/.384 with 12 homers in 110 games at Syracuse this year. He has stolen 41 bases in 45 attempts. (He went 0-for-11 over five big-league games in May.) Platoon him in left field with Brett Baty and bring him in for late-inning defense. A Morabito-A.J. Ewing–Carson Benge outfield would cover a lot of ground.
Baty, who has had a disappointing year after 2025 inspired hope, should get a lot of run in September, too. Like Mauricio, a good month would raise his trade value. Play him in the outfield and at second to show his versatility. It is OK if Juan Soto‘s next at-bat is in 2027.
Pitchers
Jonah Tong has had a rough year (4.86 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 22 home runs allowed at Syracuse), but he’s been better lately, allowing one earned run or less in five of his last six starts. Tong, 23, or Jack Wenninger (MMO’s Mike Mayer has him as the team’s No. 4 pitching prospect in an updated August ranking) should be in the rotation the rest of the way. I’d go with Tong. Mayer’s top three pitching prospects are Tong, Zac Thornton and Jonathan Santucci.
Wenninger, 24, has pitched to a 4.17 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 101 1/3 innings at Syracuse. He has struck out 104 and walked 59. His upside is not as high as Tong’s.
Santucci, 23, a second-round pick in 2024 from Duke, is another starter to consider. The lefty pitched to a 3.57 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 90 2/3 innings at Double-A Binghamton and was leading the Eastern League in strikeouts with 120 when he was promoted. In five Triple-A Starts, he’s allowed 14 earned runs in 19 innings (6.63 ERA). He can finish the year at Syracuse.
One bullpen arm I would like to see get a shot is right-hander Brian Metoyer, a 29-year-old who has struck out 74 in 47 innings combined between Syracuse and Binghamton. Dylan Ross, who is already on the 40-man roster, has also pitched well as of late, having gone unscored upon in seven of his last eight outings.
Who do you want to see in September?
