The final weekend of the MLB regular season has arrived! While the drama and chaos will take place elsewhere, the New York Mets (73-86) will still be in action for three more games. They will face the Washington Nationals (75-84) following a series win over the Texas Rangers earlier this week.

Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups this weekend.

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PITCHING MATCHUPS

  • Friday: TBD vs. Andrew Alvarez (2-6, 3.17 ERA): Christian Scott was scheduled to make his 24th and final start of the year Friday before he was placed on the injured list with knee inflammation. Justin Hagenman is the likeliest option to take his place. His last outing for Triple-A Syracuse was exactly a week ago, where he threw four innings and 61 pitches. Alvarez has been used as a starter and reliever this season, with his best performances coming in the second half. In 11 appearances (10 starts) over that period, he has pitched to a 2.44 ERA over 59 innings. Alvarez has three quality starts since August 30, all of which have included at least six scoreless innings. He could potentially be a big piece for the Nationals’ rotation in 2027.
  • Saturday: Jonah Tong (2-2, 4.21 ERA) vs. Jake Irvin (2-9, 5.40 ERA): Speaking of starters who may be big contributors next season, Tong could help himself out with a strong performance this weekend. After debuting late last season, 2026 has been an up-and-down year for him. Tong has made three big league starts in September, pitching to a 4.60 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. It’s an important start for him to build confidence. Irvin has had another difficult season for the Nationals. He has allowed four earned runs or more in seven of his 20 starts. While his strikeout numbers are up, so are his walks. Irvin is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against the Mets this season.
  • Sunday: Sean Manaea (6-7, 4.67 ERA) vs. DJ Herz (0-1, 9.00 ERA): From July 24 through August 21, Manaea had a stretch of six starts with at least six innings pitched and a 3.38 ERA. He didn’t reach that feat again until Tuesday against the Rangers, when he allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings. During spring training and the opening weeks of this season, there was plenty of discourse surrounding Manaea’s decreasing velocity. His four-seam fastball is back at 93-94 MPH, certainly a positive sign for the veteran. Herz made his season debut Monday against the Detroit Tigers, allowing four runs over four innings. It was his first big league appearance since September of 2024. Herz is 0-2 with a 8.31 ERA in three career starts against the Mets.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

12 months ago, the Mets were in contention to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost two of three against the Miami Marlins over the final weekend of the regular season, resulting in the Cincinnati Reds getting the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Disappointment from all involved was an understatement, and that feeling has only increased this season given the expectations going into the year.

The focus should and will be on the future of this team, which has quite a few cornerstone pieces. Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are the obvious two, but the emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, among others, gives fans some optimism. David Stearns and his staff have a lot to accomplish this offseason, but if they can make the right decisions to complement what they already have at the big league level, 2027 could provide a lot more joy and happiness for the fanbase.

PREDICTION

This has been a good week for the Mets. The club has removed the interim tag and made Andy Green the permanent manager with a three-year contract. On the field, the team took two of three against the Rangers in hopes of playing spoiler against another team trying to get into the postseason. Ending the year on the high note would be nice, and I expect the Mets to do so, taking two of three against the Nationals.