Series Preview: Mets Host the Blossoming Cardinals

A new series is here!

After a solid showing against the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game set. It is the beginning of a stretch where the Mets consistently play National League opponents, setting up an opportunity for New York to vault back into the playoff picture. Quite frankly, it is a slate of games that could define New York’s 2026 season.

There is little time to waste, so without further ado, let us dive into it!

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Tuesday: Freddy Peralta (4-4, 3.63 ERA) vs. Dustin May (3–6, 4.59 ERA)

Freddy Peralta had more good than bad in his last start against the Mariners, going six innings while only giving up one earned run. Even while allowing six hits, the right-hander struck out six batters and walked two batters. Peralta’s arsenal, ranging from the fastball to the changeup and the curveball, was working great in Seattle. He struck out at least one batter with every pitch, while he recorded multiple strikeouts with the fastball and slider. As the Mets begin a slate against multiple NL foes, they will need Peralta at his best. He needs to build on his good start in Seattle in the first game of this series.
New York, in their first game against the Cardinals, draws what could be a tough matchup in the form of Dustin May. May can still carve through lineups with ease, as evidenced by his totaling nine strikeouts in his last start. And while he has a 4.59 ERA on the season, he has not given up many hard-hit balls (49%) and has an expected ERA of 3.76. How the Mets deal with May’s six-pitch mix will be very interesting to watch over the course of this game.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Wednesday: Christian Scott (2-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. Andre Pallante (6-4, 3.96 ERA)

Christian Scott is on the verge of taking another leap as a pitcher and has been the best starter on the team the last month and a half. Facing the San Diego Padres in his latest start, Scott went 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, striking out three batters in the process. Location and control have bit Scott, as he walked two batters once again, and holds a walk rate of 11.5%. If he can slightly lower the walk rate, Scott’s impressive fastball, sweeper, and cutter will play at an even higher level. I am excited to see Scott’s continued progress over the course of the season.
Finding much more success in 2026, Andre Pallante looks to be another tough task for New York’s lineup. Sporting a 3.96 ERA, Pallante’s best pitch is his slider. The right-handed pitcher has struck out 26 batters with the pitch and has only allowed 15 total hits on 86 plate attempts. Add in Pallante’s 51.5% ground ball rate, and the Cardinals have a pitcher who can strike batters out and not give up fly balls.

Thursday: TBD vs. Hunter Dobbins (1-0, 2.77 ERA)

As of the writing of this article, the Mets have not announced a starting pitcher for Thursday’s series finale. It wouldn’t be surprising to see David Peterson get some bulk work here.
To wrap up this series, the Mets will face Hunter Dobbins, formerly of the Boston Red Sox. Only making his fourth start for the Cardinals in this series, Dobbins is coming off an appearance where he struck out six batters over five shutout innings. His sinker has been his best pitch, but Dobbins has relied on six pitches through 13 innings in 2026. A pitcher without too many tendencies to key in on, I am fascinated to see how New York attacks Dobbins on Thursday.

Carson Benge by Berto Carlo

The Main Storyline

Ahead of this series, my main storyline is all about the Mets’ chase of the NL Wild Card.

Despite the awful level New York has played at for the majority of the season, they are somehow just five games removed from a playoff spot. Expanding things a bit further, they are six and a half games out of the second NL Wild Card spot.

As fate would have it, the Mets’ positive momentum, sparked by Carson Benge and friends, coincides with the team playing many of the teams they are trying to chase down. From today’s date until the end of the month, New York plays the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays.

Outside of the trip to Canada, the Mets have 19 games against teams in the National League. They have nine divisional games and play four of the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings.

It is a stretch that could vault New York back into the playoff discussion, especially if they go on a run for the majority of June. On the other hand, it is a slate of games that could bury the Mets for good in 2026.

To keep it short, this group of games will likely help to dictate the ultimate fate of the Mets, one way or the other. For that reason alone, it is my main headline of the week.

Player to Watch

In the latest early week series for the Mets, I am concentrating on Juan Soto.

As the calendar moves closer to the middle of June, New York will be tasked with many teams that they are chasing in the NL Wild Card standings. Without Francisco Lindor and other contributors in the lineup, Soto needs to find his spark once again to help keep things rolling for the Mets to start off the week.

Whether it is drawing walks or lacing baseballs all over the field, Soto needs to be the catalyst in the middle of the order for New York. The level at which he performs those tasks will dictate how this series goes for New York.