Series Preview: Mets Try to End Skid vs. Twins

Like Dominic Mysterio facing “The Demon” Finn Bálor at Wrestlemania, the Mets have truly entered hell.

Losers of 11 straight (!!!) baseball games, New York is in a rut that many did not foresee happening in 2026. On top of unbelievable hitting struggles, the Mets have found ways to blow and lose games in a wide variety of ways. In other words, this is a team that has not done anything right for almost two straight weeks.

Returning home to face the Twins, the Mets have ample opportunity to begin to right the ship and get back on the road to being a contender. However, it will require a drastic shift from the lifeless, listless performances New York has been putting on display.

How will things play out? It is time to dive into all of it, as another series preview for the Mets is here!

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Tuesday: Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.28 ERA) vs. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-3, 6.10 ERA)

In a cavern of despair, Nolan McLean has been one of the few glimmers of hope for the New York Mets. The right-handed pitcher, despite not picking up the win, twirled a gem against the Dodgers in his last start. He posted eight strikeouts over seven innings, only allowing two hits, two walks, and one earned run. Outside of the sporadic walk or earned run, McLean has been simply phenomenal. His arsenal has been top-tier, with his sinker and curveball leading the way. As a whole, McLean has garnered a run value of 8 from Baseball Savant, placing him in the 99th percentile of all pitchers in MLB. He has also recorded a strikeout rate of 31.5%, an expected ERA of 2.03, and an impressive hard-hit rate of 30.8%. Facing a worse lineup than the Dodgers, McLean should be in store for another great outing.
A former prospect for the Mets, Woods Richardson has not had the easiest go of things in 2026. Holding a 0-3 record, the right-handed pitcher has not been effective for the majority of his innings; Woods Richardson has a strikeout rate of 12.0% (5th percentile), is only averaging 92.7 miles per hour on his fastball, and is not generating many whiffs. The pitcher’s best skills have been keeping the ball on the ground and allowing hard contact at a moderate rate. Facing a Mets lineup in the midst of a brutal struggle, this could be the soft landing that Woods Richardson needs. However, it could also be the breakout opportunity that New York needs.

Wednesday: Clay Holmes (2-2, 1.96 ERA) vs. TBD

Clay Holmes, as he has for the majority of his tenure with the Mets, has been very solid in 2026. Following a start against the Dodgers where he struck out four batters over five innings, the right-handed pitcher holds a 1.96 ERA. Holmes has done a great job of keeping the ball on the ground (58.2% rate) while also getting batters to chase pitches outside of the zone (36.4% chase rate). Additionally, the starting pitcher has not been bitten by walks as much and has done a good job limiting barrels (6% rate). The name of the game for Holmes is consistency, and if he continues to roll against the Twins, the Mets will have a great chance to win the game.
As of the writing of this article, the Twins have not announced a starter for Wednesday’s game against the Mets. Mick Abel, who was previously meant to start on Tuesday, went on the injured list.

Thursday: TBD vs. Joe Ryan (2-2, 3.29 ERA)

As of the writing of this article, the Mets have not announced a starter for the last game of their series against the Twins. It would typically be Kodai Senga, but with his struggles, the Mets may be considering an opener or Sean Manaea.
Joe Ryan is a very good thrower of the baseball, and he is back at it again to start off the 2026 season. Holding a pitching run value of 7 (95th percentile) through five starts, Ryan has used his six-pitch arsenal to rack up 28 strikeouts over 27.1 innings. He is a consistent strike thrower and generates some of the best extension in baseball, which helps cover a lack of overwhelming velocity. At his best, Ryan can carve through lineups with ease, and unless something changes at Citi Field, the Mets could be in some trouble on Thursday.

The Main Storyline

Look… I really do not know what to tell you at this point.

I am very well aware that it is April and that there is a lot of baseball remaining this season. I am also well aware that this stretch, regardless of it being at the beginning of the year, could make this season a wash for the Mets.

While the answer is usually somewhere in the middle, the truth is that the Mets simply have to do everything better. They need to have a better approach and mentality at the plate, especially late in games. The pitchers need to find a way to execute their pitches late in games, regardless of how bad the offense performs. The team also just, for lack of a better term, needs to lock in and eliminate mental mistakes in the field and on the basepaths.

Short of a sacrificial burning of team equipment or spraying sage at Citi Field, the only way things get better for the Mets is for the entire team to play to expectations. New York will either power through the adversity and be better for it, or it will end their 2026 season much earlier than expected. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is my main storyline of the week.

Player to Watch

Everybody. From the lineup to the last arm in the bullpen, the “Player to Watch” is, for this week, essentially the entire roster. It will take a whole team effort to right the ship, and as a result, they all bear watching this week.