Scott Notches First Career Win

Right now, the Mets’ starting rotation is in flux. Clay Holmes is injured, Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean are struggling, and David Peterson‘s struggles have resulted in him going back to the bullpen. With that, the Mets need Scott and Jonah Tong to step up. Coming off one of his better outings of the season last weekend against the Marlins, Scott was impressive again. He pitched five good innings with eight strikeouts and allowed five hits and one earned run. Scott utilized his sweeper really well, throwing it 37.5% of the time. He also threw his fastball 40.6% of the time. Scott has 13 strikeouts in his last two outings.

Senger Hits First Career Home Run

Scott wasn’t the only one on the Mets who got a first for their career in the game. Catcher Hayden Senger, who had only one hit since coming back to the major leagues after the injury to Francisco Alvarez, took a slider away for his first home run of the season over the left field wall. Senger, who turned 29 years old in April, hit six home runs in the minor leagues this season. The team was waiting for Senger to demonstrate the power they knew he had. It was also just a feel-good moment as manager Carlos Mendoza, a longtime minor leaguer who never got a chance at the high level as a player, had a big smile on his face when Senger got back into the dugout after the home run.

Benge, Ewing Impress Mazzilli

Before they were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, Mazzilli and Valentine spoke to the media, and one of the highlights was Mazzilli speaking about the two rookie Mets outfielders. “I love watching Ewing and Benge play”, Mazzilli said, “They have all the tools, they’re exciting. I think there are some good things ahead for those young kids. They’re impressive.” Right on cue, Benge and Ewing showed exactly why Mazzilli is a fan. Ewing made a great running catch in the fifth inning to preserve a win chance for Scott. Benge not only made a nice catch of his own on defense but also had a three-hit day at the plate and scored a run.

Mets Game Notes

Marcus Semien notched two hits, including an RBI single. Juan Soto continued his hot streak with an RBI single. Jared Young slammed his first home run of the season. Mark Vientos ripped a double off the wall in left field that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead early in the game. Cionel Perez, Huascar Brazoban, Austin Warren, and Devin Williams all pitched scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Player of the Game: Christian Scott

With eight strikeouts in five innings, Scott earned the first win of his major league career. His comeback from Tommy John surgery continues.

On Deck:

Nolan McLean will take the mound again on Sunday afternoon, looking for a crucial bounce-back performance after a couple of clunkers in a row. The Marlins will start Janson Junk. First pitch is set for 1:40 pm EST and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880am.

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Devin Williams hadn’t allowed a run since April 23 (10 outings) when he entered a scoreless game Sunday against the Marlins in the ninth inning. That changed quickly: Double, sacrifice bunt, walk, intentional walk, a Heriberto Hernández walk-off grand slam.

MMO’s Brandyn Pokrass’ excellent recap is here. Brandyn was at the scene of the Mets’ crimes against hitting all weekend.

The last-place Mets (22-31) were shutout for the sixth time this year and scored two runs in three games in Miami over the weekend. New York is last in the majors in OPS (.642) and have scored the second-fewest runs in the National League, ahead of only the Giants.

“We ran into some good pitching and we ourselves were not at our best,” Marcus Semien said.

One bright note: Christian Scott had his best and longest outing of the season, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out five. Scott’s ERA is 3.20 over 25 1/3 innings. He is decisionless this season and winless in 15 career starts.

After finishing a 2-5 road trip, the Mets start a six-game homestand Monday with Nolan McLean (2-3, 3.57 ERA) on the mound against the Reds. McLean gave up a career-high six earned runs his last time out. LHP Nick Lodolo (0-1, 7.20 ERA) goes for Cincinnati. Game time is 4:10 p.m. After three games with the Reds, the Mets will host the Marlins over the weekend.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Carlos Mendoza was asked how the Mets recover.

“Well, we got no choice, right?” he said. “I mean, we’re scuffling. We got a lot of guys that are going through it right now. We’re not grinding at-bats. When you look at it, two hard-hit balls, Baty and A.J., other than that … we got to figure it out. You got to be able to score runs.”

Mendoza said before the game that Jorge Polanco was going to take at-bats in Port St. Lucie Sunday and “hopefully” could go on a rehab assignment “pretty soon.” He said he had no news on Luis Robert Jr. (back).

Juan Soto was out Sunday with an illness that Mendoza said he was battling for three days. He said the slugger showed up with a fever and was dealing with body aches.

Latest MLB News

Chris Taylor officially retired, “clearing up any confusion,” by making the announcement official on his Instagram. The 12-year veteran’s retirement was first reported on Friday, but on Saturday MLB.com reported that he changed his mind and was going on the minor-league injured list because he suffered a fractured forearm on an HBP in Triple-A.

Reid Detmers struck out 14 Rangers and retired 24 of 25 batters in the Angels’ 2-1 win. He became the second player in Angels history to strike out 14 while allowing one or fewer hits in an outing. The other player was Nolan Ryan, who did it three times, twice in no-hitters.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from the Blue Jays’ game Sunday with a right elbow bruise after he was hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative and manager John Schneider said he could play Monday. Toronto starter Dylan Cease also left the game after pitching 4 2/3 innings with mild left hamstring pain. He will have an MRI test done and a decision on whether he makes his next start will be made in the next two days, Schneider said.

Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, who went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation on April 29, will throw batting practice off the Fenway Park mound on Tuesday.

Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández is expected to make his season debut Monday. He had left elbow surgery last fall.

Rockies LHP Jose Quintana was pulled from his start in the second inning Sunday with left elbow pain.

Latest on MMO

The offense was MIA over the first two games in Miami. I had more details here.

Jack Ramsey wrote up the minor-league action from Saturday. AJ Salgado hit his seventh homer for St. Lucie.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: With the whole Opening Day starting outfield on the injured list (Michael Conforto, Kevin Pillar and Brandon Nimmo), as well as backups Albert Almora and Johneshwy Fargas, the Mets trade a minor-league pitcher to the Brewers for outfielder Billy McKinney. He hits five homers in 39 games for New York before being dealt to the Dodgers for a minor-league pitcher in July.

2015: Bartolo Colón earns the win with six innings of three-run ball and goes 1-for-2 in a 6-3 victory over the Phillies. Lucas Duda, Michael Cuddyer and Wilmer Flores homer.

1979: John Stearns singles home Lee Mazzilli with two outs in the ninth to tie the game at 3. In the 11th, Pirates outfielder (and future 1986 Mets hitting and first-base coach) Bill Robinson loses Joel Youngblood‘s fly to left in the fog at Shea Stadium, the umpires stop play and the game is declared a tie after a 73-minute delay.

Born on This Date: Neil Ramírez (1989), Eric Young Jr. (1985), Scott Hairston (1980), Jim Marshall (1931).

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The New York Mets look to salvage the series and avoid the sweep this afternoon against the Marlins. Friday night the Mets lost 2-1. Saturday, the Mets lost 4-1. Going back to Thursday the Mets have scored only four runs. Hopefully, the Mets’ offense can wake up this afternoon in Miami.

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – SS
3. A.J. Ewing – CF
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Brett Baty – 3B
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. MJ Melendez – DH
8. Tyrone Taylor – LF
9. Hayden Senger – C

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Christian Scott has pitched 19 2/3 innings over five starts this season with a 4.12 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.475 WHIP, and a 97 ERA+. He also has 25 strikeouts this season (11.4 K/9).

Walks have been Scott’s growth area this season. Last time out he notched three of them, combined with four hits meant an early exit.

The only members of the Marlins to face Scott in a major league game are Xavier Edwards (2-for-2) and Otto Lopez (0-for-3, K).

Marlins Lineup

1. Liam Hicks – C
2. Xavier Edwards – 2B
3. Owen Caissie – RF
4. Kyle Stowers – LF
5. Otto Lopez – SS
6. Jakob Marsee – CF
7. Connor Norby – 1B
8. Christopher Morel – DH
9. Javier Sanoja – 3B

The Mets’ bats will close out the series against Tyler Phillips, making his first start of the season. Over eight games, 30 innings, in relief, Phillips has a 1.20 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.267 WHIP, and a 342 ERA+. He has walked 16 batters; an alarming amount.

The Mets have the following career numbers against Phillips:

• Brett Baty 0-2, K
• Bo Bichette 1-1
• Hayden Senger 1-3
• Juan Soto 0-1, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 1-1
• Luis Torrens 0-2
• Mark Vientos 0-3

Game Notes

After originally being in the lineup, Juan Soto was scratched due to an illness late Sunday morning according to manager Carlos Mendoza.

Per manager Carlos Mendoza, infielder Jorge Polanco is taking live at-bats in Port St. Lucie Sunday and if he progresses well, could go on a rehab assignment “pretty soon.”

Three Things To Watch For

1. Get hits. The Mets have recorded three hits in each game of this series so far. Friday night, Juan Soto had two of them and Saturday, Mark Vientos had two of them. That’s just not enough to get runs across. We have seen this time collectively slump before, now it’s time for them to collectively break out of it.
2. Rough weekend for the kids. The rookies shouldn’t have to carry the Mets and at times this season they needed to. Friday night Benge went 0-3 with a walk. His outs were loud, with great plays being made in center field. However, yesterday,  Benge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Ewing had his first real rough game Saturday also going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Nick Morabito is still looking for his first major league hit going 0-for-7 with six strikeouts over three games this season.
3. Devin Williams. The Mets last used Williams in a save situation last Thursday where he allowed a hit and no runs against the Nationals. In 19 games this season, 16 2/3 innings, Williams has a 4.32 ERA, 2.31 FIP, 1.440 WHIP, and a 93 ERA+. In his last 10 games, 9 2/3 innings, he has a 0.00 ERA, 1.23 FIP and has struck out 12 batters. He’s in the 97th percentile for chase rate, 99th for whiff rate, 97th for strikeout rate, 90th for xERA, and 92nd for xBA.

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After exploding offensively in the opener, the Mets dropped back-to-back clunkers in Washington. However, the team was able to claw out a win in the finale to avoid dropping the series.

As has often been the case recently, there was a mixture of positives and negatives from the four games against the Nats. Let’s recap all of them in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images

3 UP

THE BO SHOW

Is this the version of Bo Bichette we’ve all been waiting for? The former Toronto Blue Jay has endured a slow start to life as a Met. However, we saw signs of the slump breaking during the series in Washington. Bichette went a combined 7-for-18 with three homers, five runs scored, and nine RBIs in the four games. Furthermore, Bichette came up with the clutch two-run single to help earn a series split in the finale. All in all, hopefully this is just the start for Bichette.

BENGE THE GREAT 

No matter what happens this year, the future looks bright for the Mets. And Carson Benge is right at the heart of that. The rookie has been unstoppable since finding his feet, and he remained red-hot against the Nationals. Benge had at least one hit in all four games, including three hits in each of the first two games of the series. He was instrumental in the series opener, finishing with three RBIs out of the leadoff spot. Having now hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, Benge is quickly becoming a reliable presence in that lineup.

GETTING IT DONE

In the two games the Mets won in this series, the pitching really came through. David Peterson was solid in his return to the rotation, giving up just one run across five innings in the finale. In the same game, the bullpen was money, not allowing a single run to score. In particular, Devin Williams stayed hot by working out of a jam to secure the win. On Monday, Huascar Brazobán did a lot of heavy lifting to set his team up for success in the 12th inning. And, despite allowing three runs in the first inning on Wednesday, Zach Thornton showed a lot in his MLB debut by grinding out the rest of his outing.

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

HIT AROUND

Nolan McLean did not have a great night on Tuesday. Sure, he wasn’t helped by his defense. But, still, McLean laid an egg on the mound. He gave up nine runs – six earned – on eight hits, including a pair of homers. Even on a night the offense put up six runs, that just wasn’t enough to erase the damage done by McLean. Look, even the best pitchers commit clunkers here and there, but the Mets will be hoping that McLean can put this one behind him as soon as possible.

PUNISHING THEMSELVES

If we know one thing about the 2026 Mets, it’s that they don’t make life easy for themselves. Just go check out Tuesday’s game. The defense committed two errors, including Tyrone Taylor losing track of the ball out in center field. The end result? James Wood recorded a rare inside-the-park grand slam, and a 5-0 Mets lead quickly morphed into a one-run ballgame. The entire tenor of the game changed at that point, and the Mets were unable to stop the slide.

HOT AND COLD

It probably isn’t a stretch to suggest that you don’t know what version of the Mets you will see on any given night. One night they look unstoppable, the next they look below average. We saw both of those versions in Washington. The Mets exploded offensively in the opener, but then struggled to come up with the big hit over the next two games. And the lineup had the pitching to thank in the finale given that they were only able to squeeze across two runs. The pitching was also hit and miss in this series, as was the defense. If the Mets are to get the season back on track, they are going to need to develop consistency in every single key area.

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Then things completely changed. In the month of May, Williams and Weaver have combined for 17 scoreless innings. They are running extremely high strikeout rates with acceptable walk rates. They have also combined for five saves and four holds.

So, what changed?

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Devin Williams

For Williams, the change came when he sat down with the Mets’ coaching staff on April 23 and analyzed everything he had done so far this season. Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Williams changed his delivery with the New York Yankees to try to prevent tipping, but that change impacted his mechanics negatively. He adjusted his set-up to closer mirror what he did as a Milwaukee Brewer when he threw 235 2/3 innings to a 1.83 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.

Outside of just the ERA change, everything under the hood looks better too. First, Williams’ air-bender is back to bending air. His induced vertical break went from 0.1 to -1.3 inches. Part of that number is also skewed by the effects Coors Field has on changeups – his most recent two appearances, he has averaged -2.5 inches. That is in line with where he was in Milwaukee. He has also increased his spin rate on the pitch from 2504 rotations per minute to 2638. This has led his whiff rate on that pitch to jump from 35.7% to 51.4%. His improved changeup also makes his four-seam fastball play up. Since that previously mentioned meeting, he is running a 40.7% whiff rate compared to where it sat at 34.2% before.

Overall, Williams looks like a new pitcher. His Statcast percentiles since his turnaround are off the charts:

• 24.6% swinging strike rate (100th percentile)
• 0% barrel rate (100th percentile)
• 46% whiff rate (99th percentile)
• 66.7% zone-contact rate (99th percentile)
• 38.7% strikeout rate (98th percentile)
• 42.9% chase rate (97th percentile)
• 17.6% hard-hit rate (97th percentile)
• 52.9% ground ball rate (85th percentile)
• 86.5 miles per hour average exit velocity (76th percentile)
• 6.5% walk rate (78th percentile)

Luke Weaver

As far as I am aware, Weaver did not have a meeting that turned his season around after his blown save on April 30. What did change, though, was his cutter consistency. In April, his cutter bled into his four-seam fastball too much, mirroring its movement profile too closely. His cutter in May is diving more than it was in April, jumping from a 14.3% whiff rate to a 54.5% whiff rate. He is throwing his four-seam fastball in the zone as more of a contact suppression pitch, and is also using it to set up his changeup, which in May has a 58.3% chase rate and 35.1% whiff rate. Weaver is also tunneling his pitches better, getting more separation at the plate between his cutter and his other two pitches.

While not as elite as Williams, Weaver’s Statcast percentiles in May are still incredibly strong:

• 0% barrel rate (100th percentile)
• 15.8% hard-hit rate (98th percentile)
• 36.8% strikeout rate (97th percentile)
• 85.3 miles per hour exit velocity (87th percentile)
• 52.6% ground ball rate (85th percentile)
• 14.7% swinging strike rate (83rd percentile)
• 31.9% chase rate (66th percentile)
• 82.3% zone-contact rate (64th percentile)
• 27.1% whiff rate (63rd percentile)

Conclusion

This does not look like just a lucky stretch for these two pitchers. They have both made legitimate adjustments that have led to their success the last few weeks. Williams has a long track record as one of the best closers in the game, and he looks to be back on form. Weaver’s cutter looks to be in a stronger place, and it helps his arsenal as a whole play up. Time will tell if they are able to maintain these improvements under the hood, and they both will likely give up some runs at some point, but right now the future for their Mets tenures looks bright.

The post Devin Williams, Luke Weaver Have Settled In And Are Dominating appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

RIP to the streak of losing when trailing after eight innings. It died Sunday at 91 games.

Tyrone Taylor hit a game-tying, three-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole with the Mets down to their last out against Yankee closer David Bednar. The Mets walked it off in the 10th when Carson Benge bounced a ball on the infield and Marcus Semien scored. Johnluke Chaparro has more on the 7-6 victory here.

“Tyrone with the huge swing in the ninth, I blacked out for him,” Benge said. Added Freddy Peralta: “When we were watching (Taylor’s homer) inside, we were just screaming.”

The last time before Sunday that the Mets won a game when trailing after eight was on Sept. 30, 2024, when Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in Atlanta in Game 161 that helped the Mets clinch a playoff spot.

New York (20-26) completed a 5-1 homestand and now hits the road for a seven-game trip that starts Monday in Washington before moving on to Miami. Christian Scott (0-0, 3.45 ERA) faces RHP Jake Irvin (1-4, 5.91 ERA) at 6:45 p.m. ET. The game will air on SNY.

Latest Mets News

Carlos Mendoza said that Jorge Polanco‘s Achilles bursitis is likely to remain all year, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. They are trying to get him to a place where he can play through the pain. DiComo also reported that Clay Holmes said there is an outside chance he may need surgery, but doctors expect his fracture to heal naturally.

Anthony Rieber of Newsday reports that Howie Rose left Saturday’s game early to say hi to Paul McCartney. Rose confirmed this on X, tweeting that he “pulled a Rizzuto” in honor of the Subway Series.

Latest MLB News

The Mariners are calling up 20-year-old shortstop Colt Emerson, the No. 6 prospect on MLB Pipeline. Emerson was a first-round pick (22nd overall) in 2023 out of a New Concord, Ohio, high school. He had hit seven homers, stolen 10 bases and posted an .816 OPS in 38 games this season at Triple-A Tacoma.

Jose Altuve will be placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain and there is no timetable for his return, Astros manager Joe Espada said.

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager missed a second straight game Sunday because of back spasms.

The Dodgers placed reliever Jack Dreyer on the injured list Sunday with left shoulder discomfort. Los Angeles also acquired lefty Eric Lauer from the Blue Jays for cash.

Latest on MMO

The W and W relief duo of Luke Weaver and Devin Williams helped secure the W against the Yankees on Saturday. John Stocum wrote with wit about it.

Jack Ramsey recapped the minor-league action from Saturday. Xzavion Curry threw five innings of two-run ball and Randy Guzman homered.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: Tomás Nido connects for a go-ahead solo homer off of Will Smith in the ninth for a 4-3 win at Atlanta.

2011: Jon Niese strikes out seven over seven scoreless innings and Jason Isringhausen and Francisco Rodriguez finish the combined shutout in a 3-0 win over the Nationals. José Reyes reaches base four times and scores twice.

1962: Roger Craig throws a complete game and strikes out eight, but he commits two errors and coughs up homers to Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews in a 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Braves. Warren Spahn throws a complete game for the Braves while serving up a homer to Gil Hodges.

Born on This Date: Nelson Figueroa (1974).

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The Mets’ pitching was a mixed bag, as both Freddy Peralta and Sean Manaea displayed moments of brilliance alongside some struggles. Peralta had a decent outing, going five innings and giving up two hits, but he allowed three runs, striking out four while walking six. He struggled with his command for most of the afternoon. The two earned runs were charged to Peralta after he left two runners on base, who then scored when Manaea took over.

Manaea started rocky but found some rhythm toward the end. He pitched four innings of relief on 57 pitches, allowing four hits, three runs (two earned), while walking two and striking out three. He relieved Peralta in the sixth inning and was instrumental in the Yankees’ four-run sixth, walking two and giving up a bases-loaded hit to Anthony Volpe, followed by a sacrifice fly from Amed Rosario. Manaea also hit Paul Goldschmidt on the foot to load the bases before Volpe’s hit.

In the top of the 10th, the Yankees threatened with the free runner, Ryan McMahon, stealing third and Anthony Volpe getting a walk. Devin Williams came through clutch, striking out Max Schuemann and forcing Austin Wells to ground out into an inning-ending double play after a solid snag by Mark Vientos at first base. Williams, who got the win, continued to show his strong comeback with a series of solid appearances on the mound.

The Mets’ defense had its lapses, while the Yankees were impressive. Trent Grisham, Spencer Jones, and Schuemann all made solid catches in the outfield for the Yankees. In contrast, Tyrone Taylor overthrew a cutoff man in the sixth inning and failed to support Bo Bichette as he backpedaled for a ball in shallow left, allowing a run to score.

Tyrone Taylor. (Photo credits: USA Today)

The Mets’ offense came through when it mattered, especially from Luis Torrens and Tyrone Taylor. After the Yankees took the lead, Luis Torrens drove in two runs with a double in the bottom of the sixth, keeping the game close. Following another Yankees run, the Mets rallied in the bottom of the ninth, putting two runners on base. Tyrone Taylor then knocked a hanging breaking pitch near the foul pole in left field, tying the game at six.

In the bottom of the 10th, the Mets advanced the free runner to third base following A.J. Ewing‘s first professional sacrifice bunt. Luis Torrens was hit by a pitch from Yankees reliever Tim Hill during this inning. The Yankees attempted a five-man infield, with Max Schuemann serving as the fifth infielder. He ended up colliding with his own teammate, allowing Carson Benge to slap a ball up the middle. The contact impeded Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s ability to field the ball cleanly, allowing Marcus Semien to score easily.

Marcus Semien had a strong performance, collecting two hits alongside Mark Vientos. Bo Bichette snapped an 0-for-15 streak, with every player in the lineup recording a hit except MJ Melendez and Hayden Senger. This victory, where the team overcame a deficit of more than four runs after eight innings, ended a drought in which they lost their last 91 games when trailing after eight innings.

Player of the Game: Tyrone Taylor

Tyrone Taylor wasn’t his normal elite defensive self, but he had the biggest hit of the game Sunday. After stunning the ball in his first two at-bats, which came after he replaced MJ Melendez, Taylor launched the game-tying three-run homer.

On Deck

The Mets are right back at it as they head to Washington, D.C. to take on the Nationals Monday. Christian Scott (0-0, 3.45 ERA) will toe the slab for the Mets while Jake Irvin (1-4, 5.91 ERA) rivals him for the Nationals. First pitch will take place at 6:45 pm ET and will be broadcast on SNY and Mets Radio 880.

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The New York Mets took down the New York Yankees on Saturday night thanks in large part to relief outings from Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.

What are some things that these players have in common? They both are relief pitchers on the New York Mets. They both were born on the 21st of a month. They both made their major league debut in the month of August. And, yes, they both were signed immediately after seasons with the New York Yankees.

When president of baseball operations David Stearns signed both Weaver and Williams, I am imagining he hoped that several of the Mets games this season would look similar to this: Weaver to Williams in the late innings of a close game against a great team to secure a win. On Saturday, the pair of ex-Yankees combined to go three innings, giving up only one hit while striking out three against their former team, thanks to Weaver pulling a rabbit out of his hat to escape a bases loaded jam with no outs.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“Unicorn stuff” is what Juan Soto called Weaver’s Houdini act in the seventh inning. “He comes in, shows no fear, attacks the hitters, gets the job done. It’s really cool to see,” Soto told reporters after the game. Weaver threw 19 pitches, 17 for strikes, and was able to go two huge innings to help secure a win to give the Mets a chance at a series win.

In 2026, almost everything that can go wrong for the Mets has gone wrong. Whether that be injuries to key players, massive regression from usually consistent players, or seemingly strong moves on paper by the front office failing. However, and this may not be a popular opinion, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams have been good moves for the Mets this year.

I’m sure everyone remembers the Athletics game when Weaver gave up four runs in route to a loss, or when Williams didn’t record an out against Minnesota to lose the game. However, a small sample of games early on should not define a player’s season.

After Saturday, Weaver has not allowed a run in 15 of 18 appearances. Similarly, Williams has not allowed a run in 13 out of 17 appearances. In his last eight appearances, Williams has gone 7 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out nine while only allowing one hit and one walk.

As the Mets are attempting to right the ship, Weaver and Williams hitting their stride have been paramount. In the month of May, the pair has combined for 13 scoreless innings. So, what has changed?

Part of the answer that people may not want to hear: Williams’ luck is starting to turn. Under the hood, Williams is drastically underperforming what he “should” be. Coming into his appearance Saturday night, his ERA was a 5.27, compared to an xERA of 3.00. His BABIP was an absurd .438, seventh highest of any pitcher with at least 10 innings pitched. This was always going to level out, it was just a matter of time for a pitcher with a track record like Williams.

Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Another part of this is the fact that Williams needed to find his changeup again. The “airbender” changeup has simply not been good this year. His changeup has a negative run value for the first time in his career. Coming into Saturday, opposing batters were hitting .303 and slugging .424 off the changeup. Why is this happening?

The changeup shape is just simply not the same as it has been. This year, his changeup is, on average, getting over two inches more of arm side run than it ever has, while dropping almost three inches less than his career average. This is creating a “flatter” changeup, which was not successful early in the year.

In the case of Weaver, his pitch mix has been much different in May than it was in April. While he is throwing his changeup at a similar rate, he is throwing his cutter 10.3% more and his fastball 10.9% less frequently.

What makes his success so interesting is that his cutter has been his worst pitch this year. While it generates his highest whiff rate, hitters have done tons of damage this year off his cutter. When Weaver was at his best, he was using his fastball as a weapon. Throwing more cutters has allowed his fastball to be more successful than it was in April, which has done wonders for both him and the Mets.

Games like these feel great. It’s always great to win. It’s even better to beat the Yankees.

However, if the Mets are going to turn this season around, they need their bullpen to pitch lights out. And Williams and Weaver need to continue to be the catalyst.

The post Weaver, Williams Vital In Victory Against Former Club appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Despite finishing a long road trip 5-4, the Mets return home with a 15-25 record on the year. After showing some progress against Anaheim and Colorado, New York dropped two out of three to the Diamondbacks.

At this point, it is fair to wonder if we’re just destined for a long, tough season full of more losing than winning. We’re 35 games in, and this team doesn’t look capable of turning things around.

Time to strap on our big boy pants and recap yet another tough weekend in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

3 UP

BOUNCING BACK

After lasting just four innings in his previous start, Nolan McLean looked more like himself against the Diamondbacks on Friday. The righty tossed six innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits and one walk while striking out six. Admittedly, McLean didn’t have his best stuff, and he did face some traffic. However, he gutted it out and did his job to ensure that three runs were enough to win the series opener.

CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE

We’re over 30 games into the 2026 season, and Clay Holmes continues to be the Mets’ best and most reliable starter. And while he didn’t get the result he wanted in his latest start on Saturday, he was still impressive. He was able to limit the damage by allowing just two runs on five hits across 5.2 innings with six strikeouts. Sadly, the offense managed just one run. As a result, another solid Holmes start was wasted. Regardless, Holmes now owns a stellar 1.86 ERA on the year. Talk about a bright spot.

GOOD RELIEF

You can’t blame the bullpen for the Mets losing two out of three in Arizona. Across the three games, the relief pitching was money. Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Devin Williams, and Tobias Myers combined for four scoreless innings of relief in the opener. Austin Warren and Craig Kimbrel also tossed scoreless innings on Saturday. And on Sunday, the bullpen was let down by bad defense. However, both Myers and Sean Manaea went scoreless over an inning each. All in all, the pen more than did its job.

Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) talks with catching coach J.P. Arencibia (68) following a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACKWARDS

There is enough of a sample size now to suggest that the Mets are just a bad baseball team. They are the worst team in baseball and can’t get out of their own way. The Diamondbacks series was emblematic of that. After winning back-to-back series on the road, New York dropped two sloppy games to finish the trip on a low note. There is just no consistency with this team. Furthermore, the same old mistakes just keep on being repeated. At this point, it is hard to envision anything but another embarrassing, failed season.

CALAMITY CITY

The Mets keep on finding new ways to lose baseball games. Just look at Sunday. The team committed three errors, two of which came from Andy Ibáñez. The result? Three unearned runs were scored in the sixth inning, effectively sealing the loss. You can’t commit errors on routine throws and expect to win baseball games. Sunday also highlighted once again just how flawed this roster is. Too many pieces don’t fit, especially defensively, and it is hard to see how that will improve in-season.

STARS GONE MISSING

The offense was woeful yet again during this series. As a result, the Mets have the fourth-lowest OBP (.287) through 40 games in franchise history. They are also averaging the second-fewest runs (3.48) in baseball, and rank last in several other categories. Across the three games, the offense scored just five runs and recorded a measly 12 hits. Of course, it didn’t help that Juan Soto went a combined 0-for-10 against Arizona. Bo Bichette also went 0-for-10. If the best hitters on the team can’t record even one hit, then that isn’t going to help an already horrific offense. Given their statures, Soto and Bichette need to wake up and start carrying this lineup on their backs.

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The implication from outside observers was that Williams might pitch the 10th. It made sense — Williams had cruised through a quick ninth, he’s been pitching well recently and the Mets can’t afford to be blowing close games with the way their season’s gone.

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Alas, Williams did not pitch the 10th. Carlos Mendoza let Williams go out on a high, if brief, note. Tobias Myers took care of the last three outs to finish off a strong bullpen effort in a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Nonetheless, Williams did his job. He held the fort with a clean, stress-free ninth inning, allowing the Mets to go on and win it in extras.

That’s now six consecutive scoreless appearances for Williams. He’s allowed just one hit in that span, with eight strikeouts and zero walks over 5 2/3 innings.

Williams hasn’t walked a batter since April 21. He hasn’t allowed a run since April 23.

When the Mets were at their lowest, so was Williams. He allowed runs in four consecutive innings, with his ERA reaching a peak of 10.29. This recent stretch has lowered it to 5.68.

Entering Friday, Williams’ chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate and extension were all in the 98th percentile. Despite his early struggles, he’s still been flashing the elite stuff that’s made him so good in the past. His SO/9 is right around his career norm, approaching 15. A few too many walks and a couple of big innings were holding him back. He’s taken care of the walk issues recently, and his season is starting to take flight.

And it’s not just that he’s limiting walks now – he’s going after hittters and not nibbling. Friday’s outing was his third straight appearance throwing under 10 pitches. He’s thrown a total of 25 pitches in his last three games and recorded eight outs. In fact, his last four outings haven’t had a walk or a hit.

FanGraphs also had Williams with a comically high .500 BABIP entering Friday. His career average is .279. Especially with the type of stuff Williams has, there was no way that number was going to remain anywhere near that high. It suggests that not all of the damage against him was necessarily earned. The biggest stain on his line before this recent success was the six walks in seven innings — and, as discussed, he’s turned that around in a hurry.

Williams entered this season as a prime bounceback candidate, given his strong peripherals and all of the success he had in Milwaukee. When his season turned sour, the narrative — fairly or not — became that he can’t pitch in New York. But Williams, perhaps sort of quietly, has taken back the reins a little bit and regained control of his first season in orange and blue.

The Mets might just have a worthy closer here after all.

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