Buckle-up everyone! The Mets are about to play four games in the 30-ish hours! This afternoon the Mets have a normal spring training game against the Astros followed the MLB Spring Breakout game – a prospect only showcase that MLB started in 2024. Then tomorrow the Mets have a split-squad doubleheader. If we think of spring training in phases, tomorrow feels like the end of the second phase before camp starts to shrink again.
The Mets essentially play the same four teams during spring training and today is the second-to-last game against the Astros, with the last game happening on Wednesday the 19th. The Mets will then open the regular season in Houston, so a lot of Astros early in the season. This is actually the second time in three seasons where the Mets are opening the regular season against one of the four teams they played against all spring (2023 Marlins). This may change how both teams hide their pitchers from hitters today and on Wednesday.
Three Things To Watch For:
- Tylor Megill. Megill is in a roster battle for the back of the rotation. With injuries to Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, Megill is competing with Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning for the two spots behind Holmes, Peterson and Senga. This probably means that Megill, if he makes the rotation, would fall out of the first series of the year against the Astros – so hopefully he gets a full start on the mound today rather than splitting time between the game and the back fields. Megill is off to a tremendous start this spring, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings from four hits and two walks while striking out seven.
- Brett Baty at second, again! Baty has already logged 27 innings at second this spring for the Mets (37 at 3rd). Today will be his sixth game at the position where he has had 13 chances so far, eight assists, four put outs and one error (no errors at third base for comparison).
- Hayden Senger. With the Mets playing so many games over the next two days, everyone battling for the back-up catcher spot on the active roster should get another chance. Hayden Senger has struggled at the plate this spring, going 2-for-12 with a run scored and two walks. He has not recorded a hit in March and the last time he walked was on March 2nd (he’s has also only played three games since the 2nd and five games total in March going 0-for-6).
Let’s Go Mets!
