213 Miles From Shea

The Mets head into this weekend’s Subway Series on a four game winning streak, coming off of a sweep of the Marlins. Wednesday’s game was one of the crazier one’s in Mets history. The Mets roared to an early 8-0 lead, the Marlins came back. The Mets then extended the lead to 15-9, the Marlins came back falling just short with a final score of 15-14. The Mets now sitting in fourth place, two games above the Nationals, and are only 3.5 games behind the Marlins for third in the division.

The Yankees have won three games in a row and they have also won seven of their last ten. They just got Aaron Judge back and are three games off of the division lead. This is shaping up to be a competitive weekend!

Nolan McLean has pitched 161 2/3 innings over 28 starts with a 3.06 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.144 WHIP and a 134 ERA+. In his last five starts he has pitched 31 innings with a 1.16 ERA and 3.87 FIP. He’s been on a roll recently with the only blemish being free passes. He has walked 15 batters in his last four starts, but he’s been able to work around that allowing only four runs. The only members of the Yankees to face McLean in a Major League game are Luis García Jr. (0-for-4, K) and Heliot Ramos (0-for-2, K).

Carlos Rodón had made 13 starts this season totaling 64 innings with a 3.09 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.172 WHIP and a 136 ERA+. Since returning to action at the start of August he has pitched 17 2/3 innings over four starts where he allowed six runs, five earned while striking out 18 batters (2.55 ERA, 4.80 FIP). He still hasn’t pitched beyond five innings since coming back. The Mets tagged him for three runs, two earned over 3 2/3 innings back in May. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 1-3, BB
• Brett Baty 1-2, 2B
• Carson Benge 1-2
• Bo Bichette 4-15, 2 2B, 2 BB, 3 K
• A.J. Ewing 0-2
• Francisco Lindor 10-39, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 5 K
• Christopher Morel 1-13, 6 K
• Cristian Pache 0-2
• Marcus Semien 5-28, 2B, HR, BB, 8 K
• Juan Soto 1-5, 5 BB, K
• Luis Torrens 1-6, HR, 3 K
• Mark Vientos 2-10, 2 K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Francisco Lindor. Lindor has been on a heater in his last three games. He has gone a combined 4-for-15 with two home runs and five runs scored. He now has four home runs in the month of September and 18 total for the season. Lindor has fantastic numbers against Rodón and he has slashed .295/.360/.525 with seven home runs at Yankee Stadium.
2. A.J. Ewing. Ewing has gone 10-for-18 in his last five games with two doubles, a home run and stolen base (.556/.571/.833). It’s nice to see Ewing get back into a hot streak to end the season, emerging from a colder August. He’s now hitting .252/.322/.370 and has a solid chance raise his season OPS back over .700 for the first time since mid-August.
3. Christopher Morel. Brett Baty hurt his knee running to first in the second inning on Wednesday, giving Morel significant playing time. Morel went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three runs scored. That doubles the amount of hits he has had as a Met. Before Wednesday Morel went 3-for-16 over nine games slashing .188/.278/.188 .

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets are now in sole possession of fourth place! With Tuesday’s win the Mets have won three games in a row and seven of their last ten. The Nationals have lost seven of their last ten and have slipped to fifth in the NL Wast. The Mets are now only 4.5 games back of the Marlins for third place as they go for the sweep against the Marlins this evening!

Robert Stock returns to the rotation tonight after tossing a few pitches in a short relief outing a few days ago. Over seven games he has pitched 26 1/3 innings with a 5.81 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 1.747 WHIP and a 71 ERA+. Since the Brewers tagged him for seven runs two weeks ago, he has allowed no runs over 5 2/3 innings, scattering six hits. Tonight will be his first time facing a team for the second time this season. His season debut was against the Marlins at the start of August where he allowed one run over five innings. The Marlins have the following career stats against him:

• Owen Caissie 0-2, K
• Griffin Conine 0-2, K
• Otto López 0-2
• Joe Mack 2-2, HR
• Esteury Ruiz 0-2
• Javier Sanoja 0-2
• Kyle Stowers 0-2, 2 K

Janson Junk will probably surpass his career high in innings pitched he set in 2025 (110 innings) tonight. Over 22 games he has pitched 108 innings with a 4.00 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.278 WHP and a 100 ERA+. He’s been on a roll for almost two months now tossing 39 innings in his last nine games with a 2.08 ERA, 3.09 FIP. This includes a start against the Mets where he allowed one unearned run over five innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, BB
• Brett Baty 0-2
• Carson Benge 1-2, 2B
• Bo Bichette 3-7
• A.J. Ewing 1-3
• Francisco Lindor 1-2, BB, K
• Christopher Morel 2-2
• Juan Soto 1-2
• Jared Young 0-3, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Power. The Mets, who struggled to hit home runs early in the season, are now sitting at eighth in the majors with 179. While they probably won’t reach last season’s total of 224, to get back up firmly in the top ten with Pete Alonso not on the team anymore and significant injuries to power hitters is impressive. Francisco Lindor hit his 17th homer of the season last night, and now has a real chance to reach 20 on the season. Brett Baty hit his 10th homer, and it was his fourth extra-base hit in his last five games (two doubles, two home runs).
2. Juan Soto. Soto reached base at least twice for a third consecutive game on Tuesday night. It was his second straight game with at least two hits and his third straight game with a walk. In his last three games he has gone 5-for-12 with a double, a home run and three walks. We are also heading into the weekend where he gets to face his old club. What a time for a little hot streak!
3. Contain Jakob Marsee. Marsee is hitting .218/.338/.337 this season. In his last three games he has gone 7-for-12 with a double and three runs scored. Five of those hits are against the Mets. In 12 games against the Mets this season he has 11 hits slashing .275/.310/.450.

Let’s Go Mets!

The New York Mets are effectively tied for fourth place in the division! The Nationals have played two more games than the Mets and are technically one loss behind the Mets. By raw percentage points, the Nationals are ahead of the Mets by 0.001 points. The bats have been on a roll, the pitching has been inspiring, let’s keep the good times going and finish the season strong!

Sean Manaea has pitched in 29 games including 15 starts totaling 128 1/3 innings with a 4.70 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 1.356 WHIP and an 88 ERA+. Manaea is in a rough patch right now, allowing 19 runs over his last four starts, spread over 23 2/3 innings from 30 hits including seven home runs. Manaea has faced the Marlins once this season and held them to one run over 3 2/3 innings. The Marlins have the following career stats against Manaea:

• Owen Caissie 1-2
• Heriberto Hernández 0-0, BB
• Otto López 3-9, 2B, K
• Joe Mack 1-2
• Jakob Marsee 0-2, K
• Agustín Ramírez 0-1
• Esteury Ruiz 1-1, 3B
• Javier Sanoja 1-2, 2B
• Kyle Stowers 0-1, K

Sandy Alcantara is somehow already at 30 starts this season. He leads the league with 195 2/3 innings putting up a 3.54 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.186 WHIP and a 111 ERA+. He’s allowed eight runs over his last two starts and 12 innings of work. Before that he had an impressive stretch over six starts where he pitched 40 innings with a 1.13 ERA. That includes a start against the Mets where he held them scoreless over six innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 2-5, 2B
• Brett Baty 0-4, K
• Carson Benge 0-2, BB
• Bo Bichette 1-9, 2 K
• A.J. Ewing 0-3
• Francisco Lindor 10-36, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 4 K
• Marcus Semien 5-12, HR, 2 K
• Juan Soto 14-46, 2B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 6 K
• Luis Torrens 1-5, K
• Mark Vientos 0-4, K
• Jared Young 1-3, 2B, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Keep the hit parade going! The Mets racked up 16 hits on Monday with six players (Lindor, Soto, Bichette, Semien, Ewing, Morabito) getting at least two hits. Facing Alcantara is a much tougher challenge, but the team is clicking right now.
2. A.J. Ewing. In his last three games, Ewing has gotten on base eight times. He is 6-for-10 at the plate with a double, a home run and two walks (.667 OBP, 1.000 SLG). In his last seven games he’s hitting .400/.483/.600 as he continues to work his way of a slump that he was in for his previous 19 games (.110/.198/.123).
3. Nate Lavender. We last saw Nate on Sunday when he came into the fifth inning to get the Mets out of a jam. He faced one batter, got the strikeout, and was out of the game after five pitches. Over 13 games (13 innings) this season, Lavender has allowed only five hits and three walks while shutting out opponents and striking out 15 batters.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets head to Miami on a high note! The Mets were down 2-0 for most of Sunday’s game until Brett Baty hit a solo home run to start off the 8th. Then the Mets kept the rallying going with Bo Bichette hitting a go-ahead, three-run bomb. The Mets held on and enter play today only one game back from fourth place in the NL East. Today the Mets are running out a young pitcher for a fourth game in a row – it’s finally Jonah Tong time!

Jonah Tong made five starts for the Mets down the stretch last season, totaling 18 2/3 innings with a 7.7 1 ERA, 4.31 FIP, 1.768 WHIP and a 54 ERA+. His stats this season are skewed by one outing. At the end of May he pitched 6 2/3 over two games allowing only unearned run. In his next outing he allowed five runs, four earned over 3 1/3 innings. He’s made 23 starts totaling 107 innings in Syracuse this season with a 4.54 ERA. In his last four starts he has allowed only two runs over 21 1/3 innings while striking out 23 batters. The Marlins have the following career stats against him:

• Owen Caissie 0-0, BB
• Otto Lopez 2-4, 2B, K
• Joe Mack 0-1
• Jakob Marsee 0-4, 2 K
• Agustín Ramírez 0-3
• Esteury Ruiz 0-1
• Javier Sanoja 0-1
• Kyle Stowers 0-1

Eury Pérez has made 25 starts totaling 135 1/3 innings with a 3.72 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.182 WHIP and a 106 ERA+. His last two starts have been rough, allowing 11 runs over 7 2/3 innings from 11 hits including four home runs while walking seven batters. His two starts against the Mets were pretty good this season, holding the Mets to three runs, two earned, over 12 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against Pérez:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-1, 3 BB, K
• Brett Baty 0-7, 2 K
• Carson Benge 0-6, 2 K
• Bo Bichette 4-11, 2B, K
• A.J. Ewing 0-5, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-7, 2 BB, 4 K
• Nick Morabito 0-2, 2 K
• Marcus Semien 1-4
• Juan Soto 3-6, 2 HR, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, K
• Mark Vientos 1-3, HR, BB

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Bo Bichette. Bo Bichette season has had three themes. First he just massively struggled. Then he started to get on base at a healthy clip, but with almost no power. Now the power has shown up. In his last seven games he has gone 9-for-26 at the plate with three doubles and two home runs (.346/.414/.692). In his last 24 games he has gone .311/.380/.578 with 13 of his 28 hits going for extra bases.
2. Juan Soto. Since coming back from the injured list, Juan Soto has gone 5-for-28 over eight games with two home runs and three walks (.179/.258/.393). He’s coming back from a significant injury and still hasn’t hit his groove yet. He has tremendous numbers though against Pérez, so maybe today is the day he can get going again.
3. Milestone Watch. Bo Bichette homered again in Sunday’s game, and now he joins the list of players that are four home runs away from reaching the 20 home run plateau for the season. Carson Benge needs four home runs to have a 20-20 season (and one more double to go 20-20-20). Francisco Lindor needs four more to reach 20 home runs again. There are 20 days left, so this is increasingly becoming a difficult number to reach, but one hot day can change that entirely.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets have a second attempt at taking the series with the Giants this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon the Mets bats were able to scratch out five runs, but the Giants bats gave Zac Thornton the worst start of the season. Today will be the third of four consecutive games for the Mets started by a pitcher of the future, with Christian Scott taking the mound.

Christian Scott has made 20 starts this season totaling 94 2/3 innings with a 3.80 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.310 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. August was very average for Scott. He allowed three or four runs in each of his five starts leading to a 6.04 ERA, 4.56 FIP over 25 1/3 innings. He’s also walked a combined nine batters in his last two starts. Scott has never faced the Giants and no one on the Giants has faced Scott in a Major League game.

César Perdomo joined the Giants earlier in the week when rosters expanded to 28 players. He was ranked as the Giants 30th prospect in the system and had a solid Major League debut. In his first start he allowed only one run on a solo home run over four innings while striking out four hitters. Before getting called up he had a 3.98 ERA in 15 games in Richmond, VA and then a 5.10 ERA in nine games in Sacramento.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Luis Torrens. Torrens has cooled off for the last ten days or so, going 2-for-16 with a walk in six game since August 23. In the 10 game stretch before that, Torrens went 11-for-25 with a ridiculous six home runs. That stretch wasn’t going to last forever, but neither should his current, colder stretch.
2. Dedniel Núñez. Núñez allowed eight runs, six earned in his first five outings (5 1/3 innings) this season. Since then he has pitched in six games, totaling 6 1/3 innings allowing only one hit, no runs, no walks, while striking out six batters. He’s starting to look more like the reliever that was turning heads back in 2024. Things are starting to look good for the 2027 Mets bullpen with Núñez and Lavender’s recent performance.
3. Milestone Watch. Francisco Lindor and Carson Benge are both still sitting at 16 home runs for the season, keeping them four away from 20. Lindor is looking for his 9th season with at least 20 home runs and Carson Benge is reaching for a 20-20 season. Less likely, Bo Bichette is five home runs away from 20. It would be only his fourth season hitting that plateau.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets, not wanting to be overshadowed by the US Open happening down the road, put on their own show Friday night smashing five home runs. It was the second consecutive game where the Mets scored 10 runs as their late season resurgence continues. We’ve also fully hit “next generation” excitement with the rotation. Friday night Nolan McLean got the start. This afternoon it’s Zac Thornton. Tomorrow Christian Scott. Monday afternoon Jonah Tong. It’s 2027 in Queens!

Zac Thornton has made 11 starts this season totaling 61 1/3 innings with a 2.93 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 1.158 WHIP and 141 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed three runs from 13 hits and no walks over 11 innings while striking out nine batters. His 5.7 BB% is good for 91st percentile in the league. The concern right now are hits. Hitters are getting them in bunches and Thornton is quite average in terms of Hard-Hit% and generating groundouts. It’s part of the reason his xERA is 4.60. This will be his first time pitching against the Giants and anyone on their roster in a Major League game.

The Mets bats will face Anthony Molina this afternoon who was traded from the Braves to the Giants earlier this season. In two games with the Giants he has pitched 9 1/3 innings allowing three runs from seven hits. Overall this season he has pitched 14 1/3 innings over five games with a 3.77 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.047 WHIP and a 112 ERA+. He faced the Mets back in June allowing two runs, one earned in one inning from three hits and no walks. The Mets have the following career numbers against Molina:

• Carson Benge 1-1
• Bo Bichette 2-4
• A.J. Ewing 0-1, K
• Francisco Lindor 1-1
• Christopher Morel 0-1, BB
• Marcus Semien 0-2, 2 K
• Juan Soto 1-1
• Luis Torrens 0-1
• Mark Vientos 0-1
• Jared Young 0-1

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Mark Vientos. Since returning from the injured list, Mark Vientos has been on fire. He’s going 4-for-10 at the plate with two home runs and only one strikeout. He had five home runs in Syracuse in five games before rejoining the Mets at the end of August. It is really unclear where Mark Vientos fits next year. From the start of June until his injury, Vientos played in 22 games where he hit .164/.242/.382. He had nine hits in 22 games, but four of those nine hits were home runs.
2. The 20 Homer Club. We are full at the point of the season where we are rooting for nice, round numbers on Baseball Reference. A hot streak in the final three weeks of the season can help propel a player and there are three players who are pushing for 20 home runs. Francisco Lindor hit his 16th last night. Bo Bichette hit his 15th. Carson Benge stole his 20th base, and now only needs four more home runs to get a 20-20 season.
3. Back-to-Back Days. Robert Stock came out in relief Friday night and tossed four pitches to record an out, stopping the game from spiraling away to the Giants. With Jonah Tong joining the rotation on Monday, it seems like Stock is now joining the bullpen. Senga only tossed 10 pitches Friday night to record three outs (and to walk a batter). Theoretically, both players could go again today, will they?

Let’s Go Mets!

For the first time in forever, the Mets are not playing a first place club! The San Francisco Giants come to town tonight with a record worse than the Mets, sitting in fourth place in the NL West. The Mets are still 14 games below .500 after winning the series against the Rays earlier this week. They are only three games back from fourth place in the NL East. It’s a weekend series with two teams ready to move on from 2026!

Nolan Mclean looks to have a strong last month of the season as he builds his case for Rookie of the Year. Over 27 games he has pitched 155 2/3 innings with a 3.06 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 1.124 WHIP and a 133 ERA+. He’s been on fire lately, allowing only three runs, two earned, in his last four starts totaling 25 innings (0.72 ERA, 4.14 FIP). The only blemish lately has been walks. He’s walked 13 batters in his last 25 innings. His second start of the season was against the Giants where he allowed two runs, one earned, from one hit and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. The only players left of the Giants roster who have faced him before are Rafael Devers (0-for-2, K) and Jung Hoo Lee (0-for-2).

The Mets bats will get a look at Matt Wilkinson. Wilkinson was traded by the Guardians in May this season for Patrick Bailey. Over his first three career starts, Wilkinson has pitched 11 2/3 innings with a 4.63 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 1.114 WHIP and an 89 ERA+. He’s coming off of his most complete start of the season, where he pitched six innings allowing only two runs from two hits and two walks while striking out three.

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Nick Morabito encore! Morabito was still looking for his first Major League hit going into Wednesday’s game. About mid-way through the game Mark Vientos pinch hit for Brett Baty. Nick Morabito then ran the bases and stayed in the game for Vientos. In Morabito’s next at-bat he crushed a bases clearing double for his first career hit. He then got another hit later! With his elusive first hit out of the way, hopefully the hits will flow this weekend!
2. 20-20 Season. Time is ticking for Carson Benge to get a 20-20 season in his rookie season. he is four home runs and one stolen base away, which has been true for the last week or so. He is coming off of a good game at the plate where he collected two hits and a walk.
3. Bo Bichette hitting doubles. Bo Bichette has gone 6-for-15 in his last four games with two walks and three doubles. He now has 24 doubles on the season. While it hasn’t been the best season for Bichette, he’s been a much better hitter lately than earlier in the season.

Let’s Go Mets!

Francisco Lindor led off Tuesday night’s game with a home run against former Met Freddy Peralta. It instantly felt like it was going to be that kind of night for Peralta, except the Mets would be the ones having the fun. Instead Peralta settled down and delivered a great start while the Mets bats struggled for the rest of the night. The Rays won easily 6-2.

The Mets still have a chance to take the series against the Rays though! All they have to do is win behind Justin Hagenman in his 2026 debut!

Justin Hagenman is making a spot start to give the rest of the rotation an extra day of rest. Last season Hagenman pitched in nine games for the Mets totaling 23 2/3 innings with a 4.56 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.099 WHIP and a 90 ERA+. Hagenman landed on the injured list during spring training with a fractured rib and has been sidelined until a few weeks ago when he started a rehab journey throughout the minor leagues from St. Lucie to Binghamton to Syracuse. Over three starts he has pitched 9 1/3 innings allowing five runs but only three earned. Cedric Mullins is the only hitter on the Rays to face Hagenman before (1-for-2, K).

Griffin Jax, the former closer for the Twins, is getting the start for the Rays tonight. Jax has pitched in 29 games this season including 18 starts totaling 91 2/3 innings with a 3.63 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.211 WHIP and a 119 ERA+. In his last three starts he has allowed six runs, only three earned, over 16 2/3 innings while striking out 23 batters (1.62 ERA, 1.83 FIP). The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-1
• Bo Bichette 2-9, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 2-2, 2B
• Christopher Morel 1-2, 3B
• Cristian Pache 0-1
• Marcus Semien 0-7, 2 K
• Juan Soto 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 1-3, HR, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 0-2

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Searching for a hit. Nick Morabito is still searching for his first major league hit. He was hit by a pitch for the second time in his career last night, in his first at-bat back with the Mets no less. In his second at bat he hit a ground out with an 88.7 exit velocity and an elite swing speed of 75.9 mph. Things will click eventually for Morabito, hopefully its today!
2. Searching for 20 home runs. Juan Soto currently leads the Mets with 22 home runs. There is a fairly solid chance that Carson Benge and Francisco Lindor can join him by the end of the season. Benge is only four home runs away from 20, and one stolen base away from a 20-20 season. Francisco Lindor has now homered twice in the last three games, bringing him to 15 for the season. One hot week could push him over the edge!
3. Nate Lavender. Lavender last pitched on Monday where he needed only nine pitches to record two outs. So far in his first 11 games (11 innings) he hasn’t allowed any runs while scattering four hits and two walks while striking out 12 batters. The only blight recently is that three of the four hits he’s allowed has been in his last 1 1/3 innings of work.

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets look to take the series against the first place Rays tonight! Monday was an odd day in Mets land. A few hours before the game it was announced that the Orioles actually claimed Luis Robert Jr. and that Nick Morabito would replace him on the Mets roster. The Mets also activated Mark Vientos before the game after his sizzling hot rehab assignment in Syracuse. Vientos kept the hitting streak going with a two-run bomb in the seventh. Kodai Senga closed things down in the ninth for his fifth save of the season.

Tonight is the most anticipated game of the series as the Mets will go up against former Met, Freddy Peralta!

Sean Manaea has pitched in 28 games including 14 starts with 122 2/3 innings pitched. He has a 4.55 ERA, 4.57 FIP, 1.321 WHIP and an 89 ERA+. His last three starts have been rough, allowing 14 earned runs over 18 innings from 19 hits and five walks including six home runs (7.00 ERA, 7.03 FIP). He’s also faced three of the toughest lineups in his last three starts between the Nationals, White Sox and Brewers. The Rays have the following career stats against him:

• Jonny DeLuca 0-2, K
• Yandy Diaz 2-8, 2 HR, 2 BB, K
• Nick Fortes 3-4, 2 HR
• Liam Hicks 0-2, K
• Jorge Mateo 0-6, 2 K
• Cedric Mullins 0-3, K

Freddy Peralta was supposed to be the veteran ace of the Mets staff this season. He has struggled over 27 starts this season, showing moments of his old self, but ultimately putting a 5.11 ERA, 4.52 FIP, 1.411 WHIP and an 80 ERA+. As a Ray he has made five starts totaling 27 1/3 innings with a 5.60 ERA, 4.88 FIP, 1.134 WHIP and a 77 ERA+. Three of the five starts Peralta has made as a Ray have been at hitter friendly stadiums (Rockies, Athletics, Orioles). He’s coming off one of his best starts of the season, holding the Tigers scoreless over six innings. The Mets have the following career stats against him:

• Francisco Alvarez 0-4, 2 K
• Brett Baty 0-3, K
• Bo Bichette 1-5, HR< K
• Francisco Lindor 1-11, HR, 3 BB, 5 K
• Christopher Morel 2-11, 2B, 5 BB, 7 K
• Marcus Semien 1-7, K
• Juan Soto 1-12, HR, 5 BB, K
• Luis Torrens 1-2
• Mark Vientos 1-4, 3 K
• Jared Young 0-2, K

Three Things To Watch For:

1. Nick Morabito. With Luis Robert Jr. gone there is a pathway for Nick Morabito to get significant playing time before the end of the season. Morabito had a short callup earlier this season where he went 0-for-11 in his first five games including nine strikeouts. In 114 games in Syracuse this season Morabito slashed .254/.355/.388 with 13 home runs and 42 stolen bases. An outfield of Morabito, Benge and Ewing has a potential for 100+ stolen bases over a full regular season.
2. First Base. The Mets have to figure out first base for next season. Jorge Polanco was supposed to be the stopgap measure until Ryan Clifford was ready but Polanco has battled injuries all season and Clifford has struggled so much in Syracuse. Jared Young has turned into a hit machine. Brett Baty is trying to become a super-utility player. Then there’s Mark Vientos. Vientos was having a terrible year before his injury and it looked like his time with the Mets was up. He hit five home runs in five games with Syracuse while rehabbing and had a great first game last night. Vientos, Young and Baty’s timeshare will be a storyline for the last month of the season.
3. Emotions. Do players get a performance bump when they play their old team? Anecdotally, it sure seems like it. For Freddy Peralta, facing the Mets tonight could be a way for him to exorcise the challenges he’s faced this season by eviscerating a lineup that sometimes played poor defense behind him and a bullpen that sometimes let games go. The reverse can happen as well. For the Mets hitters, tonight is an opportunity to get back at a pitcher who frequently put the Mets in a hole to start the game that they constantly had to dig their way out of. Peralta and Mets did seem to genuinely like each other, from spring through the trade. If there’s no bad blood, is there no performance bump? We’ll find out!

Let’s Go Mets!

The Mets head down the St. Petersburg today to face a first place team again! In their last series the Mets have had to play the first place White Sox, then the first place Brewers and yesterday they wrapped up a series against the first place Astros.

The AL East has been fascinating this year with the Red Sox surging since mid-May. The top three teams in the AL East are each, at least, 12 games above .500, which explains some of the other lackluster records of AL first place teams we’ve seen this month. The Rays are trying to continue their reign as the top American League team. The Mets are trying to climb out of the cellar. It’s baseball, back at the Trop!

Robert Stock has made five starts for the Mets this season totaling 20 2/3 innings with a 7.40 ERA, 4.63 FIP, 1.935 WHIP and a 56 ERA+. His season stat line doesn’t tell the whole story. Stock has had two awful starts where he has allowed a combined 15 runs from 19 hits over seven innings. This includes his last start where he allowed seven runs over four innings. In his other three starts Stock has allowed three runs, only two earned over 13 2/3 innings. The only hitters on the Rays who have seen Stock in an official game before are Yandy Diaz (0-for-0, BB) and Liam Hicks (1-for-2).

Ian Seymour has pitched in 41 games this season making 11 starts totaling 107 innings of work. He has a 4.21 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.150 WHIP and a 101 ERA+. In his last three outings he has pitched 16 2/3 innings with a 4.86 ERA, 5.48 FIP. In those 16 2/3 innings he struck out 22 batters and allowed six home runs. The only Mets who have seen Seymour in a Major League game are Christopher Morel (0-for-1) and Luis Robert Jr. (0-for-1).

Three Things To Watch For:

1. What Could Have Been. This weekend Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette played two games together, making 28 on the season where all three were in the lineup at the same time. In the first inning Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto hit back-to-back solo shots. It’s hard to not wonder what could have been for the 2026 Mets if their two superstars were healthy the entire season.
2. A.J. Ewing. You know Ewing is on fire because he’s collecting multiple hits in a game. Ewing hasn’t had multi-hit game in his last 20 games played where he’s slashing .118/.212/.145. Sunday was just the fourth game in that 20 game stretch where Ewing was on base twice and he had his first extra-base hit since August 10th. Hopefully he can put together another good game tonight and start to break out of this slump he’s in.
3. Tropicana Rules. Earlier this week Xander Bogaerts hit a ball that left his bat at 108 mph with a 46 degree angle of elevation. This would have been a home run in 29 of 30 parks. It would have been a home run at Tropicana too if it wasn’t for the roof. Tropicana Field has four rings of catwalks, and this ball hit off of one of the two inner rings, because it went so high. Balls off the inner rings can be caught for an out, which is exactly what happened. You’ll never know what will happen in domed environment like the Trop!

Let’s Go Mets!