New York Mets Pitchers Of The Month, June 2026: Luke Weaver Will Never Give Up Another Run, Ever

The New York Mets fell hard in June. They went 10-17 in the month and just about took themselves out of the National League wild-card race. Manager Carlos Mendoza paid for the downturn with his job.

Starting pitching was a major reason for the collapse. The rotation posted a 5.46 ERA/4.64 FIP in the 27 games, ranking 25^th in MLB. It was 29^th in the league with 3.88 walks per nine. To be fair, the starters also were ninth with 9.26 strikeouts per nine.

While the overall numbers were poor, not every starter had a bad month, and the bullpen was tops in the majors with a 3.57 xFIP. There was enough quality to compile a list of top performers. Below is Grand Central Mets’ ranking of the club’s pitchers of the month for June.

Ranking New York Mets’ Best Pitchers In June

3. LHP Sean Manaea

We could have gone with closer Devin Williams (4-for-4 in save opportunities) here, but Manaea got the nod for giving the rotation a needed boost after moving over from long relief midway through the month. He made six appearances, the equivalent of a full month for a starter, and he produced decent quality -- a 3.72 ERA, 21.8 percent K rate, 5.9 percent walk rate and 2.6 percent home run rate over 29 innings. He allowed no more than three runs in any outing, and he went at least five innings four times.

Interestingly, his fastball velocity (four-seamer and sinker) fluctuated during the month. It sat at 92-93 mph for the majority of his outings, but there were also games of 90-91 heat. On the plus side, his low three-quarters arm slot and crossfire motion can mask any differences.

With Kodai Senga in the bullpen, David Peterson traded, and Jonah Tong scuffling at Triple-A, the Mets will keep giving Manaea the ball and trust that he can keep them in games.

2. RHP Nolan McLean

McLean bounced back from a rough May with a solid June. In five starts, he posted a 2.79 ERA, .617 opponents' OPS, and 29.7 percent strikeout rate over 29 innings pitched.

The month didn’t go perfectly. There was a four-inning, 93-pitch grind against the Atlanta Braves, as well as a pair of costly home-run balls against the Chicago Cubs. His walk rate was a bit high at 9.9 percent. But more often than not, the rookie looked the part of front-line starter. He closed the month with six scoreless innings and a win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays on the 30th.

That outing highlighted McLean’s adaptability and ability to execute a game plan. His pitch mix in the game was markedly different than the mix in his seven-inning gem against the Reds in Cincinnati on June 17:

He threw more sinkers against Toronto and more four-seamers against Cincinnati, three times as many cutters vs. the Reds and no changeups against the Jays. Against the Reds, he made it a point to be aggressive up in the zone but still got eight ground-ball outs to go with nine strikeouts. In short, both performances showed that he knows how to pitch.

1. RHP Luke Weaver

It’s tough to go against someone who hadn’t allowed a run since April 30 and barely allowed a baserunner last month. Weaver gave up one hit and one walk in 11 1/3 innings covering 11 June appearances. He extended his scoreless-innings streak to 24 with a perfect frame against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 30.

Command was the key to Weaver’s dominance. He threw 100 of 137 pitches for strikes (73 percent), attacking the zone with a four-seamer, changeup and cutter. He struck out 40.5 percent of the hitters he faced (15 in 37 plate appearances), yet his highest pitch count in an inning was 18.

Weaver is getting below-average vertical drop on his change, according to Baseball Savant, but his four-seamer and cutter are diving, and that’s contributing to an 87th-percentile chase rate for the season. His off-speed stuff is in the 95^th percentile in run value, while his fastball is in the 87^th percentile. That’s a product of having everything working, which makes him the obvious choice for first place here.