Andres Chavez

The New York Mets, one of the worst teams in the National League with a 46-63 record, are one of the few true sellers heading into Monday’s trade deadline. One of the players drawing the most attention isn’t even healthy at the moment: starting pitcher Clay Holmes. Holmes, who suffered a fractured fibula in mid-May, tossed four scoreless innings on Tuesday’s rehab start at Low-A St. Lucie, hitting 94 mph on the radar gun. Multiple contenders were in attendance to see his progress. The 33-year-old Holmes has a $12 million player option next year, but should be able to get more than that in the open market, provided he gets the chance. The Mets, according to Jon Heyman, aren’t discussing an extension with the former reliever, so it’s safe to say that the pitcher extending his deal to stay in New York is highly unlikely. His fate seems to be sealed: the likelihood of Holmes pitching for a contender in the second half is quite high. “In this sellers’ market, with precious few frontline starters available, this is a big trade piece. Nearly every contender scouted him in his rehab game,” Heyman wrote on X. Holmes has a 2.39 ERA in 52 2/3 innings with the Mets this year, in nine starts. He has walked 18 and struck out 45, with a 4-4 record. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The New York Mets will be one of the most active teams ahead of the trade deadline, just not in the exact way they envisioned before the start of the season. They are expected to be among the few sellers in baseball, looking to offload most of their veterans before August 3. They are expected to keep a short list of players off limits, though. Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, Francisco Alvarez, and Juan Soto are some of them. Is it time to add rookie left-hander Zac Thornton to that exclusive list? After tossing six shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week, the southpaw now boasts a 1.93 ERA in four starts at the MLB level this season. Is he the newest Mets’ pitching star? Understanding What the Mets Have In Rookie Zac Thornton Thornton, a fifth-round pick out of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix back in 2023, averages 92 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also boasts a mediocre 19.5 percent strikeout rate in the extremely small sample of 23 1/3 innings. To make matters worse, Thornton had as many whiffs, six, as he allowed hard-hit balls in that start against the Brewers. Overall, his 21.3 percent whiff rate would rank him in the bottom quarter of the league if he qualified. The point, if you haven’t caught it by now, is clear: Thornton is no ace. He doesn’t have McLean’s ceiling, in case you were asking. That, however, doesn’t mean he can’t be a quality piece in a major-league rotation, which takes us to our point: Thornton is well worth keeping around. We are talking about a 24-year-old left-hander with six full seasons of cheap team control who has shown an ability to throw strikes in his first four MLB outings. He is walking just 2.31 batters per nine frames in the limited sample, so even though he is just striking out 6.56 hitters per nine, he has proven effective at keeping traffic off the basepaths. Before being called up to the majors, he had a 4.30 ERA and a 5.46 FIP in 37 2/3 Triple-A innings. He was a completely different pitcher, with 4.30 walks per nine and 9.08 strikeouts per nine. What could have happened is that the Triple-A coaching staff might have given him different indications than the Mets’ staff did once he was called up. Or, you know, he is still trying to find his identity. In any case, we have seen enough to be intrigued. Thornton uses six pitches: a cutter (41.4 percent), a four-seamer (27.4 percent), a sweeper (14.6 percent), a sinker (11.8 percent), a changeup (3.1 percent), and a curveball (1.6 percent). The sweeper has earned him a solid 34.8 percent whiff rate so far. The cutter is the foundation of his repertoire. He generally targets the low-and-in corner against righties, which would be the low-and-away part of the zone for lefties, and generally does a good job locating the pitch: Thornton is a pitcher who needs to show excellent command to thrive. That has mostly been the case so far in his first four starts, but MLB hitters will make him pay when he doesn’t because he doesn’t really have overpowering stuff. It’s what caps his ceiling. Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say about him: “His fastball velocity only sits 89-92 mph (occasionally popping 95), but with some deception and ride on the heater, he can still put it past bats at the top rail. His 83-86 mph slider remains his best pitch. It’s a two-plane breaker that he can spot exceptionally well to the gloveside, and he isn’t afraid of bringing it in on righties. His upper-80s cutter gives him another chase-heavy pitch. His 82-84 mph changeup and slow mid-70s curveball occasionally get folded in but find the zone much less often than his other offerings.” The slider they are referring to is basically what Baseball Savant calls his sweeper. It helps that he can use it against both righties and lefties and that he has excellent command of it. All things considered, Thornton’s deep repertoire, solid control, and craftiness on the mound, not to mention a ‘bulldog mentality’ as described by MLB Pipeline, give him a chance to be a solid back-end starter for the Mets. As long as fans don’t expect him to be an ace, he can be a valuable piece of the next competitive team this organization fields. View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images The New York Mets are currently the only NL East team below .500, completely buried in the division and only better than the Colorado Rockies in the National League. To say that things haven’t gone as planned in Queens this year would be an understatement. They won’t say it out loud, but the focus of the 2026 season is now accumulating as many young, talented, and, preferably, near-MLB-ready assets as possible. If, along the way, they can get rid of some pricey and struggling veterans, they surely will be ready to listen. Every case needs to be studied and analyzed individually, though. Of course, it makes more sense to keep certain players than others if they really want to compete next year. The Mets Have A Unique Trade Deadline Opportunity In Front of Them With that in mind, the Mets certainly have talented veterans who might be appealing for contenders: Luis Robert Jr. could become someone’s center fielder, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter are all having amazing seasons and have the track record of success needed to bring in something relevant in return, and Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco are both proven and versatile despite not really performing well in 2026 and being labeled by many as offseason busts. Additionally, Freddy Peralta is already generating interest despite underperforming with a 5.01 ERA as of Tuesday afternoon. We’re sure the Mets are willing to listen to approaches for every pitcher not named Nolan McLean or Christian Scott. The primary takeaway from the pre-deadline period for the Mets is not the fact that they will probably be active, but instead, that they appear to be in a position of strength at the moment. There aren’t many clear-cut sellers in the market, as most teams are either leading their division or competing for a Wild Card spot. Who Will Join the Mets As Sellers? If we had to name those squads that will clearly sell, the Mets would be joined by the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Angels, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Kansas City Royals. That’s it. Buyers won’t have many options to choose from, perhaps overpricing the precious few assets available. Even the 43-57 Athletics may want to avoid big sales, since they are just 7.5 games behind the AL West lead and 8.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot. If anything, they may support their exciting young core with some win-now veterans, but there’s a big chance, knowing how they operate, that they decide to sell. You can also make the case that the 45-54 Reds, who are just six games out of the last Wild Card berth in the National League, won’t become sellers, further shrinking the potential pool of available players at the deadline. If the Mets move swiftly and decisively, they have a chance to retool their farm with some quality prospects and still compete in 2027. If they manage to get rid of most of the aforementioned players, plus others, they might get a nice haul and replenish their farm. With Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, McLean, and Scott as the foundation, some savvy offloading process ahead of the deadline, and a good offseason, the Mets could conceivably compete next year... provided that there’s a season, of course. View full article

Image courtesy of © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The 2026 campaign has been an unmitigated disaster for the New York Mets. From several controversial offseason decisions in the construction of the roster to the Francisco Lindor hamate bone surgery and multiple in-season injuries, you can even say things went downhill before the season even started. Speaking of Lindor, some fans believe the last-place Mets, who boast a 40-57 record, should at least listen to potential trade approaches on their franchise shortstop. It’s certainly not a crazy idea. Should they do it, though? Should the Mets entertain the possibility of flipping their star infielder? Let’s just start by saying that any deal involving Lindor is highly unlikely. We are talking about a 32-year-old player making over $30 million per year for five more seasons, plus what’s left of 2026. Teams probably won’t be lining up to acquire a declining player making that much money, especially not with the pending lockout. Mets Will Need to Get Creative to Trade Francisco Lindor It’s certainly not impossible, though. The Mets have proven throughout the years that, at least since Steven Cohen took over, they are willing to cover the salaries of outgoing players in order to maximize the potential return package. To get Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford in 2023, the Mets sent Justin Verlander and a huge chunk of cash ($25 million) to Houston. They did the same with Max Scherzer, paying $35 million to the Texas Rangers to get Luisangel Acuna. To do this with Lindor, however, would be much more complex. The Mets still owe him close to $200 million, which is certainly not insignificant money. Complicating matters is the shortstop's 2026 performance. He slashed .216/.298/.373 with five home runs, two stolen bases, 22 runs scored, 12 RBI, and a 90 wRC+ in 40 games and 171 plate appearances in the first half. He had to deal with the hamate bone surgery in February, and then with a calf strain that landed him on the injured list in late April. He was activated in late June but hasn't been anywhere close to his prime self. Keeping Lindor Is In the Mets' Best Interests Fans’ urgency and desire to trade him are understandable to a degree. The season has been, for lack of a better word, a frustrating one. But keeping him is the wisest choice for now. First of all, trading him at this juncture and with all the aforementioned circumstances would be selling low, and there’s no point in doing that. Additionally, he should eventually return to full health and to top form. It might not happen this month or this season at all, but it will happen in all likelihood. It’s easy to forget just how good Lindor was last season, when he was fully healthy. He slashed .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs, 31 stolen bases, 117 runs scored, and a 129 wRC+. He put up 6.3 fWAR. It might not look like it right now, but Lindor hasn’t forgotten how to play baseball. He just needs to be closer to 100 percent health to show it. Fans might have to temper their expectations a bit for the second half, but even though he is aging, he could be in for a huge bounce-back campaign next year, with the Mets boasting a better team overall. There’s even a chance he starts playing like the Lindor we all know this year, in the second half. Perhaps a trade involving Lindor would become feasible once the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is agreed upon. For now, however, the Mets are virtually stuck with him. That might not be such a bad thing — one rough half shouldn’t make people lose perspective on who he is as a player. View full article

The New York Mets entered the 2026 campaign with big dreams and postseason aspirations. Fast-forward three and a half months, and it’s safe to say that the season has been a complete disaster. They entered the All-Star break with a 40-57 record, the second-worst in the National League. Obviously, the Mets expected to be at or near the top of their division at this point, not at the bottom. The Washington Nationals, one of the worst teams in the league in recent seasons, are eight games ahead of them. Eight. In the middle of all the disappointment, anger, frustration, and sadness associated with the Mets this year, All-Star outfielder Juan Soto has managed to keep his side of the bargain. He is paid to perform like one of the best hitters in MLB, and he has done just that. Even after missing a few games with a calf injury, Soto’s first half has been nothing short of amazing. He is slashing .290/.405/.562 with a 163 wRC+ that ranks fourth in the league among qualified hitters and second in the Senior Circuit behind James Wood’s 166. Juan Soto Is Still A Top-Tier Offensive Machine Here are some of Soto's National League ranks heading into the second half: Batting average: .290 (15th) On-base percentage: .405 (2nd) Slugging percentage: .562 (2nd) wOBA: .408 (2nd) xwOBA: .432 (2nd) BB%: 16.5 (2nd) K%: 12.9 (9th) fWAR: 2.9 (12th) Not too shabby, huh? It has to be heartbreaking for the Mets to have such a gifted offensive player and have nothing to show for it in the standings, but such is life in the competitive National League. New York made countless roster construction mistakes and is paying a hefty price for them, but none of what has happened to this point is Soto’s fault. Soto might not be a vocal leader. He might not be close friends with everybody in the clubhouse. But he doesn’t have to be those things. He just has to work hard, set an example for the young, up-and-coming hitters, and do his thing on the field. And that’s exactly what he does. At a time in which there are few certainties on the Mets, the organization knows that it can count on their big investment to play to the top of his abilities night in and night out. Throughout his Queens tenure thus far, Soto is slashing a jaw-dropping .272/.399/.537 with a .936 OPS, a 161 OPS+, 64 home runs, and 45 stolen bases in a year and a half. He's everything the team has paid him to be. Francisco Lindor might be struggling with the aftermath of his hamate bone surgery, and the young hitters, except A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, might have failed to establish themselves as viable contributors. The pitching staff might be among the most inconsistent in baseball, with a 4.27 ERA that ranks 18th among 30 squads. Soto, however, is there in every game, representing a huge threat for opposing pitchers and showing the mental toughness, strength, and immense talent to produce even in adverse circumstances. Many fans are surely mad or disappointed at Steven Cohen and, mainly, David Stearns for some of their offseason decisions in the last two years. And yet, you can be sure that getting Soto was, and is, one of the best things they have done for the franchise since taking over. View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Mills-Imagn Images The rumor mill is in full swing, and with the New York Mets being one of the worst teams in the National League, everything points to them offloading some assets for the right price. Not everyone will be allowed to go, though. We can put the Mets’ players into three tiers: the ones who should be untouchables, those who could potentially go for the right price but the team isn’t inclined to deal, and the ones who should be slapped with the ‘open for business’ label. Untouchable Mets Players SS Francisco Lindor, OF A.J. Ewing, OF Carson Benge, SP Nolan McLean, SP Christian Scott, and OF Juan Soto With an 84 wRC+, Lindor hasn’t really had his finest season. It’s to be expected, though, since he underwent hamate bone surgery and power might take a while to return. He’s still the face of the Mets, though, and should eventually return to his best. Ewing already has seven home runs, nine stolen bases, a 128 wRC+, and solid defensive play in the outfield. He looks every bit like a keeper and should be a mainstay in the Mets’ future plans. The early stages of Benge’s season were rough. Weeks passed, and he didn’t seem capable of getting going at the plate. After a little over three months, however, he boasts a .265/.327/.410 line and a 108 wRC+, which is above the league average. With 11 home runs and 12 stolen bases, he could flirt with a 20-20 campaign in his first year. Not bad for a 23-year-old. It hasn’t always been pretty, but McLean is the face of the Mets’ pitching staff and the guy who will headline their rotation for years to come. His 3.73 ERA differs a lot from last year’s 2.06, but a 3.52 FIP suggests things could be better in the future. McLean strikes people out, does a good job limiting walks, and doesn’t allow too many home runs. He still has the tools to put together Cy Young-caliber seasons in the future, and the Mets shouldn’t even entertain trading him. Christian Scott is 27, so he is not as young as you probably thought he was. However, he is talented, cheap, and controllable, all desirable traits that will keep him in Queens for a long time. This year, he has posted a 3.17 ERA in 54 frames, with a whopping 65 strikeouts. The more innings he accumulates, the more experience he will gain. We don’t need to tell you why Soto is a keeper for the Mets. A symbol of the organization’s newfound financial power, the lefty-hitting outfielder remains a formidable hitter in his prime, sporting a 166 wRC+ with 20 home runs and 3.0 fWAR, even though he missed time with a calf injury. He is a true superstar and a building block for future Mets squads, even if the 2026 campaign hasn’t gone the way he wanted. Could Go For The Right Price C Francisco Alvarez, SP Clay Holmes, RP Luke Weaver There have been rumblings about Álvarez being available, and while he might fall just short of the ‘untouchables’ tier, the Mets would have to be blown away by an offer to consider letting him go. The catcher is sporting a solid 107 wRC+ with nine homers, and is still somehow only 24. The Mets will likely keep him, especially because we have seen his best version offensively, and he is much better than this. His defense behind the plate seems to be trending in the wrong direction, though. Holmes is certainly an interesting case. He is 33, injured, and could become a free agent after the season, so there’s a world in which the Mets explore a trade, considering how much they could get for a potential rental this year. With a 2.39 ERA in 52.2 innings, New York could very much fetch something of value, provided his rehab from a fractured fibula remains on track. He is expected to return in August. Weaver is in the first season of a two-year deal. He has a shiny 1.89 ERA and hasn’t given up an earned run since April, so the Mets would love to keep him with a 2027 run in mind. Unless someone grossly overpays, he will stay in Queens past August 3. Open For Business Everyone else The Mets should be willing to listen to trade approaches on pretty much everyone else on the roster, including many of their offseason acquisitions for this year. We are not saying that a dramatic turnaround is impossible, but it’s not looking particularly likely. Additionally, we are not saying that the Mets should go out and trade everyone not listed in the first two tiers. However, the newcomers, the injured players, the reclamation projects, the aging veterans, the struggling young prospects, and everyone not in the previous groups must be considered ‘tradeable’. That doesn't mean the Mets will just give them away, but they could and should be more open to trades involving these players if the return can help them compete in 2027 and beyond. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The New York Mets have had to navigate through injuries and unexpected circumstances all year. Even though they have gotten Kodai Senga back from the injured list, they are still dealing with a whole lot of absences. We have listed them all here, sorted by expected timeline. New York Mets' Updated Injury Report: Expected Timelines for Return We'll start with players who should return to Queens before or around the All-Star break, though note that any setbacks can obviously shift these timelines in the wrong direction. Mets Players Who Should Return Soon SS Francisco Lindor The Mets shortstop has been out since April 22 with a calf strain, but is finally starting to turn a corner in his rehab. He played three innings in a simulated game on Monday and could be days away from starting a rehab assignment in the minor leagues, per MLB.com, should additional sim games go well. He had a 93 wRC+ with two homers and two steals in 24 games before hitting the injured list. His return would definitely represent a boost for the Mets. SP Christian Scott On Monday, the Mets placed Scott on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement. The move is retroactive to June 12, and it’s seen as a minor issue, so there is a very good chance he makes it back before the end of the month. With a 3.10 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP, Scott had been one of the best and hottest starters on the roster for the Mets. Before allowing four runs in his most recent turn last week, he had an impressive streak of eight consecutive starts with three runs or fewer. IF Jorge Polanco Achilles issues have derailed Polanco’s season to this point. Just when he was getting ready to return, he suffered a difficult setback on June 5 and hasn’t played ever since. In fact, he has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. That, however, was seen as a procedural move. As manager Carlos Mendoza said this week, there’s still a chance Polanco resumes his rehab assignment in a matter of days, not weeks. "I heard he had a good day today, as far as like swinging the bat and all that," the manager said on Monday. "This is a day-to-day type deal." In 14 games at the MLB level this season, the infielder has a .179 batting average and a .532 OPS. IF Ronny Mauricio Mauricio is dealing with a fractured left thumb that he sustained while sliding into first base in early May. He could start a rehab assignment later this week and should be able to return this month if everything goes according to plan. The talented but inconsistent infielder was hitting .219 with a 45 wRC+ in 10 games with New York before hitting the injured list. OF Tyrone Taylor The defensive wizard in center field hit the shelf on May 26, nursing a right hip flexor strain. He resumed running on June 4 and is now performing all baseball activities, so his return is just a matter of getting back into baseball shape. Mendoza said this week that he’s already sprinting at 90 percent effort and making steady progress. Late June seems like a realistic return date for Taylor, who had a disappointing 45 wRC+ at the moment of the injury. Mets Player Who Will Be Out A While Longer OF Luis Robert Jr. Robert has been on the shelf since April 30, nursing a lumbar spine disc herniation. Last week, the outfielder said he hopes to begin running on the field this month. He still has a long way to go before he can be an option to help the Mets, because he needs to run without restrictions, face live pitching, and then go on a rehab assignment. August seems like a good bet for him if there aren’t any setbacks along the way. P Justin Hagenman Hagenman has been a valuable swingman for the Mets since 2025. Unfortunately for him, he went down during a spring training game on March 5 when he fractured a rib. The initial timeline was 4-8 weeks, so he should have returned by now. Instead, he wasn’t even throwing in early June and could be looking at next month in an absolute best-case scenario. August seems more likely, if he returns at all in 2026. SP Clay Holmes Holmes fractured his right fibula on May 16 after being hit by a comebacker. Back then, he was told he needed 6-8 weeks for the injury to heal and another six weeks to build up strength and stamina, so he’s looking at 12-14 weeks since the moment of getting hurt. That makes August a likely return target. The right-hander, owner of a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this year with the Mets, started playing light catch in June so he still has a long way to go. Mets Players Facing Long-term Absences P Tylor Megill Megill underwent Tommy John surgery in September and is already out for the entire 2026 campaign. He is under team control through 2027, so he’s focusing on having a clean, setback-free rehab in order to return to full strength next season. RP Reed Garrett Just like Megill, Garrett underwent Tommy John surgery in October and won’t be an option to return to the Mets until 2027. The steady veteran is under team control through the 2029 campaign. RP Dedniel Nunez Nunez underwent Tommy John surgery last July, so he is highly unlikely to return in 2026. View full article

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The New York Mets opened their season on March 25. Just five days later, it was reported for the first time that Jorge Polanco, their offseason signing to play first base most days, was dealing with a ‘minor’ Achilles issue. He was on and off the lineup, and on April 9, manager Carlos Mendoza said Polanco might require a trip to the injured list. On April 17, news broke that the infielder and Silver Slugger Award finalist last year with the Seattle Mariners was also dealing with a right wrist injury, an ailment that ended up sending him to the injured list a day later. He played his most recent MLB game for the Mets on April 14. Polanco has suffered a setback on his road to recovery, re-aggravating his ankle. It's unknown when he'll return to the Mets at this point in time, but his continued absence is a frustrating development. The timeline of his first symptoms and placement on the injured list was important for us to explain because they give us a better idea about the reasons behind the player’s rough start to his Mets’ tenure. It's Impossible to Separate the Injuries from Jorge Polanco's Performance Polanco hit .179/.246/.286 with one home run in 14 games and 61 plate appearances. His 53 wRC+ is way worse than the 132 mark he had last year in Seattle. It’s hard to get going with two annoying injuries nagging all the time, though, and also while learning a new position. Still, big things are expected from Polanco, especially since he set the bar so high last year. If he’s truly healthy, he still has time to turn his season around and start producing like the Mets and fans would want him to. That’s the first and most important thing on his priority list: get fully, 100 percent healthy. Once he has done that, we can start focusing on what he needs to do to actually improve on that awful stat line. As you can expect from a player who has experienced such a big drop-off in performance, Polanco’s numbers against every type of pitch have gotten worse. His struggles against fastballs, however, are stunning. Fastballs Were Killing Jorge Polanco He hit .277 with a .542 slugging percentage and a .372 xwOBA vs. fastballs last year, but this season, he is at .083 with a .083 slugging percentage and a .249 xwOBA. He has been much better against breaking balls (.284) and off-speed pitches (.288) without being particularly good at any of them, and keep in mind that the sample available is tiny. However, heaters have killed him. The origins of his struggles against fastballs this year might actually be tied to his Achilles injury. The legs are the foundation of a batter’s swing, and Polanco’s Achilles has been compromised virtually all year. Once he's closer to full health, expect him to pick it up against the most frequently thrown pitch in the league. Polanco was actually hitting lots of line drives (31.1 percent) and pulling the ball in the air at a high rate, so the ingredients for a rebound are there as long as he can improve his timing against fastballs. We shouldn't expect an immediate return to his 2025 form upon returning. That level of offensive excellence takes time, and Polanco hasn’t really had a chance to get into a groove. His latest setback may prevent that from ever happening, but with some luck, he can still make a positive impact on the Mets in 2026. View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images Luke Weaver, one of the New York Mets’ stellar relief pitching signings in the offseason, allowed two runs in an April 30 outing against the Washington Nationals, completing a seven-game stretch in which he allowed eight earned runs in seven frames, for a 10.29 ERA. After that, however, his improvement has been undeniable. Following that rough stretch that started on April 9 and finished at the end of the month, Weaver has been excellent and has managed to lower his season ERA to a fine 3.22 (with a 3.38 FIP) in 22.1 innings. That’s certainly an improvement over the 3.62 ERA he had last season, one that masked a rough September in which he posted a 9.64 ERA. As you can see, the lack of a reliable breaking ball might always result in some inconsistency, but the right-hander has been able to right the ship in recent weeks for the Mets and he deserves credit for it. A Perfect Stretch Since that April 30 outing, the changeup artist has been perfect in May. This month, he has an immaculate 0.00 ERA in 10.1 innings, with six hits allowed, four walks, and a whopping 15 strikeouts. His 1.63 FIP over that span suggests that it has been more skill than luck, too. We can divide Weaver’s 2026 campaign so far into three parts: a successful start in which he posted five straight scoreless appearances until April 7, the aforementioned struggles between April 9 and 30, and his most recent stretch of dominance. Again, consistency might not be his middle name, but when Weaver is healthy and has gotten into a nice rhythm, he is a solid setup man, even if his repertoire is a bit unorthodox. If he can somehow make enough strides with his cutter, he might be able to increase his ceiling. It’s much easier said than done, though. Weaver’s four-seam fastball and changeup have returned a .269 and a .228 xwOBA, respectively. The cutter, on the other hand, has a much worse .536 xwOBA. This metric tries to describe performance based on quantity and quality of contact, which suggests that this specific pitch has lacked command and has been rocked by hitters. Luke Weaver Has His Limitations The problem with Weaver is that while his changeup has some filthy movement, we have seen what hitters can do to it when they are sitting on it. So, he needs elite fastball command or for that cutter to improve if he’s going to hit his ceiling. Despite having stretches in which he looks borderline unplayable, Weaver has certainly salvaged his career with his move to the bullpen. The Mets decided to invest, and all things considered, it’s fair to say their faith has been rewarded with his performance so far. Even with the occasional meltdown, Weaver has proven he can be a solid eighth-inning guy or a high-leverage weapon for the Mets. He has certainly been on a nice run in May, and for the sake of the team, they should hope that it continues. View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Mills-Imagn Images Not many things have gone right for the 2026 New York Mets, although they do have a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. They are still dancing around last place in the NL East, and to say that injuries have treated them poorly would be an understatement. Brooks Raley, however, has been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable first couple of months in Queens. He is the perfect example of how an MLB pitcher can dominate at the highest level with well below-average velocity. The 37-year-old veteran ranks in the third percentile in fastball (or, in his case, sinker) velocity, but that 89.7 mph on average and his excellent secondary stuff have allowed him to rank in the 83rd percentile in strikeout rate, with 27.3 percent. Those stats were before taking the mound on Thursday and tossing a scoreless frame in the Mets' win over the Nationals, adding two punchouts to his season line. Brooks Raley Is the King of Contact Management How do you explain that kind of contrast? Usually, high velocity is directly correlated with a high strikeout rate, but Raley defies the odds in that department. He does it thanks to a unique pitch mix and a brilliant contact management profile. Most of Raley’s pitches are sweepers, a pitch he throws roughly 45 percent of the time. The sinker is second in his arsenal at 23 percent, and he rounds out his repertoire with a cutter (19 percent) and a changeup (13 percent). That stuff has helped him post an incredible 1.40 ERA in 19.1 innings of work in 2026. The walks, eight, have been a tad high, but they have been offset by his 23 punchouts to this point. Not only does Raley strike out lots of hitters, but he is also a master when it comes to managing contact. His 31.3 percent hard-hit rate is good enough to put him in the 87th percentile among all MLB pitchers, and it’s far from a fluke; his career mark is 28 percent. He limits hard contact like very few hurlers in baseball. A Run-Prevention Asset The Mets have certainly benefited from Raley’s reliability and overall excellence. Heading into the weekend, New York had the tenth-best bullpen ERA at 3.48, so you can see how the left-hander alone has positively influenced that number. Entering Thursday, Raley was third among Mets’ relievers with 0.3 fWAR, behind Devin Williams and Huascar Brazoban and tied with Luke Weaver. He has the best ERA among his peers on the team, though. Unlike some of the best lefties in the game, Raley can actually get right-handed hitters out consistently, which enables the manager to use him in almost any situation. He has a 13.3 K-BB% vs. lefty hitters, and a much better 19.1 mark against righties this season. All things considered, Raley has been a surprising asset for the Mets’ bullpen and figures to be a key pitcher in the upcoming weeks as they push to get out of their early-season hole. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The New York Mets entered the week of May 11 as the worst team in the league with a 15-25 record and a .375 winning percentage. That’s certainly not where owner Steven Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns, and manager Carlos Mendoza wanted to be after almost a month and a half into the season. The offense has been the main culprit of the mediocre Mets season, as they are dead last in wRC+ with an 81 mark. It’s baffling how a team with such a talented collection of hitters manages to underperform almost on a daily basis. In fact, things have been so bad that MJ Melendez leads the Mets in wRC+ among hitters with at least 50 plate appearances, with a 143 mark. He has played almost exclusively against right-handers, which is why he isn’t quite an everyday guy, but who knows where New York would be without him? Understanding MJ Melendez's Jekyll-and-Hyde Season Melendez is slashing a solid .271/.352/.500 with two home runs in 55 trips to the plate. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it doesn’t look all that sustainable if we look at his plate discipline profile. An accurate way to put Melendez’s current stat line would be a savage fight between his quality of contact and his plate discipline metrics. The former is aided by a 63.3 percent hard-hit rate, a 95.7 mph average exit velocity, and a 16.7 percent barrel rate. The latter, however, paints a grim picture. Melendez’s 30.8 percent chase rate is below-average, but it’s not nearly as problematic as his horrible 37.1 percent whiff rate, which would be among the league’s worst if he were a qualified hitter. The situation results in a 34.5 percent strikeout rate, which certainly doesn’t portend a continuation of his .271 batting average. You can tell that Melendez has been getting away with some luck, judging by his .407 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and his .290 xwOBA, which pales in comparison to his .374 wOBA. Expected stats say that the lefty-hitting slugger should have a .191 batting average and a .372 slugging percentage. So, yes, Melendez is punishing the ball when he hits it, but in reality, that hasn’t happened that often. In fact, he hasn’t swung that often, with his 47.9 percent swing rate qualifying as his lowest mark since 2023. He is trying to be ‘patient’ at the plate, as his 27.3 percent first-pitch swing rate is the lowest of his career. In the process, he has been letting a lot of hittable balls go by, as his 69.2 percent meatball swing rate is considerably lower than the league average of 76.2 percent and his career mark of 82.7 percent. Melendez’s 33.3 pull air percentage, however, is one of the highest in the league. To sum up, he often takes pitches, trying to find the right one, and when he does, his intention is to put up a powerful swing to his pull side. It seems that, in the process, he has lost a lot of his contact skills, which weren’t great to begin with. Of course, these are all conclusions based on a limited sample, so it might as well just be some unfiltered noise. But it will be interesting to see where Melendez’s 2026 tendencies take him, and if he can keep thriving with such a selective approach at the plate. View full article

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Back in the offseason, the New York Mets signed legendary closer and future Hall of Famer Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. When he didn’t make the team out of camp, people started to question whether the experiment was worth it and whether he would choose to stay and win a spot. He stuck around and, on April 11, the Mets called him up to see if he could, at least, replicate the form he showed in a brief stint with the Houston Astros after the Atlanta Braves designated him for assignment last year; in Houston, Kimbrel posted a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings, striking out 16 and walking six. That kind of reliever certainly has a home in a major-league bullpen. Is Kimbrel still of at least that caliber? Can Craig Kimbrel Still Get MLB Hitters Out? The Mets knew that the soon-to-be 38-year-old wasn’t a flamethrower anymore, but they believed he could still get MLB hitters out and, so far, they have been proven right. In seven games and 6.1 frames, the right-hander has a 4.26 ERA that comes with a much better 2.04 FIP. He has fanned eight and walked three, with a fastball averaging 93.1 mph. That’s a bit slower than last year’s 93.5 mph on average, but not catastrophically so. Can the Mets, whose bullpen has actually produced a decent 3.69 ERA that ranks ninth in baseball, keep counting on Kimbrel being a serviceable MLB-caliber reliever? Well, yes, but it depends on expectations. If you are expecting Kimbrel to return to being the pitcher that terrorized hitters and posted ERAs below 3.00 year in and year out while flirting with a 40 percent strikeout rate, you will be disappointed. If you lower the bar a bit and simply look for someone who can bridge the gap from the rotation to the leverage guys, then we may have a winner on our hands. Kimbrel can still miss some bats, but there are a few developments to pay attention to. His four-seamer currently has a 29.7 percent whiff rate, which is not bad, and his sweeper is getting swings and misses at a 50 percent rate, which is excellent but likely to go down a bit with a larger sample. The knuckle curve, one of his signature pitches, still hasn’t generated a whiff, though. It’s just 6.1 innings. The sample is tiny, almost too small to matter. But it’s worth monitoring that knuckle curve and its ability to miss bats, as Kimbrel’s success this year could hinge on it. It's important to note, however, that he can still pump his four-seamer up to the 96 mph range up in the zone when he needs to: Kimbrel Is Allowing Too Many Line Drives Another important development around Kimbrel is his groundball and fly ball ratios. From 2011 to 2015, the man with 440 saves was a groundball and strikeout behemoth. Then, from 2016 to this point, he morphed into a fly ball inducer, also with lots of punchouts, of course. This year, he has given up 0.60 groundballs for every ball in the air. That’s actually not that far from the trend that started in 2016, but the problem is that he is surrendering lots of line drives at the moment. A 40 percent line drive rate is just too high to think he can get away with it over a long stretch of games, and if he wants to achieve sustained success this year with the Mets, it will have to come down. If the contact in the air starts going further, Kimbrel is going to become unplayable. For now, all things considered, the profile is good enough for Kimbrel to be a good middle reliever, and that’s not bad considering age and other circumstances. Overall, the Mets should be happy with what they have gotten out of their former nemesis. View full article

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The New York Mets were expected to be a World Series contender before the start of the season. That can still be the case eventually, but saying that they look the part would be a lie of laughable proportions. They are, heading into May, last in the NL East with a 10-21 record. That’s the worst in baseball, in case you were wondering. If they have won 10 games to this point, it’s certainly not because of their woeful lineup, ranked dead last in baseball with an 80 wRC+. It’s because of their pitching, which has actually been pretty decent with a 4.17 ERA that ranks 15th among 30 teams. There have been a few standout performers from the mound, both in the bullpen and starting five. So, let's try and hide our shame while rewarding the three that stood out above the rest. Ranking New York Mets' Top 3 Pitchers in April 2026 #3: Tobias Myers 9 G (1 GS), 2.33 ERA, 19.1 IP, 3 BB, 16 K We could have gone with Huascar Brazoban or Brooks Raley here, but let’s stick with the newcomer Myers, who has been an asset in a multi-inning role from the bullpen. The ‘secondary piece’ of the Freddy Peralta deal has a 2.33 ERA and a 3.29 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in 19.1 innings, spread over nine games. Myers has shown he can thrive in any role, and that versatility has been excellent for the Mets’ pitching staff during these tough times. The best part of his statistical profile is that he doesn’t give away any walks, with a beautiful 4.2 percent free-pass rate. #2: Clay Holmes 6 GS, 1.75 ERA, 36 IP, 11 BB, 25 K Many fans and members of the media will probably consider Holmes the best pitcher of the Mets in April, and it’s hard to blame them. The guy, after all, has a 1.75 ERA, the fifth-best mark among qualified MLB starters before Friday’s games. Holmes hasn’t struck out that many hitters, with his 17.6 percent rate ranking in the 24th percentile, but has thrived with an elite groundball rate (58.1 percent, in the 93rd percentile). He has ditched his slider to bring back a curveball to his arsenal for the first time since 2021, and it’s paying dividends. #1: Nolan McLean 6 GS, 2.55 ERA, 35.1 IP, 10 BB, 45 K Despite having a higher ERA than Holmes, McLean has been the more impressive of the two and takes the unofficial crown given to the Mets’ pitcher of the month. Simply put, the young right-hander has blossomed into an ace, and nobody can dispute it anymore. He boasts an elite 2.55 ERA with an even-better 2.26 FIP, suggesting that the best may be yet to come for the rookie sensation. McLean has struck out 33.3 percent of the hitters he has faced this year, against just a 7.4 percent walk rate, an unequivocal proof of his dominance. He is tied for fifth in MLB with 1.3 fWAR among all qualified pitchers. Peralta is excellent, and Holmes has made an amazing transition to starting pitching. However, there’s no question that the Mets want McLean on the mound in a do-or-die game... should they ever get that far this year. Honorable Mentions: Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazoban View full article