Mets win big in SF, but now have to cross their fingers on Juan Soto
Nolan McLean shines without his best stuff and the offense has a huge get-right game in San Francisco
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets broke out offensively in a big way on the way to beating the Giants 10-3 on Friday night (box)
RHP Nolan McLean took a perfect game into the sixth inning, eventually finishing with two runs allowed on one hit and two walks with four strikeouts over 5.1 innings in total
Other than RHP Richard Lovelady giving up another earned run, the bullpen did its job with LHP Brooks Raley, RHP Huascar Brazobán, and RHP Luis García all delivering scoreless outings
2B Marcus Semien led the way for an unrelenting offense, finishing 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, one run scored, and three RBIs
C Francisco Álvarez also had a monster night at the plate, blasting a pair of solo home runs
3B Bo Bichette showed signs of a breakout, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI single, and a double
DH Mark Vientos, making his fourth straight start, also had a big night after finishing 2-for-3 with two walks, a run scored, and one RBI
In all, the Mets put up 15 hits with everyone contributing, while the 10 runs scored were more than what the offense put up in the previous four games combined
Injury Updates 🏥
LF Juan Soto exited Friday’s game with right calf tightness after the first inning and will undergo an MRI on Saturday to assess the damage
1B/DH Jorge Polanco was out of the lineup on Friday because of Achilles tendinitis, his second game missed in the last four
Play of the Game ⭐️
This was a hard one because there were several contenders for POTG. I was incredibly tempted to go with Marcus Semien’s first home run as a Met, a solo shot that made it a 4-0 game in the fourth inning.
However, after much deliberation, I’ve decided to go with the opening run of the entire game. After struggling in the previous handful of games, the lineup came out swinging with two straight hits. Then up came Bo Bichette with a chance to give his team an early lead.
Now, usually, Bichette is a savant with runners in scoring position. However, he’s really struggled in those kinds of situations to begin the year, and a continuation of those struggles could have led to an entirely different game. Instead, Bichette came through with an RBI single to plate a runner, and the offense never really looked back from that moment on.
Of course, this was also the sequence in which Juan Soto ended up getting hurt, so we could end up looking back on this play as consequential for a whole different reason.
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
In this free preview of the latest Patreon exclusive episode of The Just Mets Podcast, Andrew Claudio and Rich MacLeod face-off in another draft, making up teams of the players they think will combine for the most total home runs during the 2026 regular season. Become a Patreon member for full access to the episode.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Christian Scott (Triple-A): 3.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR
LF MJ Melendez (Triple-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 HR
DH Nick Morabito (No. 12 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-4, 1 2B
CF A.J. Ewing (No. 3 prospect, Double-A): 3-for-6, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB
C Chris Suero (No. 15 prospect, Double-A): 1-for-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 1 HR
SS Elian Peña (No. 8 prospect, Single-A): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B
RF Simon Juan (Single-A): 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 SB
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (4-4) at Giants (3-5)
Where: Oracle Park - San Francisco, CA
Starters: RHP Clay Holmes (1-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Landen Roupp (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
When: 9:05 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
The offense steps up, but not without a (potential) big price ✍️
Friday night was the very definition of a mixed bag for the New York Mets.
While the pitching was good again, and the offense really broke out to help secure a much-needed win, an injury to the most important player on the team somewhat overshadowed what was a get-right night.
Juan Soto will undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine just how bad his right-calf tightness is.
And the entire Mets universe holds its collective breath.
I’m not going to speculate about the severity of Soto’s injury here, because we just don’t know. Hopefully, we will get some concrete answers later.
And I’m also going to try my best not to spiral into full-out doom mode until we get news.
However, with that said, it goes without saying that Soto being out for any amount of time would be a major blow for the Mets. Kyle Tucker ended up missing a few weeks with a left calf strain in 2025. Of course, every player can be different, but we know the calf area can be a tricky area to manage. Maybe Soto missing a few weeks is the best news we can hope for.
Another concern is Jorge Polanco, who was out of the lineup on Friday with Achilles tendinitis. Achilles injuries are like kryptonite to professional athletes, and it will behoove the Mets to proceed with absolute caution with Polanco.
Of course, and with no disrespect intended, Polanco isn’t as big a miss as Soto will be, but it could pose some problems if Polanco continues to be impacted by the injury as we get deeper into the season.
Again, losing any player is a blow, and Soto being out for any amount of time would absolutely suck for this team. It could be even worse than that if the news is worse than not great. Especially when you consider that the outfielder was off to a hot start, hitting .355/.412/.516/.928.
Of course, others will just have to step up, just as they did on Friday night.
Injuries aside, last night was hugely positive because of how good the offense looked, which ensured that a really good Nolan McLean start and some impressive cameos out of the bullpen were not wasted.
The lineup was relentless, striking early and never really letting up. Bo Bichette coming through with runners on in the first inning was a huge moment, and he went on to produce his best game in a Mets uniform. Hopefully that moment now gives Bichette the momentum he needs to get into a groove and really go off. Francisco Alvarez is now on pace for 60 home runs after mashing a pair of solo homers, showcasing the kind of raw power and big-game performances we know he’s capable of.
We’re only a week into the season, but we’re starting to see the full version of Alvarez, something we’ve all waited a long time for. He’s hitting .286/.375/.762/.1.137 with three homers, two walks, five runs scored, and three RBIs. If he can stay healthy, then one can’t help but be excited about the potential production levels in 2026.
Mark Vientos also had a strong night at the plate, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances, while finishing with a run scored and a RBI. If Polanco needs to be carefully managed over the next few weeks, then Vientos is showing that he can be trusted to DH every day.
Let’s not forget about Marcus Semien. Like Bichette, the veteran put together his most productive night as a Met, hitting an RBI single in the first inning and a two-run homer in the fourth. Semien finished with three hits, a run scored, and three RBIs, while showcasing that he may not be a net negative at the plate. Granted, the Mets traded for the second baseman for his defense, but if Semien can produce even just above-average offense and have the kind of offensive nights like he did on Friday every so often, then that will help to lengthen the lineup and ensure that every part of the order is a tough-out.
All in all, it was just a relentless, well-balanced attack by the offense, providing a much-needed tonic after a rough few games. The key now is to build on Friday night and use it as a springboard for greater things.
Of course, we saw this lineup break out on Opening Day only to go ice cold for the next bunch of games, and that obviously can’t happen again. The likes of Bichette and Semien will need to kick on now and string together a run of consistent, productive at-bats.
We’ve now had another tantalizing look at what this offense is capable of, and maintaining it and staying hot will now be key, especially if Soto is confirmed to be out for any length of time.
Around the League 🚩
The Blue Jays signed veteran LHP Patrick Corbin to a one-year, $1 million deal (MLB.com)
Pirates SS Konnor Griffin hit a double in his first Major League at-bat, becoming the first teenage position player to collect his first hit in his MLB debut in well over a decade. Pittsburgh beat the Orioles, 5-4
SS Tristan Gray hit his first career grand slam to help the Twins beat the Rays, 10-4, in their home opener
DH Shohei Ohtani blasted his first home run of the year and RF Kyle Tucker hit his first homer as a Dodger as LA beat Washington, 13-6
DH Chase DeLauter hit his fifth home run of the year and finished with three RBIs to help the Guardians to a 4-1 win over the Cubs
Best part last night was hearing Gary & Todd talk about McLeans benders being like wiffle ball pitches.
🤞 for Soto. I think last night showed the vision of what this offense can do. Bichette looks like he figured out how to hit again and Alvarez and Vientos are both locked in right now. McLean is the real deal!