Sean Manaea's spectacular mid-season renaissance
The veteran lefty was brilliant on Sunday as he continues to prove all of the doubters wrong
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets smoked the Pirates 11-1 at PNC Park on Sunday - they’ve now won five of their last six games (box)
LHP Sean Manaea started for the Mets and put forth his best start of the year, allowing just a run on three hits with 11 strikeouts
Bo Bichette went 5-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI on the afternoon, and all of Carson Benge, Luis Robert Jr. and Jared Young had multi-hit games
Robert and Francisco Álvarez both homered as part of a 15 hit day for the club
Jack Weisenburger made his MLB debut and gave the Mets two scoreless innings of relief
Roster Moves 📰
RHP Xzavion Curry optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
RHP Jack Weisenburger selected to the Major League roster
Play of the Game 🔥
With the Mets up 2-0 in the top of the third, Luis Robert Jr. hit a two-run home run to make it 4-0, which sent the Mets off to the races and a series victory against the Pirates.
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich and Andrew recap the club’s 5-1 week and dream about the Mets having a chance at a late-season run at a Wild Card.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Who’s Hot 🔥
Over his last 72 games, Bo Bichette is hitting .298/.337/.449 with 14 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, and 41 RBI with 85 hits and 38 runs scored
Over his last 50 games dating back to May 4, Francisco Álvarez is hitting .268/.363/.470 with seven doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBI with 45 hits and 20 runs scored
Over his last 20 games, Francisco Lindor is hitting .295/.396/.551 with three doubles, a triple, five home runs and 17 RBI with 23 hits and 11 runs scored
Over his last 26 games, Carson Benge is hitting .327/.396/.480 with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 13 RBI with seven stolen bases, 32 hits and 16 runs scored
Since Sean Manaea rejoined the rotation on June 13, he has pitched to a 3.50 ERA over 61.1 IP, allowing 58 hits with 61 strikeouts against only 18 walks, a span of 11 starts
Down on the Farm 🌾
1B Nick Lorusso (AAA): 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
DH Émilien Pitre (no. 17 prospect, AA): 2-for-4, R
OF Aidan Smith (no. 14 prospect, High-A): 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
INF Elian Peña (no. 4 prospect, Low-A): 1-for-4, 2B, R
BOX SCORES
Single-A SLU | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (52-67) vs. Braves (71-47)
Where: Truist Park - Atlanta, GA
Starters: RHP Christian Scott (3-3, 3.15 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Elder (8-6, 3.69 ERA)
When: 7:15 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Sean Manaea, an inspiration ✍️
The easy way out this morning would’ve been to write about how hot the Mets offense has been during this 5-1 post-trade deadline renaissance the Mets have been in over the last week.
But today, I wanted to discuss Sean Manaea, who has proven all of the doubters wrong over the last two months.
Let’s roll it back to Spring Training when Manaea showed up to camp throwing his fastball 88-89 mph. He was coming off a concerning first year of a three-year, $75 million contract with a sizable amount deferred, of course, and a lot of noise and chatter about an elbow that had loose bodies in it, which went unresolved. The results during spring training resulted in him being exiled to a long relief role in the bullpen when the season began, and while he looked good in that role at times early on, he wasn’t really able to see a lineup more than once. He was extraordinarily hittable, and questions began to percolate around whether or not he was actually done and not if the Mets were going to keep him around, but when they might actually cut him.
But Manaea asked for patience, asked for time, and essentially guaranteed his velocity and stuff would return if he was granted his asks.
Sure enough, as he trudged through in his long relief role, the velocity slowly began to creep up over the season’s first two months. It became a steady 89, then 90, then 91, and then it was 92. His sweeper also gained more velocity and movement, and because of both his stuff and a flat-out need for competence in their starting rotation, the Mets took a leap of faith and put Manaea back in the rotation for a start on June 13.
Fast forward to Sunday, and Manaea rewarded that faith with his best start pretty much since the 2024 postseason. He dominated a strong Pirates offense to the tune of 11 strikeouts over seven innings of one-run ball, the lone run coming off a solo home run from former Met Jake Mangum after Manaea had struck out six in a row.
The formula for Manaea has really been simple during this career resurgence of his. It’s four-seam fastballs and sweepers with the occasional show-me change-up and two-seam. Yes, the stuff and spin are all a lot better right now than they were, but that was the formula that turned him into a top-of-the-rotation star for the Mets during the 2024 season and made him their do-or-die arm in Game 6 of the 2024 NLCS.
That’s what he looks like now - the pitcher the Mets envisioned him to be when they re-signed him to this three-year deal two winters ago.
So, the question now is how sustainable is this for Manaea?
That part is unclear considering his track record. He’s also going to be 35 next season and even if he can finish strong down the stretch, it’s fair to question whether or not this flame will burn out over the off-season again, considering that’s what happened after the 2024 season while taking him a year and a half to light it again.
But if he does finish strong, the Mets will at least have a major league starting pitching option they clearly didn’t think they had even three months ago in the mix heading into the winter alongside Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton going into the off-season, with a clear need for another arm, with the guy who was recently traded to the Dodgers would be a perfect fit in front of McLean. If they can fill that need the way they truly need to, that could give the Mets one of the best and most well-rounded starting rotations in the game next season.
And while there’s unquestionably a ton of work to do aside from that, including rebuilding their bullpen, finding strong middle infield depth, starting pitching depth, and an actual first baseman, they’d have the part of the team that’s the most difficult to build set.
And for them, the starting rotation might be the easiest part of that considering it would only take what they have the most of, which is cash. And a level of risk they have been unwilling to take under David Stearns’s stewardship so far, of course.
But back to Manaea, who has been nothing short of a pitching inspiration this season.
I’ll be the first to tell you I thought he was through, even in Spring Training. I know there are a lot of you who felt the same way. But he has been the poster boy of perseverance over the course of his career, and has now demonstrated his true colors and dedication to his craft. It would’ve been very easy for him to look in the mirror and agree with the outside perception at the time. But he went to work, learned more about himself and what he needed to do to get his body back to where it was when he was a money starter for the Mets not even two years ago, and proved all of the doubters wrong.
Now, let’s just hope this isn’t short-lived and he can finish out his contract with the Mets the way he started.
Around the League 🚩
Jacob Misiorowski recorded his 200th strikeout of the year in the Brewers 4-3 win over the Twins
The Diamondbacks won a season series from the Dodgers for the first time in eight years with a 4-2 win in the desert
Cam Schlittler struck out 11 batters over seven innings, but took a 2-1 loss to the Braves in the Bronx
Hagen Smith won his MLB debut and helped the White Sox to a series win over the Guardians with a 5-3 bullpen game win to improve to 61-56 on the year
Manaea is so easy to root for. This group is really shaping up. Thanks for the analysis, Michael.
Just need a true ace to add to the team next year. Hmmm...mmm...mmm