The key to the Mets starting pitching needs may already be here...

Also - the Mets got walked off to end their first half by the Royals in a low-scoring game

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What’s up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The Mets failed to complete a weekend sweep in Kansas City, falling to the Royals by the score of 3-2 (box)

• RHP Clay Holmes started for the Mets and pitched well, going five innings while allowing two runs on five hits. He walked one, hit a batter, and struck out two, and finished his first half with a 3.31 ERA

• LHP Sean Manaea piggybacked Holmes to make his long awaited 2025 debut and was fantastic, firing 3.1 innings and striking out seven before allowing the a walk-off single to Nick Loftin

• Juan Soto endured an uncharacteristically frustrating day at the plate, going 0-4 with three strikeouts

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Roster Moves 📰

• LHP Sean Manaea returned from rehab assignment and reinstated from the 60-Day Injured List

• RHP Austin Warren optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

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2025 MLB Draft - Day 1 🚨

The Mets selected INF Mitch Voit (#38) and INF Antonio Jimenez (#102) on day one of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft

Voit, who recently completed his junior season at the University of Michigan, started all 56 games at second base and hit .346/.471/.668. He led the Wolverines in home runs (14), walks (40), steals (14), SLG (.668) and OPS (1.139). He spent three seasons with the Wolverines, batting .303/.398/.564 with 127 runs, 46 doubles, seven triples, 35 homers, 128 RBI and 19 steals in 169 games. The native of Milwaukee, WI, Voit was named the Wisconsin Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year in 2022.

Jimenez, a right-handed hitting infielder, spent his sophomore year at the University of Central Florida where he appeared in 55 games. He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after batting .329/.407/.575 with 55 runs, 14 doubles, two triples, 11 homers and 51 RBI. The Davie, FL native spent one season at the University of Miami before transferring to UCF. He was a four-year letterman at Archbishop McCarthy High School and served as captain in his final year.

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Play of the Game 🌟

Speedy Tyler Tolbert entered the game for defense in the seventh inning but ended up playing an enormous role in its outcome.

After the Mets had rallied for two runs to tie the game in the top of the 9th, Tolbert stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the frame. After lining an opposite-field single, he then stole second base—a feat made easier after the Mets had just pinch-hit for Luis Torrens. Hayden Senger did not come close to throwing him out at 2nd base, and once he was able to get into scoring position, he easily raced home on Nick Loftin’s soft single into left field.

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Who’s Hot? 🥵

• 3B Mark Vientos enjoyed a much-needed strong weekend in Kansas City, going 5-12 with two extra base hits and 3 RBI

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• C Francisco Álvarez (Triple-A): 3-for-3, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI

• RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 14 prospect, Triple-A) 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, BB, 6 K

• IF/OF D’Andre Smith (Double-A): 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI

BOX SCORES

Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG |Triple-A SYR

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Today’s Game 🗓️

Today marks the first day of the All-Star break. The Mets will resume action Friday night at Citi Field against Cincinnati.

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Clay Holmes may well be the key to the Mets trade deadline… ✍️

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Mets wrapped up the first half of their 2025 season yesterday in a game that featured two pitchers that will figure prominently into the club’s thinking as we approach the trade deadline at the end of this month.

Lefty Sean Manaea emerged as New York’s ace down the stretch last summer and into the postseason, and seeing him take the mound after missing the first three and a half months was exceptionally encouraging.

Manaea is an arm the Mets were counting on to lead this rotation, and getting both he and right-hander Kodai Senga back from injury this weekend represented a major boon for this pitching staff as a whole.

But I’m here to tell you that the one pitcher who may single-handedly impact what moves the Mets make later this month more than anyone else is the guy who started the game on Sunday, Clay Holmes.

Even in the absence of Manaea early in the year, New York’s rotation was an unexpected strength for the first several weeks of 2025 despite their downturn over the last month. When healthy, Senga pitched like one of the best starters in baseball, David Peterson emerged as an all-star caliber southpaw, Griffin Canning outperformed the back of his baseball card, and Tylor Megill—as usual—got off to a good start to the year. Then there was Holmes, whose transition from dominant late inning stopper to starter was looking like a resounding success.

And then, as we well know, the Mets staff was decimated by an inordinate amount of injuries in a short amount of time.

At one point, Senga, Megill, Canning, as well as Paul Blackburn were all on the injured list, as well as a bounty of Mets relievers.

Starting pitching instantly shot to the top of the Mets July wish list, but this team also needs a legitimate 8th inning reliever to serve as the bridge to star closer Edwin Diaz.

But what if the answer to that question is already on this pitching staff?

I’m not going to make an argument that Holmes has not performed well as a starter. How could I? Following his outing Sunday, he finished his first half with a 3.31 ERA across 19 starts. My concern, however, is that he’s now up to 103.1 innings—with his previous career high being 70. And even that was a number he only hit once. In fact, Holmes threw only 189.2 cumulative innings across three seasons from ‘22-’24.

That number is representative of the workload a frontline starting pitcher contributes year in and year out.

Is it really realistic for the Mets to expect Holmes to continue pitching at the level he has so far, for as many as three more months?

At some point, and I would be stunned if these conversations weren’t already underway, I think the Mets need to seriously discuss sliding Holmes—who was an all-star closer in the Bronx—into the 8th inning to form a dominant 1-2 punch with Diaz and essentially shorten games to seven innings.

The ability to even consider such a move would not have been possible while the Mets rotation was so decimated by injuries, but with the tide finally turning in that regard, I think it’s a much more realistic possibility. New York now has a chance to run out a starting five that features:

1. Kodai Senga

2. Sean Manaea

3. David Peterson

4. Frankie Montas—who has quietly pitched well in his last couple of outings

The Mets obviously need a 5th starter and will arguably go back to using a six-man rotation when possible to help manage Senga’s rest.

But with the high likelihood of an impact starting pitcher being added via trade, Blackburn getting close to a return, as well as top prospects Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat pitching well in the minor leagues, New York could—dare I even say it—soon have an abundance of starting options again.

I think the bullpen could use another arm even with Holmes potentially joining the relief corps, but I also think this is a move that eventually makes too much sense not to happen.

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Around the League 🚩

• Phillies C JT Realmuto clubbed a game-winning RBI double in the 8th inning to defeat the Padres, 2-1

• Cubs SS Dansby Swanson homered and drove in two runs in Chicago’s 4-1 win over the Yankees

• Red Sox OF Ceddanne Rafaela crushed a homer during a three-run 6th inning that propelled Boston to their 10th win in a row

• The Mariners blasted five home runs on Sunday as they doubled up Detroit by the score of 8-4

• Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi went 7.2 terrific innings, allowing just a run on five hits and striking out eight in Texas’ 5-1 win in Houston