The Mets are in good shape as the second half begins!
After a roller coaster first half, the Mets are in good standing as the second half begins
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
RHP Kodai Senga’s next start will be with Triple-A Syracuse which could allow him to return for the series against the Braves
The Mets unveiled their 2025 schedule Mariokart style (Twitter.com)
The Mets agreed to sign C Logan Porter to a split contract - he will likely be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse (KPRC 2)
Playoff Race 🏁
The Mets are now one game ahead of the Diamondbacks and Padres for the third Wild Card spot in the National League, and are 1/2 game behind the Cardinals for the second wild card with 67 games to play.
Per FanGraphs, the Mets have a 44.1 percent chance of making the postseason in 2024.
They have the 10th easiest schedule in MLB the rest of the way.
Mets 2025 Schedule 📅
Down on the Farm 🌾
All Mets minor league affiliates were off during the MLB All-Star break.
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (49-46) @ Marlins (33-63)
Where: loanDepot Park - Miami, FL
Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (6-3, 3.46 ERA) vs. RHP Edward Cabrera (1-3, 8.26 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Five questions facing the Mets as the second half begins… ✍️
The 2024 season has been a wild ride for both the team and fans alike. Going from eleven games under .500 to now owning a Wild Card spot has been quite the turnaround and it could not have come at a better time since the Trade Deadline is right around the corner. So now as the second half is set to begin there are five questions facing this team that will need to be answered in the coming weeks.
The Mets will open their post All-Star Game schedule with a series against the Marlins, followed by a short series with the Yankees in The Bronx. They have a generally easy schedule the rest of the way while already owning a playoff spot, which could help answer a lot of these questions anyway, assuming they don’t stumble out of the gate in the second half.
Will the Mets buy or sell at the Trade Deadline? David Stearns will most likely be a busy man over the coming weeks. Whether the Mets continue to play well or not Stearns will have many decisions to make. Pete Alonso is most likely staying put for now and if the team wants to stay in contention Stearns will have to address the bullpen. There is a scenario where the team both buys and sells like when Stearns traded Josh Hader when he was with Milwaukee. With the return of Kodai Senga and the emergence of Christian Scott, the Mets could trade from their pool of starting pitchers which is certainly a risky proposition especially given the starters’ injury history. No matter what route Stearns decides he will need to do better than 2022 deadline which altered the course of that season.
Will the Mets promote from within? RHP Brandon Sproat is having a phenomenal season in Double-A. The 23-year-old is 6-1 with a 1.71 ERA and had the honor of pitching in the Futures Game. After starting the year in Brooklyn, he remained successful after making the jump to Double-A. The Mets already promoted Scott this season will they do the same with Sproat?
Will Francisco Lindor force himself into the MVP conversation? As it stands now his fWAR of 4.1 is fourth in the league trailing only Shohei Ohtani, Elly De La Cruz, and Bryce Harper. He is hitting .253/.329/.783 with 17 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. He is on pace for another 30/30 season and if he stays healthy he could surpass the numbers he put up last year when he accomplished that feat. He has been a key factor in the Mets turnaround and should they make the playoffs he will be a big reason why. The team has never had a MVP in its history and while it might be hard to overtake Ohtani, Lindor should be in the conversation.
How successful will Kodai Senga be when he returns? It was always going to be hard to top his successful rookie campaign but it is hard to judge just what the Mets are going to get out of Senga when he comes back from the IL. So far he has looked good in his rehab starts but the true test will come when he is back in the big leagues. Missing half of his sophomore season is far from ideal but having the righty and his devastating ghost fork back in the rotation could potentially swing the race in the Mets favor.
OMG! Will the José Iglesias vibes carry on through the rest of the season? While OMG is a certified banger and has brought impeccable vibes to the team there is a deeper story here. Iglesias has outplayed Jeff McNeil and should probably be the starter going forward. McNeil is a fine replacement in the outfield while Starling Marte is out with an injury but Iglesias should be the starting second baseman when the second half begins.
Around the League 🚩
The Dodgers and Cubs will open the 2025 season on March 18 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan
May 16-18 2025 will be Rivalry Weekend across baseball where 11 of the 15 matchups will feature Interleague rivals while the others are regional matchups
The Orioles have reportedly checked-in on the availability of closer Mason Miller with the Athletics (MLB.com)
The Athletics are reportedly calling up top prospect SS Jacob Wilson
The St. Petersburg city council approved a new stadium for the Rays (Tampa Bay Times)