The new look bullpen for the Mets is off to an impressive start

The bullpen pitched well as part of a three-game sweep of the Guardians this week

Linda Surovich

Aug 07, 2026

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

The Mets finished off a sweep of the Guardians with a 13-6 win in Cleveland (box)
RHP Nolan McLean was shaky but did enough to secure the win. He gave up five runs in five innings and struck out eight
Both RHP Kodai Senga and RHP Nate Lavender struck out two in their scoreless innings of work
2B Marcus Semien, C Luis Torrens, and SS Francisco Lindor all hit home runs in the series finale
RF Carson Benge went 3-for-6 with a triple, two runs scored, and two RBIs
CF Luis Robert Jr. also had three hits. He went 3-for-6 with two runs scored

Injury Updates 🏥

RHP Devin Williams (arm fatigue) was available on Friday

Upgrade to a paid subscription!

Play of the Game 🔥

Believe it or not, this was a close game at one point.

In the bottom of the fifth, Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run home run off Nolan McLean to pull the Guardians to within one run. It was still a 6-5 game in the seventh inning when Francisco Lindor came to bat with two runners on and two outs. He blasted a home run over the right field wall against his former team to give the Mets a 9-5 lead.

The Mets tacked on runs in the eighth, but it was Lindor’s home run that was the nail in the coffin for Cleveland. It turned a one-run lead into a four-run lead at a crucial part of the game. It’s especially important since the Mets don’t really know what they have in their bullpen after they sold off numerous pieces at the deadline. Any cushion they can give themselves in the late innings can only help them as the season winds down.

Who’s Hot 🔥

Over his last nine games, Carson Benge is hitting .351/.368/.622 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, four RBI, with 13 hits and six runs scored
Over his last 17 games, Francisco Lindor is hitting .290/.372/.580 with three doubles, a triple, five home runs, 16 RBI with 20 hits and eight runs scored
Over his last 10 games, Luis Torrens is hitting .333/.405/.576 with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, with 11 hits and six runs scored

The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich MacLeod recaps the Mets impressive sweep over the Guardians and discusses the state of the team post-trade deadline.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Down on the Farm 🌾

2B Mitch Voit (No. 6 prospect, Double-A): 5-for-6, 5 R, 2 RBIs, BB, K
3B Billy Amick (Double-A): 3-for-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, BB, K
RHP Gary Gill Hill (No. 19 prospect, Double-A): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

BOX SCORES

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

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (50-66) at Pirates (57-60)

Where: PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA

Starters: LHP Zac Thornton (2-2, 2.88 ERA) vs. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (6-3, 3.15 ERA)

When: 6:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: WPIX

The Mets’ bullpen is both interesting and fun, albeit a complete unknown now ✍️

While nobody wants to be in the position to sell at the trade deadline, it might be a blessing in disguise for this organization. They have been gifted a blank slate with the departures of A.J. Minter, Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán, and Brooks Raley.

Right now, the bullpen is comprised of Xzavion Curry, Daniel Duarte, Nate Lavender, Chayce McDermott, Dedniel Núñez, Kodai Senga, Jefry Yan, and Devin Williams. McDermott was acquired from the Dodgers in exchange for C Ben Rortvedt and pitched two scoreless innings in his Mets debut. Yan and Lavender both had successful major league debuts and showed some promise on the mound too. Senga is transitioning to a short reliever after struggling the past two seasons as a starter and has had mixed results so far, but he’s looked good in his first two outings in that role.

In an extremely small sample so far since the trade deadline, the bullpen only allowed one earned run in the series against the Guardians in their three-game sweep in Cleveland this week. Yes, the Cleveland offense is meh, but results are results and for all of these guys auditioning either for roles here or for roles elsewhere next year, they’re off to an impressive start in that journey. Xzavion Curry gave up a run in the ninth in the finale against Cleveland, but the game was well in hand at that point, and relievers are going to give up runs - the issue is always when and what the cost is.

While Minter, Weaver, Brazobán, and Raley were all proven veterans, the team’s current group is all unproven at the major league level. Núñez, Yan, Lavender, and Senga have all struggled with injuries in the past and have spent a lengthy amount of time on the IL. But there’s clear upside with all. We have already seen the value Núñez can provide specifically given what he did in 2024 for this organization that year. He unquestionably has work to do to get back to that level for sure given he has dealt with so many arm problems over the last two years, but he has the makeup to be a meaningful part of a major league bullpen.

Lavender has had his own difficult path to the big leagues with his arm problems, but he has a chance to distinguish himself as an option from the left side of the bullpen heading into 2027. Remember - the Mets will be nose deep in the relief pitching markets this winter, in search of setup men, middle relievers, and pretty much anyone who is available, including a closer potentially if they decide to move Devin Williams into a setup role (which they should at least consider, if not totally pursue this winter). They probably won’t fill all of their needs in the external markets, so someone like Lavender, if he is able to stand out over the next two months, can prove he belongs in one of the likely two spots on the left side heading into next season.

Then of course there’s the lefty Yan, whose eccentricity combined with electricity is unquestionably an intriguing part of the equation. He’s a hard thrower - his problem has always been command. But again, if he can prove he belongs over the course of a difficult schedule down the stretch, there’s a lot of value - both on the field and from an entertainment perspective - in having him around next season as well.

Imagine a world where Yan and Lavender can be successful the rest of the way and be a part of the solution next year? Would be nice to see two good stories win out here.

Duarte has also been quite impressive. He doesn’t throw hard and pitches to contact but gets a ton of chase and weak contact thanks to his cutter, a pitch he primarily depends on. He needs to work on his off-speed pitches specifically, but he’s another guy to watch down the stretch as well.

With the Mets firmly out of the race, wins and losses don’t matter as much as evaluating who can help this ballclub win in the near future. If this bullpen ends up succeeding, that is an added bonus, but the focus has to be on 2027 and beyond.

Around the League 🚩

Beloved Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season (ESPN)
Seattle reliever Gabe Speier received a three-game suspension for throwing at Gleyber Torres which sparked a benches-clearing incident (MLB.com)
The Red Sox won their eighth straight game despite trailing in the ninth and every inning of extras
The Braves also won their eighth straight game with the help of two Marlins outfielders colliding and sending a ball over the wall for a home run
The Twins are expected to place RHP Joe Ryan on the IL with a mild glute strain (ESPN)

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?