What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets were off on Monday and will kick off a six game homestand when they open a three game series with the Brewers tonight
A Mets/Brewers series in late August doesn’t have nearly the juice that it could’ve after blockbuster winter trade (NY Daily News)
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
In the latest edition of The Just Mets Podcast, Andrew and Rich recap a .500 week for the Mets as they came back down to reality this past weekend in Chicago, and talk about how things look for the club moving forward.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Down on the Farm 🌾
All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (59-72) vs Brewers (81-50)
Where: Citi Field – Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Zac Thornton (3-4, 3.04 ERA) vs. LHP Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.84 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
What do the Mets really have in Nate Lavender and Daniel Duarte?✍️
When the Mets traded away the majority of their Major League bullpen at the trade deadline three weeks ago, it was abundantly clear that opportunities would be aplenty for the relievers that had been in the upper levels of New York’s minor league system.
And two guys in particular, Daniel Duarte and Nate Lavender, have absolutely taken their opportunities and run with them.
Now, there’s an old adage in this sport to beware of what you see in March and September. The message behind that statement is clear: spring training performances can fool you, as can September baseball when some teams are in large part out of the race.
That last part is what a pessimist would point to in an effort to subdue the enthusiasm around the Mets’ new breakout relief stars, but the reality is the calendar still says August, and while the Mets have been playing their best baseball of the season right now, it’s mostly come against teams still fighting for something.
I want to start the meat of this piece by talking about Duarte.
The righty has been well traveled in his career, a veteran of five Major League organizations as well as a stint in the Mexican League.
But prior to this season, he’d only pitched in 36 big league games.
Earlier this year, the Mets promoted him briefly three times, only to immediately send him back to Triple-A Syracuse. Until late July when he came back up to stay.
And his sample size in the Majors this season has now grown long enough that it is impossible to ignore.
In 18 outings, he’s pitched to a dazzling 1.17 ERA with an 0.65 WHIP. Opponents have managed just a .130 batting average against him, and he’s struck out exactly a hitter/inning in 23 frames. Duarte has registered four holds and two saves, has not allowed an inherited runner to score, and has surrendered only one home run.
What he’s been doing pitching in high-leverage situations for the better part of a month has gone from interesting to intriguing, and the Mets may have genuinely lucked into a real steal here. We aren’t talking about a guy with a big fastball here - Duarte is averaging around 95 mph on the gun on that pitch. But that’s not his bread and butter - his cutter is his most depended-upon pitch, and his most effective at that.
It’s what got him here, it’s what’s getting outs here, it’s what’s putting his name on the Mets radar for their bullpen plans for 2027.
The same can be said about his bullpen mate, Lavender, who has taken quite a circuitous route to calling Citi Field home.
The lefty was chosen by the Mets in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. He pitched well early in his professional career, until hitting a huge bump in the road in May of ‘24 when he was forced to undergo a variation of Tommy John surgery during which an internal brace was inserted into his throwing elbow.
Somewhat curiously, the following offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Lavender in the Rule 5 draft. He missed the entirety of the 2025 season still recovering from his surgery, and at the end of the year, the Rays returned him to the Mets.
And here in 2026, a rejuvenated Lavender has been a real asset for the Mets. He pitched for three different minor league affiliates earlier this year as he re-acclimated himself to the professional game, and just after the deadline, was brought to the Major Leagues for the very first time. The name of his game is deception - he apparently hides the ball really well and is difficult to pick up from the box. That’s in part how he’s been able to get such good chase and swing and miss on a 92-93 mph fastball - batters just can’t pick him up.
He hasn’t logged nearly as many appearances thus far as Duarte, but he has been the biggest reason the Mets have not felt the losses of veteran southpaws A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley nearly as much as they expected to.
In eight big league contests, Lavender has not allowed a run, while surrendering just a hit and two walks in 7.2 innings. He’s struck out 10 hitters, given up just a .043 batting average against, and like Duarte, has stranded all of his inherited runners.
Now, I’m fully aware that three good weeks are not nearly enough for the organization to rethink the offseason plan they’ve conceivably already been formulating for a few months now.
But on every successful team are feel-good stories where the organization will admit they got lucky.
Nobody involved with the Mets back in spring training would have been likely to have thought Duarte and Lavender would be the team’s top two relievers in late August.
But here we are, and if these trends can continue, both should absolutely be in the mix for bullpen roles when the Mets head to spring training next winter.
Around the League 🚩
The Astros and longtime GM Dana Brown have mutually agreed to part ways (MLB)
The Marlins have fired the majority of their pro scouting department (USA Today)
RHP Drew Rasmussen allowed just one run in six strong innings en route to earning his 14th victory of the season in the Rays 4-1 win over the Tigers
Mickey Gasper reached base four times and drove in a run in Boston’s 4-2 road win down in Miami
Daylen Lile contributed three hits including a home run, and drove in five, during the Nationals 13-3 drubbing of Colorado
I still think they should have hung on to both Brazoban and Weaver. And why was so much money included with the latter player in the deal to the Pirates?
If they've lucked out with Duarte and Lavendar, so much the better. As you say, we'll see if it lasts. I wouldn't be surprised if bullpen next year ends up as a weakness rather than the strength it was this year. Was surprised that you wrote that Duarte has a "big fastball" and said it's 95 mph. Looking it up, I found this: "The average MLB four-seam fastball velocity is 94.7 mph, setting a historic high.". Of course, that doesn't account for movement.