Mets Get Pessimistic Standings Prediction After Deadline Arms Race with Phillies
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
It's been a back-and-forth battle between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies all season long.
Both National League East contenders have been very streaky. They've got strong lineups that have slightly underperformed at times, and though the Phillies have the stronger rotation on paper, the Mets have kept pace statistically all year.
However, both teams knew they needed to address their bullpens at the deadline, and they did so emphatically. The Phillies nabbed one of the most electric closers available in Jhoan Duran, while the Mets beefed up with Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto. They both grabbed rental outfielders as well: Harrison Bader for the Phillies, Cedric Mullins for the Mets.
Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 21, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 21, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo byNow that both teams have built their best possible rosters, the race is on for an all-important division title that could also come with a first-round bye in the postseason.
On Sunday, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted that the Mets, who entered play Monday trailing the Phillies by half a game, would finish second in the division, securing one of the NL's three wild-card spots.
"Who needs a farm system anyway? The Mets sent a combined five prospects to the Orioles for Cedric Mullins and Gregory Soto, three to the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley and three to the Giants for Tyler Rogers," wrote Miller.
"They didn't part with anything close to a top 100 prospect for that quarter of two-month rentals, though, and the bullpen improved from a gigantic question mark to a position of strength. We'll see whether the Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde version of Mullins shows up for them in center field, though."
If there's one very obvious silver lining to a potential second-place finish, it's that the Mets took down the division-winning Phillies as a wild-card team in last year's National League Division Series in four games.
However, it shouldn't be taken for granted that the Mets can once again catch lightning in a bottle during the Wild Card Series, and this team should do all it can to chase down a division title for the first time in 10 years.
More MLB: Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Has Defiant Response to Viral Baserunning Blunder
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
13 minutes ago
- New York Post
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran sets record in second team appearance
It took less than a week for Jhoan Duran to etch his name into the Phillies' record books. The flamethrowing closer has made just two appearances for Philadelphia since he was dealt from the Twins ahead of last week's trade deadline, but he's already unleashed the fastest pitch in Citizens Bank Park history. The record-setting toss was a 103.3 mph fastball, which Duran pitched to Tigers All-Star Riley Greene in the ninth inning of the Phillies' 2-0 win over Detroit Sunday night. The pitch was fouled off, but Duran struck out Greene to end the game on the following toss, a 102.5 mph heater that set a record as the Phillies' fastest game-ending strikeout since the pitch tracking era began in 2008, according to MLB's Sarah Langs. In the same at-bat against Greene, Duran also threw a 102.7 mph fastball. Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Tigers. Getty Images After the game, Phillies manager Rob Thomson deadpanned of the record-setting pitch to the Philadelphia Inquirer: 'That's pretty good.' Philadelphia acquired Duran last Wednesday in exchange for two of their top prospects, Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait. Widely considered one of the best closers in baseball, Duran has a 1.93 ERA with 54 strikeouts this season across 51 1/3 innings. He was also known for having one of the most electric bullpen entrances in baseball during his time in Minnesota, with fans turning their phone flashlights on en masse to welcome Duran to the field as Farruko's 'El Incomprendido' (mixed with Pitbull and Daddy Yankee's 'Hot') blared through the speakers. Phillies closer Jhoan Duran enters to a light show in Friday's 5-4 win over the Tigers. AP That entrance was immediately adopted by the Phillies, to the elation of fans. The Dominican Republic native broke into the majors with Minnesota in 2022, and has posted a sub-3.00 ERA in three of his four MLB seasons. He cannot claim the fastest pitch thrown in the big leagues this year, though – the Padres' Mason Miller owns that title after pitching a 104.1 mph fastball when with the Athletics.
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Mets Slammed By Insider For Tyler Rogers Trade: 'Biggest Overpay'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Trade deadlines are all about risk and reward, and the New York Mets certainly entered the proceedings with a high-rolling attitude this season. The Mets brought in three relievers to overhaul their bullpen, plus a new center fielder in Cedric Mullins. That necessitated the exits of 11 players, most of whom were prospects. Trading prospects is nothing out of the ordinary, but it was the caliber of prospects given away in the trade for ex-San Francisco Giants reliever Taylor Rogers that raised some eyebrows. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Tyler Rogers #71 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game at Oracle Park on July 29, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty... SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Tyler Rogers #71 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game at Oracle Park on July 29, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San)On Monday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic called the Rogers trade the "biggest overpay" of the entire deadline, as New York sent outfielder Drew Gilbert and pitchers Blade Tidwell and José Buttó to San Francisco. "Trading three future major-league players (Buttó joined the Giants and is controllable through 2030) for a two-month rental seemed like an overpay, especially if Gilbert develops into an everyday player. I thought dealing two of those three for Rogers would have been fair," wrote Bowden. Tidwell and Gilbert now rank as the 12th and 13th-best prospects in San Francisco's system, according to MLB Pipeline. Both are in Triple-A and could debut before the season ends. So was the Rogers trade really an overpay? There are good arguments to be made on both sides. Certainly, Tidwell and Gilbert could eventually develop into stars, as they were two of the more highly regarded prospects traded at the deadline. And the fact that Buttó has already seen success as a major league reliever makes it seem as though the Giants could replace a lot of Rogers' production that they would have lost in free agency. But the Mets also didn't touch their true blue-chippers, Top 100 prospects like Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, and Carson Benge. How many farmhands does a team with a checkbook as thick as the Mets' really need? More MLB: Phillies' Kyle Schwarber Projected to Break Bank With Free Agent Contract
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
Atlanta Braves place Austin Riley on injured list
1 of 5 | Veteran infielder Austin Riley hit .260 over his first 102 games this season for the Atlanta Braves. File Photo by Mike Zarrilli/UPI. | License Photo Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Braves placed Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower abdominal muscle, the National League franchise announced Monday. The Braves also recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas and optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers. Riley sustained the abdominal strain during the Braves' 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Bristol, Tenn. He also landed on the injured list on July 12 due to an abdominal strain. Riley hit .260 with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs through his first 102 games this season. The two-time All-Star hit .256 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs over 110 appearances last season. He hit more than 30 home runs each season from 2021 through 2023. He hit a career-best .303 in 2021. The Braves (47-63) sit in fourth place in the National League East, 15.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies (63-48). They will host the Milwaukee Brewers (67-44) at 7:15 p.m. EDT Monday in Atlanta.
