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Forbes
37 minutes ago
- Business
- Forbes
Mets Continue To Do More With Less As Starting Rotation Flourishes
The prevailing narrative is that the New York Mets, led by owner Steve Cohen, are successful because they are a financial behemoth. And yes, they do have the largest payroll in baseball, and they did steal Juan Soto from the crosstown rival Yankees for a satchel full of money last offseason. But it's been a whole lot more than dollars that has propelled the Mets to the 2024 NLCS and first place in the NL East thus far this season. The overperformance of their relatively inexpensive starting rotation has played a pivotal role as well. Since the departure of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander by the 2023 trading deadline the Mets have taken a different approach to assembling a rotation. Their Plan A has often not quite worked out, primarily due to injury, but they have scrambled to formulate successful backup plans. In 2024, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea were their best starters in terms of both quantity and quality. Behind them Jose Quintana gave them bulk, while Tylor Megill and David Peterson showed flashes of excellence in smaller samples. Adrian Houser also got plenty of run, with far less success. They decided to forego the flash and big dollars at the top of the offseason free agent market, largely running it back, with Frankie Montas slated to replace Severino, who found greener financial pastures with the Athletics. Montas signed for two years, $34 million, Manaea re-signed for three years, $75 million, while Quintana left to join the Brewers. Sure, that's a hefty investment in starting pitching, but it's not exactly at the top of the market in terms of years or dollars. Plan A didn't pan out - both Montas and Manaea are sidelined with significant injuries. And as they did in 2024, the Mets' Plan B is not just working out, it's paying massive dividends. If anything, there's been an even greater windfall of success. Everyone agrees that the Phillies' starting rotation is a huge strength, right? When healthy, a Zack Wheeler/Aaron Nola/Cristopher Sanchez/Jesus Luzardo/Ranger Suarez rotation to absolutely fearsome. Well, the Phils' rotation has a 3.62 ERA this season, 5th best in the NL. That's way behind the Mets' group, which paces the league with an exceptional 2.91 mark. Kodai Senga, Megill, Clay Holmes, Peterson and Griffin Canning are taking the ball every fifth day, giving the club about six innings every time out, and are consistently keeping them in ballgames, or even better than that. The Mets' David Stearns-led front office and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner deserve a ton of credit. Holmes, like Soto, came over as a free agent from the Yankees, where he had been used as a short reliever. Canning was a last minute spring free agent pickup after the Montas/Manaea injuries opened a spot. Both traditional metrics like ERA- and FIP- and my batted ball-based 'Tru' ERA- pronounced Mets' starters as about league average in 2024, with Severino (90 'Tru'-), Manaea (93), Megill (94) and Peterson (99) the best of the lot. What all of those guys have in common are quality fastballs that they use quite often. According to my pitch grades based on bat-missing and contact management relative to the league, Severino had an 'A' four-seamer and a 'B+' sinker last season, while Manaea had an 'A' sinker and a 'B+' four-seamer. It's too early to be tossing around pitch grades this season, but Megill (63.9% fastball usage) and Peterson (52.0%) are having success throwing an awful lot of fastballs. Canning is a very interesting case. Arguably the worst ERA title-qualifying starter in the game in 2024, he's suddenly morphed into a ground ball pitcher in his first year with the Mets. His 52.6% grounder rate is 9.9% higher than his previous career high. He's still the least exciting member of this rotation, but league average is a big step up for him. And the return of Senga has been huge. Limited to 5 1/3 innings by injury in 2024, he's back and throwing his lethal forkball quite often. His strikeout rate is way down, but has throttling contact of all types, emerging as the only truly exceptional contact manager in the Met rotation. Put it all together and the Mets are paying just under a combined $40 million in 2025 for their current rotation, excluding Montas and Manaea. Their pitcher-friendly home park has helped them, as has the relatively cool early season weather, but this group has been one of the under the radar success stories of the 2025 season to date. Adjusted for exit speed/launch angle, all five members have been at least a bit fortunate to date. Each has an actual, Unadjusted Contact Score lower than their adjusted mark (78 to 98 for Holmes, 95 to 105 for Canning, 102 to 110 for Megill, 86 to 102 for Peterson, 73 to 80 for Senga). Add back the Ks and BBs, and their 'Tru' ERA- marks (93 for Holmes, 103 for Canning, 86 for Megill, 95 for Peterson, 80 for Senga) are as high or higher than the worse of each pitcher's ERA- and FIP-. Put another way, there's some regression coming. Canning, as previously stated, is still just OK, Holmes and Peterson's mainstream numbers are most out of whack, and Senga's 13.0% liner rate allowed is going up for sure. And hopefully Senga's arm can withstand a steady diet of forkballs. But one borderline ace (Senga), three #3-ish guys (including one with upside in Megill) and an innings guy (Canning) will do just fine. Money is a big part of the Mets' success, to be sure - heck, even throwing a few more million at Canning after a couple other options didn't pan out is a type of luxury that many other teams can't or won't afford. But getting the best out of what you've got is a big deal too, and this Mets' regime is proving quite adept at that aspect of the game.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets survive frantic Dodgers rally late to open series with thrilling 10-inning win
LOS ANGELES — The Mets resumed the big boy portion of the schedule Monday night to the same success they had enjoyed on the last homestand. No, these weren't the White Sox and Rockies. These were the defending World Series champion Dodgers (who had already lost a series at Citi Field just over a week ago), and the Mets were up for the challenge on the road. Advertisement 5 Francisco Lindor homers during the first inning of the Mets' game against the Dodgers on June 2. AP 5 Paul Blackburn throws a pitch during the Mets' game against the Dodgers on June 2. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Mostly, it was manager Carlos Mendoza's pitchers who responded — with late help from the lineup — in a 4-3 victory in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium that extended the Mets' winning streak to four games. Advertisement After Edwin Diaz, working for the third time in four days, blew the save by allowing a run in the ninth, the Mets rebounded against lefty fireballer Tanner Scott in the 10th inning. 5 Francisco Lindor rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the Mets' game against the Dodgers on June 2. Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images 5 Dustin May throws a pitch during the Mets' game against the Dodgers on June 2. Imagn Images Francisco Alvarez delivered a go-ahead double, scoring the automatic runner, before Francisco Lindor's RBI single extended the lead. Advertisement 5 Brandon Nimmo reacts after driving in a run during the Mets' game against the Dodgers on June 2. Getty Images Jose Castillo surrendered a run in the bottom of the 10th before Jose Butto got the final two outs, with the tying run at third base and the winning run at first.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Kodai Senga shakes off another early homer in latest strong Mets start
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free For the second outing in a row, Kodai Senga had a home run hit off him in the first inning to put the Mets in an early hole. Last Sunday, it was Shohei Ohtani of the reigning champion Dodgers. On Saturday, it was Ezequiel Tovar of the historically bad Rockies and it was the first home run that came off Senga's famous forkball. Still, Senga didn't waver. After the home run, he went on to retire 17 straight batters, striking out seven while allowing two hits and two earned runs across 6 ¹/₃ innings for his sixth win of the season in the Mets' 8-2 victory over Colorado. 3 Kodai Senga reacts during the Mets' 8-2 win over the Rockies on May 31, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post 'Ideally, I'd like to get through without giving up any runs,' Senga said through an interpreter after the game. 'But I think it's just a result of throwing the pitches where I know that they're going to hit it, and it just happens to be that way. … I think the most important thing was that I was able to throw strikes to get ahead.' It was the first time Senga allowed two or fewer hits in an outing of at least 6 ¹/₃ innings since August 19, 2023. 3 Kodai Senga reacts after allowing a home run during the Mets' win over the Rockies. Robert Sabo for the NY Post CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS He also has allowed three earned runs or less in 28 consecutive starts, which is the fourth-longest such streak in Mets' history. 'I thought he was amazing,' Brett Baty said. 'I was saying out there that I just think his resilience this year has been incredible. He gave up a homer in the Dodgers start in the first inning, and then he gave up a homer today in the first inning. After that, came back out and pitched strikes and just mowed everybody down. It was cool.' 3 Kodai Senga walks off the field to a standing ovation after exiting the game in the seventh inning of the Mets' win. Robert Sabo for the NY Post His consistency has earned him the third-best ERA in the league (1.60) behind the Royals' Kris Bubic (1.45) and the Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi (1.56). But the righty isn't concerned with that. Delivering insights on all things Amazin's Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Rather, he is looking at the only other hiccup of his outing, which came in the seventh inning when he had a pitch-clock violation and gave up two walks and two singles. He ruled it was likely from fatigue. 'I don't really think about my stats. There's a lot more season. A lot more games left in the season. In terms of my innings pitched, give it a few days and I'm probably no longer on the leaderboard. So, we have a lot more left to do. I want to finish my outings on a strong note, unlike today. So, we have a lot of work to do and a lot of season.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Juan Soto knows there's ‘still a long way to go' to fixing slow Mets start after snapping homer drought
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free Juan Soto snapped his 17-game homerless streak with a fourth-inning blast in the Mets' 8-2 win over the Rockies on Saturday. He hadn't gone deep since May 9 and his slow start to his Mets tenure has been in the spotlight of what's otherwise been a good start to the season in Queens. Advertisement 'I knew it was gone,'' said Soto, who's reached base in four of his last seven plate appearances. A day earlier, he acknowledged he'd been struggling. Asked Saturday if it was a relief to break his homerless stretch, Soto said, 'There's still a long way to go. It feels good, but we've got to keep working.' Juan Soto reacts after hitting a home run in the fourth inning of the Mets' 8-2 win over the Rockies on May 31, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post Advertisement Brandon Nimmo also homered immediately before Soto and said Soto's ninth homer was 'a sign of good things to come.' 'When he goes the other way, that's when he's at his best,'' said Nimmo, whose performance at the plate has improved since his return from a stiff neck. Nimmo left the game in the eighth inning with a cramp in his right calf. Advertisement Juan Soto celebrates after homering during the Mets' win over the Rockies. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post 'I'm not worried about it,'' Nimmo said. He's 8-for-19 in five games since returning after breaking out of an 0-for-17 funk. Advertisement After president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday the team is 'paying attention' to Ronny Mauricio's play at Triple-A Syracuse after coming back from a torn ACL, Carlos Mendoza added to the praise Saturday. 'We're watching,'' the manager said. 'The reports are really good. It's not so much the results, it's just how he's moving, running on the bases, moving in the infield, his first step going after balls.' Still, it's the results that have garnered plenty of attention. Entering Saturday, in seven games since being promoted to Syracuse from Double-A Binghamton, Mauricio was 14-for-25 with four extra-base hits, including three homers. 'He's impacting the ball from both sides of the plate,'' Mendoza said. 'He's a good player. We'll continue to watch him, but right now, we want him to continue to get everyday reps.' But if his current production continues, Mendoza knows they won't be able to keep Mauricio in the minors. CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS Advertisement 'I'm pretty sure we'll get to a point where he's gonna force us [to bring him up],'' Mendoza said of Mauricio's future, 'But in the meantime, let him play.' Mark Vientos was out of the lineup again versus a right-hander, with Brett Baty at third base and another left-handed hitter, Jared Young, at DH. Prior to the game, Mendoza said Vientos was 'going through it' and while he'll continue to get significant playing time, the young third baseman would also have to adjust to occasionally sitting. Advertisement Sean Manaea is scheduled to throw another live batting practice Monday, this one two innings, according to Mendoza. Advertisement The lefty threw his first live batting practice Thursday and reported no issues as he comes back from a strained oblique. A rehab outing is possible after Monday. Mendoza added that Frankie Montas (lat) is slated to pitch his third minor league rehab start Tuesday, the location of which is still to be determined, depending on the weather.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Juan Soto hits first homer in three weeks after going back-to-back with Brandon Nimmo
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free The Mets' Juan Soto vision may be starting to finally come into view. As the Amazin's led the Rockies 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday, Francisco Lindor singled on a ground ball to right field. Advertisement On the third pitch of the frame, Brandon Nimmo hit a home run — his ninth of the season. With the Citi Field crowd on a high, Soto added to that energy, blasting his first home run in 18 days off the next pitch — a 90.5 mph sinker from Colorado's Antonio Senzatela. 3 Juan Soto rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the Mets' game against the Rockies on May 31. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post Advertisement The ball traveled 404 feet into center field, leaving Soto's bat at 109.5 mph. As Soto rounded the bases, he pointed to the outfield in celebration. The home run Saturday marked Soto's first since May 9 against the Cubs. Advertisement He did the same before entering the dugout, sending the fans into a frenzy for their $765 million man. And moments later, a 'Juan Soto' chant took over as the crowd embraced the newly acquired Met, who has had a slow start to the season. 3 Juan Soto celebrates after hitting a home run during the Mets' game against the Rockies on May 31. Robert Sabo for the NY Post 3 Juan Soto greets Brandon Nimmo after Nimmo's homer during the Mets' game against the Rockies on May 31. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post Advertisement Prior to Friday night, the four-time All-Star was on a 0-for-17 skid. He managed to snap out of the funk in the series opener against the Rockies, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Soto also fouled out, walked and grounded into a double play during his other plate appearences entering the seventh inning on Saturday.
