The Mets left the Bronx with a frustrating split of the weekend that wasn’t a split at all - they dropped two of three to the Yankees in the second installment of the 2026 Subway Series, and the trouble showed up in both the lineup and the rotation.
New York’s offense never really got going in either loss, and the pitching edge belonged to the Yankees as well. That made for a rough two days for the Mets, even if the matchup was always going to be a difficult one with the Yankees in the middle of a playoff race.
What stood out after the series, though, was the reaction to Nolan McLean’s start Friday night. The rookie was tagged for five earned runs on a career-high 10 hits across five innings in his Subway Series debut, and that ugly line clearly fueled plenty of frustration. But the idea that McLean somehow lacks heart or can’t handle big games goes way too far.
This was a game that carried far more weight for the Yankees than it did for the Mets, and that matters. The atmosphere also came on the heels of the emotional pre-game ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which may have left McLean a little hammed up.
On top of that, even top pitchers have off nights. McLean didn’t have his best stuff, couldn’t attack the zone, and the one time his cutter failed him came on a Cody Bellinger three-run homer that swung the game.
None of that changes the bigger picture. One rough night does not erase what McLean can become, and it certainly doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the makings of a big-time pitcher.
If anything, this is the kind of outing that can help him down the road when he gets into games that truly matter. McLean is still the future ace of this team.
The more concerning conversation, at least from this weekend, is Francisco Alvarez. His struggles are starting to look impossible to ignore.
Against the Yankees, Alvarez went 1-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts over two games. The numbers were one thing, but the at-bats told the fuller story: he looked non-competitive much of the time and continued to have real trouble with runners in scoring position.
At this point, the slump is no longer something that can be brushed aside as a small sample or a temporary dip. Alvarez has always been streaky, but the production has been missing for months. In the second half, he’s hitting just .194/.311/.372 with 58 strikeouts and a .683 OPS.
Those are the kind of numbers that should set off alarms. More than that, they suggest regression rather than growth. If Alvarez can’t turn things around over the final two weeks of the season, the Mets are going to have to take a hard look at what comes next for the catcher.
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Mets Winter Plan After Bo Bichette Could Spark A Big Debate
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From there, the winter plan gets even more complicated. The Mets are being linked to a wish list that includes pitchers Tarik Skubal and Adrian Morejon, infielder Luis Arraez, and even a trade designed to shed a bad contract in exchange for a right-handed first baseman. It is the kind of roster-building puzzle that could spark a real debate inside the organization, because each move would help in one area while forcing the club to make another choice it might not be eager to confront. [Read more 🡒]