The Mets have little time to dwell after dropping the final game of the 2026 Subway Series. The split is in the books, and the bigger relief out of the weekend is that nobody is infected with legionnaires disease, yet.
Now the focus shifts back to Citi Field, where the Orioles arrive tonight and Pete Alonso comes with them for his return to Queens.
There were a couple of bright spots in Sunday’s loss, even if the list is short. Brett Baty put together a good afternoon, and Christian Scott did enough to make a competent battle with the future Cy Young look like a real accomplishment.
The next major Mets storyline may not wait long. Once the World Series is over, the clock really starts on Bo Bichette, who will officially be in decision time on his opt-out.
The club also got some recognition in the minors, with Mitch Voit and Jonathan Santucci named the Mets Minor League Hitter and Pitcher of the Year.
Around the division, the Nationals pulled off a late rally of their own, scoring four runs in the eighth to beat the Angels 6-5. The Phillies followed with an even bigger punch, hanging seven on the Braves bullpen in the eighth inning of a 9-4 win to get back within five games of Atlanta and first place.
The Marlins added another late-inning comeback to the day’s list, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth against Tanner Scott and Brock Stewart to beat the Dodgers 6-4. That finish also made sure the first home run of Josue De Paula’s career won’t ever be featured on Dodgers Classics. Before the rally, Miami inducted Dontrelle Willis into its team Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony.
Elsewhere in baseball, New York City health officials said after Sunday’s Subway Series game that Yankee Stadium’s cooling tower tested positive for Legionella bacteria.
There was also no shortage of noteworthy arms on the mound. Josh Hader, Mason Miller, and Jacob Misiorowski all have some of the sport’s fastest fastballs, but their sneaky weapon is an infrequently used change-up. After his start against the Mets, Cam Schlittler is tied with Misiorowski for the lowest ERA in Major League Baseball at 1.95.
Aaron Judge wasn’t ready to entertain a Cam Schlittler MVP case, even if the Cy Young argument looks strong.
Peyton Tolle opened with an immaculate first inning for the Red Sox and even smiled into the camera before his ninth straight strike.
The Tigers and Justin Verlander are hoping the future Hall of Famer gets one last start at Comerica Park before the season ends.
Rafael Devers’ season will finish with a three-game home run streak, with a core muscle injury and the surgery to fix it ending his 2026 campaign.
And in Toronto, it finally happened: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his first home run at home this season, though it took until the Blue Jays’ 75th home game to get there.
In Other News...
Carson Benge Is Giving Mets Fans A Bigger Reason To Believe
Carson Benge has given Mets fans a fresh reason to lean in during a season when every little spark matters, and his showing in the Subway Series only added to the buzz. The right fielder turned in a little bit of everything against the Yankees, cutting down a runner with a key outfield assist, leaving the yard for a home run and flashing leather on a diving catch, the kind of all-around stretch that makes a young player look less like a nice story and more like a real building block.
Benges season has backed up the eye test, too, with a .273/.337/.414 line, 17 home runs and 22 stolen bases to his name. Add in the way teammates and the manager have spoken about his defense and overall value, and it is no surprise he has started to sound like a legitimate National League Rookie of the Year contender, even if the bigger question is how high his ceiling might be once he settles in for good. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Have A Zac Thornton Problem They Cant Ignore
Zac Thornton has given the Mets something they can use down the stretch, but his numbers also point to a wrinkle the club probably cant ignore. Through 13 starts, he has a 3.44 ERA, and the split by catcher has been even more noticeable, with Luis Torrens behind the plate in 11 of those games and Thornton posting a 2.53 ERA in that pairing. For a rotation trying to find stability, that kind of connection matters, especially when catcher defense and game-calling can shape how a starter gets through a lineup.
The rest of the picture is less tidy. Thorntons results have been far less consistent with Francisco Alvarez and Hayden Senger, who have each caught him in smaller samples, and the Mets have leaned on Torrens often because of what he brings behind the plate. It leaves the team with a familiar kind of roster question: how much of Thorntons success is about Thornton, and how much is about the catcher who happens to be receiving him? [Read more 🡒]
Mets Winter Plan After Bo Bichette Could Spark A Big Debate
The Mets offseason is shaping up to be more about fine-tuning than tearing things down, especially with fewer major free agents available to chase than they had a year ago. One name already driving the conversation is Bo Bichette, whose potential return would shape everything else around him, from how the infield is arranged to how aggressively the front office can spend its other capital.
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 🡒]