The Mets are back at Citi Field for a three-game set against the Giants, and both clubs arrive with plenty of baggage. New York is 63-77 after taking two of three in Tampa Bay, a much-needed step forward after getting walked off twice in Chicago and looking overmatched against the Brewers and Astros. San Francisco, meanwhile, comes in at 58-83 and looking every bit like a team stuck in the wrong end of the standings.
For the Mets, the recent stretch has been less about style points and more about adaptation. They’ve spent the year trying to piece things together after moving on from most of their bullpen and two outfielders, and the latest subtraction came when Luis Robert Jr. was claimed off waivers by the Orioles a few days ago.
Even with that kind of churn, the Mets haven’t been collapsing. Nick Morabito helped make that point on Wednesday night, when he picked up his first two big league hits, drove in three runs on a double, and made a terrific catch in left field.
The bullpen, rebuilt on the fly, has had its bumps. But Daniel Duarte, Nate Lavender, Austin Warren, and Dedniel Nuñez have all given the Mets meaningful innings and some reason to wonder which of them stick around next season.
Still, the clearest development has come from the rotation, where three young arms are front and center in this series. Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton, and Christian Scott are all lined up to face the Giants, and each one looks like part of the Mets’ future. Sean Manaea has faded lately, Robert Stock is pitching like a 36-year old journeyman, and Jonah Tong’s recent starts have looked far, far better than most of his 2026, which is why he’s expected to join the rotation soon.
The Giants don’t exactly present a soft landing. Their season has been close to a disaster, and they’d be buried in the NL West without the Rockies being so bad.
Mets fans may have some interest in watching Drew Gilbert, but San Francisco’s list of bright spots is thin. Luis Arraez, their best player by bWAR, is gone.
Rafael Devers, their second-best player by bWAR, is reportedly miserable.
Friday night’s opener matches Nolan McLean with Matt Wilkinson at 7:10pm EDT on SNY.
McLean has entered Rookie of the Year conversation, and the numbers back up the buzz: 155.2 IP, 172 K, 61 BB, 15 HR, 3.06 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 75 ERA-. He’s had his rough stretches, but since a shaky start on August 6th, he has been rolling.
Over his last four starts, he has worked 25 innings and allowed only three earned runs, 10 hits, 13 walks and 16 strikeouts. The walks have crept up a bit and the strikeouts have dipped, but the results have held.
Wilkinson has only three stars to his name, and one of those came as an opener. The 23-year old rookie has 11.2 innings, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 home run, a 4.63 ERA, 3.70 FIP, and a 114 ERA-. In his most recent outing, he delivered a quality start, allowing two runs over six innings.
Saturday’s game, set for 4:10pm EDT on SNY, sends Zac Thornton against Anthony Molina.
Thornton has been the kind of rookie who makes every inning feel a little tense, but the production has been real. His season line sits at 61.1 IP, 45 K, 14 BB, 7 HR, 2.93 ERA, 3.89 FIP, 72 ERA-. The biggest takeaway may be the command: he has walked only 14 in 11 starts and has issued one or fewer walks in each of his last four.
Molina, 24, is the veteran of the Giants’ starting trio. He came over from the Braves mid-season and has made two appearances for San Francisco.
His only start went five innings, with three runs allowed and six strikeouts. His line reads 14.1 IP, 9 K, 5 BB, 2 HR, 3.77 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 92 ERA-.
Sunday’s finale features Christian Scott against a TBA starter at 1:40m EDT on SNY.
Scott’s August had its rough spots, but there were flashes in every outing. In his last start against the Astros, he issued five walks and recorded only two strikeouts.
Even so, in his first year back from Tommy John, he has done enough to make a strong case as part of this rotation after a lost season. His numbers: 94.2 IP, 113 K, 44 BB, 10 HR, 3.80 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 93 ERA-.
In Other News...
Mets Could Be Headed For A Very Different Winter Spending Fight
The winter marketplace around the Mets is already taking on a different shape, and not just because of what happens on the field. Around the sport, ownership and money are shifting in ways that can ripple through everything from payrolls to bidding behavior, with Dodgers owner Mark Walter reportedly under federal investigation and Stan Kroenke agreeing to buy a controlling stake in the Angels from Arte Moreno, pending MLB approval. For the Mets, that broader backdrop matters because every move at the top of the sport can influence how aggressive the rest of the league feels when the offseason starts.
There is also a quieter thread involving Japan, where the Mets have shown interest in Teruaki Sato. President of baseball operations David Stearns was recently seen at a Hanshin Tigers game, which only adds to the sense that New York is at least exploring that market seriously, even if the degree of its interest is not yet clear. For a club trying to keep pace in a spending race that could look very different by winter, those international breadcrumbs may prove just as important as the usual free-agent noise. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Trade Return Already Comes With One Uncomfortable Question
Ben Rortvedts brief run with the Dodgers was always going to be more about fit than flash, and it played out that way after he was used mostly for defense and handling the pitching staff across 16 games. Once Los Angeles got healthier and began activating other players, Rortvedt was designated for assignment, and the Mets turned that roster shuffle into a return of their own by landing Chayce McDermott.
McDermott brings a different kind of appeal, but also a familiar kind of uncertainty. He has only limited major league experience, and the early read on him comes with a high ERA and control problems that make it hard to project where he fits in New Yorks plans. With non-tender eligibility approaching, the Mets are left weighing whether this is a depth move with upside or just another arm that may not stay in the picture for long. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Suddenly Have A Real Rotation Debate Around Nolan McLean
Nolan McLean has changed the conversation around the Mets pitching future in a hurry. After a strong second half, he has gone from a promising arm to someone the organization can reasonably pencil into the middle of a serious rotation plan, which is no small thing for a team that has spent plenty of time searching for stability on the mound.
David Stearns is expected to spend the offseason looking for ways to strengthen that staff, and the next step may be bigger than simply adding depth. The Mets are now weighing how a 2027 rotation could take shape around McLean, with the possibility of bringing in an ace via free agency or trade to pair with him and give the group a more defined top end. [Read more 🡒]