The National League East-leading New York Mets are heating up just in time for their weekend matchup against the Washington Nationals.
After a slow 2-3 start, the Mets have surged to an MLB-best 18-7 record, going 16-4 since and currently riding a seven-game win streak, including back-to-back sweeps of the Cardinals and Phillies.
The key to their success? Dominant pitching.
New York’s staff enters the series leading Major League Baseball in major pitching categories:
- Best team ERA (2.34)
- Fewest runs allowed (58)
- Fewest home runs allowed (10)
- Most strikeouts (239)
Their bullpen has been just as effective:
- 2nd-lowest bullpen ERA (2.35)
- Fewest home runs allowed by a bullpen (5)
- 2nd-fewest earned runs allowed (25)
The Nationals just finished a series against the Orioles, MLB’s worst team ERA (5.45). Now they face one of the best.
Offensively, the Mets are still settling in. Juan Soto hasn’t found his groove yet, batting .233 with 3 homers and 12 RBIs—but he’s reaching base at a solid .364 clip. The team as a whole is batting .234 (19th in MLB), but the top of the order is producing.
Francisco Lindor is locked in with a .309/.364/.505 slash line. Pete Alonso is smashing everything in sight, tied for second in RBIs (26) and fifth in batting average (.341). Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Ronald Acuña Jr., is making an early impact, hitting .283/.356/.377 in his first full season. He was acquired from the Rangers in the Max Scherzer trade and is already showing why he’s a future star.
Game 1 – Friday, 6:45 PM
Mets: Kodai Senga (4 GS, 0.79 ERA, 20 SO, 0.56 WHIP)
Nationals: Jake Irvin (5 GS, 3.68 ERA, 27 SO, 1.06 WHIP)
Senga currently leads the NL in ERA. In his last start, he tossed 5.2 scoreless innings against the Cardinals with three hits, two walks, 15 first-pitch strikes, and 10 whiffs. That said, the Nationals—who rank fourth in fewest strikeouts—could give him a tougher time.
Jake Irvin is coming off his best outing of the season, striking out nine Rockies batters over 6.1 strong innings. He gave up homers to Zac Veen and Braxton Fulford but otherwise dominated with 55 of his 83 pitches going for strikes.
Game 2 – Saturday, 4:05 PM
Mets: Clay Holmes (5 GS, 3.16 ERA, 34 SO, 1.36 WHIP)
Nationals: Brad Lord (5 GS, 4.73 ERA, 10 SO, 1.88 WHIP)
Holmes, a former Yankees reliever turned starter, seems to have made the right move. He’s given up just two runs over his last two starts, relying on a six-pitch mix led by a sinker.
Lord, still considered more of an “opener,” continues to develop. He struck out five in four innings last outing, forcing 13 whiffs—eight of them with his fastball. Nationals manager Dave Martinez seems to be giving him more leash, but we’ll see how that holds up against New York.
Game 3 – Sunday, 1:35 PM
Mets: Tylor Megill (5 GS, 1.09 ERA, 30 SO, 1.26 WHIP)
Nationals: Mitchell Parker (5 GS, 1.39 ERA, 20 SO, 0.93 WHIP)
Megill has been lights-out to start the season. He struck out 10 Phillies in 5.1 scoreless innings last time out, allowing just one hit and racking up 14 whiffs. He hasn’t gone beyond 5.1 innings yet—but with the Mets’ elite bullpen, that hasn’t been an issue.
Parker has quietly impressed, throwing eight shutout innings in his last start against Baltimore, allowing just one hit. He’s now pitched two scoreless games this season. While his 16% strikeout rate is low, he’s been much better at generating ground balls this year.
Despite having MLB’s worst bullpen, the Nationals’ rotation is stabilizing and the offense is beginning to click. This series is a measuring stick for Washington—can they hang with one of baseball’s hottest teams, or will bullpen troubles once again prove to be their downfall?
