Following a 3-3 homestand, the New York Mets (32-39) hit the road yet against as they head to Ohio to face the Cincinnati Reds (33-37). The two teams squared off at the tail end of May at Citi Field, with the Reds taking the first two games before the Mets salvaged the series finale.
After beginning their most recent Citi Field swing by dropping two out of three to the Cardinals, the Mets rebounded by taking two out of three from the first-place Braves. They did so by winning the series opener 7-5
on Friday and the series closer 8-1 on Sunday, while dropping the middle game 3-1. The offense was once again the main story, as it came alive in the two wins and was dormant in defeat. Overall the offense has been performing a lot better as of late and has helped keep them afloat with the rotation failing to string together quality outings. The weekend itself was a microcosm of what has led to the team’s success and contributed to its failure this year: When the Mets score at least four runs, they are 28-5, and when they score three runs or fewer, they are 4-34. It may seem simple to say “Score runs = win ballgames”, but if the Mets are able to do that, they’ve been a pretty solid so far, and for a team that had been limited to zero, one, or two runs for so many games this season, they’ve at least shown signs that their offense is coming out of its early-season doldrums.
It’s no surprise that the offense has started coming to life as Bo Bichette has gone on a tear. The shortstop went 6-for-12 with five runs scored and six runs batted in against Atlanta. On Friday, he drove in six of the team’s seven runs, including a first inning home run and a grand slam in the second. He also hit a home run in Thursday’s win against the Cardinals and ended the homestand with a .988 OPS and a 163 wRC+. It cannot be overstated just how much Bichette’s turnaround is required for this club to have any shot of making the postseason, just as much as Francisco Lindor’s return and the development of the team’s youngsters. If Bichette can hit like he did on this homestand, the team might just have a shot.
We cannot overlook the team’s bullpen, which has really carried them as of late. They enter play today with a 3.30 ERA, the fourth-best mark in the majors, and it’s been even better since the start of May. While still fourth in baseball, Mets’ relievers have posted a sparkling 2.81 ERA since May 1, trailing only the Padres, Braves, and Red Sox. The group is led by Luke Weaver, who has not allowed an earned run in 18 innings dating back to the start of May. A.J. Minter has also been a huge help since coming off the injured list, pitching 7 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run. That, along with Devin Williams’ recent resurgence, and great pitching from Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, and Austin Riley, has given the club a number of high leverage options and has helped them shut the door once they enter the sixth or seventh inning with a lead. At the start of the season, not many would have guessed that the team’s bullpen would be their biggest strength through mid-June, but here we are.
Please excuse me while I take a brief interlude to Knicks post (both because I am not a Knicks fan myself, and because Michael Drago is by far the best we have at Knicks posting on the Amazin’ Avenue staff). As I watched the closing minutes of the Knicks’ incredible championship run, which both united our beautiful city and ended a 53-year drought, I couldn’t help but feel a slight pain of FOMO (self-induced, as a Nets fan myself…hold your laughs) and also longing for that feeling happening to the Mets in my lifetime. I am lucky enough to have experienced two sports championships in my lifetime, both with the Giants, but I couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to see my undisputed Number One team, the Mets, win the World Series.
I am glad that Steve Gelbs dedicated some time on Sunday’s broadcast to talk a little bit about his interactions with Mets players, who shared their takeaways at the Knicks’ title. They talked about it from the broader athlete perspective of putting in the work and the long hours leading to the ultimate glory, but I also hope they saw the reaction of the New York City encosystem and how much they embraced this team. Winning in New York, moreso than maybe any other city I would argue, makes you a legend, especially when you end a long drought. While not quite 53 years (or the 54 years my New York Rangers endured until ending their drought in 1994), the Mets are hitting a 40-year drought in 2026, and this fanbase (and I’d argue the blue collar roots of this city) are beyond hungry for a Mets championship.
So above all else, I hope the players saw the spontaneous watch parties, the celebrating in the streets, the tears cried from grown adults, and imagined what it would be like to be the ones to elicit that reaction from the fans and the city as a whole. What the Knicks did for this city in bringing unity and love among all the boroughs, the communities, the friends and strangers alike, will stick with me for a while, even if I myself do not celebrate the title as my own. I love this city, and it was beautiful to watch, and I hope the Mets are not far behind. I would be remiss if I didn’t end this side rant by saying that the last time the Knicks won the title in 1973, the Mets were in last place at the end of August and well under .500 before making a miraculous World Series run, finishing the regular season with a paltry 82 wins before falling one win shy of upsetting the Athletics in the World Series. Perhaps this year’s team will be inspired by that feat to go on a miraculous run of their own and stun us all.
Anyway…back to the Mets. For the second straight homestand (and third straight stretch including their recent road trip), the Mets lost the first two games before rebounding. On their last homestand, they dropped two before rebounding with four straight wins. Then on their last road trip and this recent homestand, they dropped the first two before taking three of the next four games. It’s admirable to see the team fighting and treading water in their attempts to overcome a 12-game losing streak and a 10-21 start to their season, but to re-insert themselves back into the postseason race for real, they’re going to have to go on a run that includes stringing together a few wins in a row. Cincinnati is one of the seven teams immediately between the Mets and the final NL Wild Card spot, sitting just 1.5 games ahead of the Mets in the race. These are the types of games the Mets will have to win (and not just win, but potentially sweep) to start making headway in the Wild Card picture. As we saw during last year’s collapse, the season series is especially critical in the current postseason structure.
The Mets are catching the Reds at a good time, as they’ve really hit hard times since losing Elly De La Cruz to a hamstring injury on May 31. They have lost five straight series since facing the Mets, and four straight since lose De La Cruz to the injured list. In fact, they are 3-9 to start the month of June and have fallen to last place in the NL Central. After finishing their road trip against the Cardinals and Padres by going 1-5, they started their homestand by dropping two of three to the Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old De La Cruz had gotten off to a great start before his injury, hitting .280/.346/.509 with 12 homers, 40 runs scored, 37 runs batted in, and a 132 wRC+. He accumulated a 2.6 fWAR in 58 games prior to his injury.
Monday, June 15: Tobias Myers vs. Chase Burns, 7:10 PM EDT on SNY
Myers (2026): 33.1 IP, 26 K, 7 BB, 6 HR, 4.05 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 101 ERA-
After yesterday’s game, Carlos Mendoza revealed that Myers would be recalled to make the start and would likely be slated for right around 40 pitches. The team previously took advantage of his options and sent him down to bring up a fresh arm and stretch him out. Since going down on May 30, he’s pitched six innings across three appearances and allowed one unearned run on one hit. It’s likely Peterson, who had a disastrous outing in his bulk appearance last time out, will pitch after Myers, but nothing is set in stone yet. His last time out, Peterson allowed six earned runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 inning, as he entered in the second inning and failed to complete the fifth inning. He entered in the second inning and failed to complete the fifth. It was his first appearance in ten days, an outing where he pitched four shutout innings to complete a 10-1 win, which helped him earn a rare save.
Burns (2026): 75.2 IP, 88 K, 23 BB, 9 HR, 2.14 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 49 ERA-
Burns, who has been one of the best starting pitchers in the NL this season, was dominant against the Mets on May 26, limiting them to two earned runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight Mets while walking two and picked up his seventh win of the season. Since that outing, he allowed two earned runs on four hits over six innings in a no decision against the Royals, and allowed two earned runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no decision against the Padres. In those two outings, he struck out 16 and walked three. His 2.14 ERA is third-best among qualified NL starting pitchers, trailing Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sánchez. His 29.6% K% is also third among qualified NL starters, trailing the same two guys, and his 21.9% K-BB% is fifth among NL starters.
Tuesday, June 16: Christian Scott vs. Brady Singer, 7:10 PM EDT on SNY
Scott (2026): 40.2 IP, 47 K, 19 BB, 4 HR, 3.10 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 77 ERA-
Scott struggled with the long ball in his last start, which was a trend on a warm afternoon in Flushing. After surrendering just one home run across his first eight starts, he gave up three in the first two innings against the Cardinals, but was able to hold them at bay after that rough start. He ended up going 4 2/3 innings, allowing a season-high seven hits while striking out six and walking one. It was his first time failing to complete five innings since his start on May 18 against the Nationals, and it broke a string of two straight starts in which he earned a victory. He did keep his streak of 18 starts allowing four runs or fewer to begin his major league career, which remains a Mets record.
Singer (2026): 61.0 IP, 47 K, 20 BB, 17 HR, 5.61 ERA, 6.32 FIP, 129 ERA-
Singer has endured a rough start to his season, and the home runs remain one of the biggest reasons for his struggles. Among all NL starters with at least 60 innings pitched, he has the second-worst HR/9 (2.51), allowing 17 home runs in 61 innings pitched. His 5.61 ERA, meanwhile, is seventh-worst among NL starters with the same criteria (slightly better than Brandon Sproat’s 5.70 ERA and David Peterson’s 5.75 ERA), and his 6.32 FIP is the worst mark amongst NL starters with 60+ innings pitched. His last start was one of his better ones this year, as he allowed two earned runs on six hits over six innings, though he settled for a no decision. The Reds have lost each of his last seven starts dating back to his last win on April 25 against the Tigers.
Wednesday, June 17: Nolan McLean vs. Nick Lodolo, 12:40 PM EDT on SNY
McLean (2026): 76.1 IP, 88 K, 31 BB, 8 HR, 4.01 ERA, 3.69 FIP, 100 ERA-
McLean was staked to a five-run lead in the first two innings but failed to come away his fourth victory of the season due to his lack of control and high pitch count. He lasted just four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out six and issuing four walks. After walking just 12 across his first eight starts, he’s walked 19 in his next six outings, including 12 in his last 15 innings. On the bright side, he successfully kept the ball in the park for the third straight start after serving up six home runs in his prior four outings. McLean is very much still a work in progress as he looks to recapture the dominance he experienced last season for New York.
Lodolo (2026): 38.0 IP, 30 K, 15 BB, 8 HR, 5.21 ERA, 6.08 FIP, 120 ERA-
Lodolo was dominant in his outing at Citi Field back on May 25, outdueling McLean by hurling six innings of one run ball. He gave up six hits, struck out seven, and did not issue a walk (the only start he’s done that this year), though he did hit two batters. The outing was good enough to earn him his first win of 2026. Since that game, he’s allowed nine earned runs on 2o hits across 17 innings. In those three starts, he’s struck out 12, walked six, and picked up a win and two no decisions, with the Reds losing two of the three games.
