On Monday night, the Mets entered their three-game series against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field with a seven-game deficit. They cut it to six after the Amazin’s 13-3 victory over the Phillies. But the standings still paint a bleak picture.
The Mets have the Wild Card as a safety net to secure a playoff spot. They are the heavy favorite to get the final playoff spot, with the Cincinnati Reds as the sole competitor. But they should not settle for that–not when they have the second-highest payroll in baseball at $339 million.
Winning the NL East was one of the Mets’ goals in 2025, and it’s still feasible despite the current situation. With 31 games to go, and the Mets having six more games left against the Phillies, anything can happen. Remember, the Phillies managed to win the division in 2007 after the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 games to go.
A game like Monday’s should be a springboard for the Mets to make a run, and the good news is that the Amazins have won seven of the last ten.
I’m optimistic because on Monday the team showed how good it can be, tying the game at three on a two-out rally in the fourth inning, taking the lead 4-3 in the fifth, and then tacking on two runs in the sixth, four in the seventh, and three in the eighth. That, in two words, is “solid play,” and an example of what this lineup can do.
The Mets have guys who can put the ball in play to complement their home run hitters, and it showed on Monday. The bottom three of the lineup–Tyrone Taylor, Jeff McNeil, and Luis Torrens–produced eight hits and nine runs, with Torrens driving in five.
The Mets are a team capable of challenging the Phillies. They proved that in the NL Division Series last season when they dispatched the NL East division winners in four games. They have done it again by winning five of seven against the current division leaders, including a three-game sweep in April at Citi Field.
The Mets still believe they can win the NL East, and to do that, they need Kodai Senga to produce. Senga played a key role in the team’s first-place standing by getting off to a great start, which earned him a 1.47 ERA in 11 starts that closely resembled the 2023 version of Senga. Then, he went on the injured list with a hamstring injury after covering first base, where he leaped for the ball on Pete Alonso’s high throw and then fell awkwardly on the bag. Since being activated off the injured list, he entered Monday night’s game by going 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA with 19 walks in 31 innings of his seven starts. He has not gone a full six innings in any of those starts.
Senga wasn’t any better in his start against the Phillies. He allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts on 93 pitches, and put the Mets in a bind in the first inning by allowing a leadoff triple to Trea Turner, who scored on Kyle Schwarber’s groundout. Then, he walked Schwarber and allowed a base hit to Bryce Harper in the third inning that set the stage for Alec Bohm’s single, driving in Schwarber and Harper.
Senga pitched on normal rest for the fourth time in his career. But he doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt when he hasn’t even been great every sixth day he’s out there.
Senga needs to find a way to step up at a moment’s notice. He is being paid good money to do so, and he hasn’t really lived up to the hype since the Mets signed him. The problem is, it’s hard to trust Senga at this point, and that’s why the Mets are looking up to the Phillies.
Senga’s troubles put extra pressure on Sean Manaea to produce, and he’ll face the Phillies tonight. But Manaea hasn’t been good since being activated from the injured list (1-2 with a 5.15 ERA in his last seven starts). He is coming off a start against the Washington Nationals, in which he lost it altogether in the fifth inning with a 3-1 lead.
Facing a lineup for the third time in a start has been a problem for him so far, as he allowed 10 of those 20 hitters on base. He has not completed six innings in any of his eight starts. His velocity hasn’t been as high as last season, when he was throwing in the high nineties.
Conventional wisdom says the Mets may not make the playoffs if Senga and Manaea struggle. But they can get by if Nolan McLean continues to shine as he has in the first two outings of his MLB career and Clay Holmes continues his resurgence over his last two starts. Maybe Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong could provide a boost to the rotation if they are September call-ups.
The Mets also have to address their bullpen woes. Outside of Brooks Raley, Tyler Rogers, and Edwin Diaz, it’s hard to trust others, especially Ryan Helsley, who has struggled to make the transition from closer to being the bridge to the closer since being acquired.
So yes, the Mets have hurdles to overcome. But things can change in a hurry in a sport that boasts a long season.
The Mets should definitely channel their Lloyd Christmas in their NL East pursuit.
