Cincinnati – Mets’ Starters and Future Pitching Plans
Six current Mets starters, including top prospect Brandon Sproat, who is set to debut this weekend, will be taking their turn in the rotation again soon.
Alongside outings from David Peterson on Friday, Jonah Treadway on Saturday, Sproat on Sunday, and potentially Nolan McLean on Monday, the team discussed its ideal pitching staff for late September and potentially October.
There’s talk about being creative with the lineup, considering the possibility of reintroducing Kodai Senga while also utilizing Tyler Megill. This approach could provide the Mets with at least eight solid starting pitchers.
They’re contemplating the potential of a piggyback strategy with their staff.
“I think we’re open to everything,” said baseball business president David Stearns before the Mets’ 5-4 victory over the Reds at Great American Ballpark on Friday. “At this point, it’s really series by series, and we’ll see how it goes.”
He added, “At some point, are there tandems? Certainly.”
Manaea has yet to finish six innings in any of his ten starts, often struggling around the fourth or fifth inning. Despite this, he holds a solid 3.00 ERA, with 38 strikeouts in just 27 innings pitched during the first three innings of games.
In his first MLB season as a starter, Clay Holmes has pitched well, finishing with a 5.25 ERA over 4-6 innings. Similar to Manaea, he shows stronger performance in the earlier innings (2.36 ERA).
There’s a chance these two could work together to maximize their effectiveness. In the postseason, with starters potentially getting shorter leashes, using a tandem approach could be beneficial. Megill, who is recovering from an injury, might also pitch in two or three innings following another starter.
However, even if his recent five-inning outing—where he allowed four runs—was dubbed “better,” it hasn’t improved his overall 7.42 ERA. So, whether he can stabilize remains uncertain.
“We’ll just see where we stand as we move through the rest of September,” Stearns said.
Manaea could be the key player in this piggyback approach, often showcasing strong beginnings but struggling later in games. He’s posted impressive strikeout numbers, with 11.80 strikeouts per nine innings, the best of his career, along with 1.80 walks per nine, the best since 2018. Yet, lingering issues have pushed his overall ERA to 5.60.
