SAN FRANCISCO — Sean Manaea might be feeling pretty good about his recent performance.
Sure, the left-handed pitcher had a few bumps during his relief stint on Thursday night, but he showed an increase in his velocity. He gave up four hits and two walks, yet ended up allowing just one earned run over three innings, which feels respectable.
“I was just throwing freely, easily, and with confidence,” Manaea reflected.
The Mets came into this game down by four and ultimately suffered a 7-2 defeat to the Giants. However, this less pressure-packed scenario allowed Manaea to solidify his position as the sixth starter in a five-man rotation to kick off the season.
His four-seam fastball averaged 89.9 mph, still a bit slower than last season, but he showed improvement since spring training and last Sunday’s 1¹/3-inning relief appearance against the Pirates.
The only run Manaea surrendered was a home run by Rafael Devers off his four-seamer.
“I thought it was a positive step,” said coach Carlos Mendoza. “[Manaea] was aggressive, his fastball had life. He got swings and misses, and the fact that he finished the game and saved the bullpen was huge. There were a lot of good signs.”
The Mets leaned heavily on relief pitchers during the first week, and a few games even went to extra innings. Manaea’s performance could take some pressure off Mendoza, decreasing the likelihood of having to call on another pitcher.
“This is a family, this is a team,” Manaea mentioned. “Everyone has things to handle, so I’m really glad I could contribute.”
What comes next for Manaea is a bit uncertain, but given he threw 74 pitches, he might miss the rest of this series. With a Monday off day and a busy schedule of games coming up, it seems possible he could be featured as a sixth starter in the upcoming homestand.
Meanwhile, Nolan McLean pitched on Friday, and the Mets have Clay Holmes and Kouhiro Chiga ready for the last two games of this series. Freddy Peralta and David Peterson also round out the main rotation.
Manaea expressed, “We have five really talented starters, and my role now is just to help this team in whatever way I can.”
Despite some bumps for Peterson recently, the early results for the rotation are looking promising. Peterson was pulled in the fifth inning during Thursday’s game after yielding six runs (five earned), which gave Manaea a chance to step in. He threw just 29 pitches in his previous outing.
Last season was tough for Manaea—he tore his oblique muscle during spring training and didn’t play until July, and his return was rocky, pitching in 15 games with a 5.64 ERA.
The Mets had signed Manaea to a three-year deal worth $75 million before the past season. He improved throughout the last season, emerging as an unofficial ace on a team that made it to the National League Championship Series. He believes that tweaking his arm angle against left-handed hitters played a major role in his success.
However, he’s also acknowledged that he might have overdone the adjustments with his arm slot, which has its consequences.
“I think having my arm slot too low is a result of my overall body mechanics,” Manaea explained. “If I stood more upright, the arm slot wouldn’t be an issue.”
