Pitching has been the undisputed strength of the 2025 New York Mets. As a team, they’ve averaged 3.2 runs given up per game this season, which leads MLB. Their starting rotation in particular has been firing on all cylinders, with Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning surprising the fan base with their stellar starts. Kodai Senga and David Peterson have shoved as well. Tylor Megill has been the only one to face adversity this season, but he rebounded in his most recent outing, allowing just one run and striking out ten against the Boston Red Sox.
It’s wild to think that Carlos Mendoza’s pitching staff could get even better, but another big upgrade is right around the corner. Sean Manaea, the team's best pitcher last season, will throw a live bullpen session on Thursday, a major box checked on his way back from the oblique strain that has kept him sidelined all year.
Last season, the southpaw recorded a 12-6 record with a 3.47 ERA. He had the best season of his career with New York and opted to re-sign on a team-friendly deal in the offseason. If he comes back firing on all cylinders, the Mets rotation will get even stronger ... even if it leaves one deserving pitcher out of a job.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Sean Manaea is exactly what the Mets need for the stretch run
As great as the rotation has been this season, everyone would love to have Manaea return. Mendoza and David Stearns were hinting at using a six-man rotation in spring training to get Holmes and Senga extra days rest over a long campaign. With Manaea close to his return, it would give them the flexibility to use that setup, which comes with the added benefit of giving Manaea some added relief as he works his way back from injury.
But even if he expands his rotation, Manaea returning will create a sticky situation for Mendoza. Frankie Montas, who signed a two-year deal with the Mets in the offseason, also went down in spring training with a lat strain. Montas is currently on his rehab assignment and should be back before Manaea.
That said, the Mets will decide which current starter will switch to a new role. Senga and Peterson have been pitching at a high level, with the former leading the National League with a 1.46 ERA, and the latter only allowing more than three runs in a start once this season. Canning would’ve made sense to move to the bullpen a few months ago, but he’s been a completely different pitcher in New Yokr; after being the worst starter in the American League in 2024, he’s posted a 5-1 record with a 2.88 ERA in 2025. Holmes was a high-leverage reliever just last season, but he’s thrived in his new role in Queens, recording a 2.98 ERA in his eleven starts.
When Montas and Manaea are back in the rotation, Megill would make the most sense to move to the bullpen. As great as he’s been, he doesn’t give the Mets consistent length in his starts; he’s only pitched more than six innings once this season. Megill has the tools to be a great reliever and could come in handy when they need multiple innings out of the 'pen late in the season.
That said, Mendoza has a great problem on his hands. He’ll have to make a tough decision, but it will only make the Mets pitching staff better overall. Manaea was a key piece for New York last season when they were just three wins away from facing their cross-town rivals in the World Series. Once he returns, the Mets will have their staff at full strength for the first time all season. They’ve gone 33-21 without him, so they should be even better with him.