May The Mets: A Scorching Start
A quarter down, 75 cents and counting to go.
With school winding down — baseball is winding up.
The Mets (28-15) just recently passed the quarter mark of the 2025 baseball season. At 40.5 games (now 43 and counting), they laid a foundation for what to expect. With the slow and methodical march of a season — they’ll be halfway home before you know it.
Life happens quick. Nothing is ever promised. It’s much easier to focus on the negatives, as misery loves company. If the 2025 Mets are an example of anything so far — it’s that every baseball season brings their own positives and negatives.
It’s a long season. Ride the wave.
Through 40 games last year, the Mets were 19-21.
Through 40 games in 2025, the Mets were 25-15. There are similarities between the two teams, but a clear difference in their starts. I wanted to start with some contextualization — because it matters when appreciating how far you’ve come.
In 2025, the Mets are 4th in team wRC+:
New York Yankees (133)
Los Angeles Dodgers (125)
Chicago Cubs (118)
New York Mets (117)
They’re 5th in team OPS, trailing only:
New York Yankees (.828)
Los Angeles Dodgers (.801)
Arizona Diamondbacks (.770)
Chicago Cubs (.768)
New York Mets (.764)
They’re 6th in team WAR, trailing the similar culprits.
New York Yankees (11.8)
Los Angeles Dodgers (10.3)
Chicago Cubs (9.4)
Detroit Tigers (9.1)
Arizona Diamondbacks (8.9)
New York Mets (8.8)
The Mets are 17-11 (60.7%) against teams with over a .500 record, and are currently 5-4 against Chicago and Arizona — with Los Angeles and New York coming up for the Mets’ two of their next three series.
Surprising to some, but a very encouraging sign as the season rolls along.
There is certainly enough data to make individual assumptions, but team stats do scream resilience. The only other team with more wins above others with greater than .500 records — are the Milwaukee Brewers with 19.
In terms of individuals, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have generally been the driving forces. Alonso, fresh off his first walk-off since 2023 just two nights ago on a sacrifice fly to right, is currently tied with Lindor for the team lead in home runs with nine. Both have been spectacular so far in 2025.
Alonso: .310/.419/.589, 9 HR 26 BB (13.6 BB%), 38 SO (19.9 SO%), 1.008 OPS (188 OPS+)
Lindor: .302/.366/.500, 9 HR, 13 BB (6.7%), 33 SO (17.0%), .866 OPS (148 OPS+)
Soto: .255/.380/.465, 8 HR, 33 BB (17.2%), 30 SO (15.6%), .845 OPS (144 OPS+)
It speaks to the three-headed monster you think about with the Mets — where the third is Juan Soto. Through all the noise, he has been good enough.
The Mets are winning games. There have been worse days (and players) where those concerns wouldn’t fall on deaf ears. Soto’s ability to control the strike zone has been extremely impressive; and reminds you that night in and night out, a player of this caliber has never played for the New York Mets before.
In all likelihood, he hasn’t fully settled in — as evidence of the Soto-less shuffle.
Many forget the whole sports world ties into Queens the second Soto swiped pen to paper for the largest contract in sports history. In general, his offense has been underwhelming, but not discouraging.
As the weather continues to warm up, Soto should too.
His defense? Still some work to be done.
But even on a play like this — it’s a long season.
Sure, there’s a real case that Juan Soto should know the dimensions of his home ballpark. To be fair — running the risk of injury for a foul ball in May isn’t always worth it, either.
While speaking about defense quickly — Mark Vientos has to be better, as well. Whether it be balls that beat him, or balls that beat him up, Vientos’ defense just hasn’t been comparable at all to someone like Brett Baty — who’s making a case to take back the position.
Defensive Metrics, 2025:
Mark Vientos — Range (OAA): -4 Fielding Run Value: -3
Brett Baty — Range (OAA): 0 Fielding Run Value: 0
Though scorekeepers have been helping Vientos out, there have been multiple examples over the past few weeks where Vientos has looked overmatched at 3rd base. Enough to warrant the conversation to move him more often to DH, even at 25 years old.
To make matters worse, a ball did literally go through his mitt yesterday. I don’t necessarily put too much stock into what could be a faulty glove; but it speaks more symbolically to a side of Vientos’ game with a hole currently in it — his defense.
Not to say he’s lost the position — but he’s lost the immediate thought of it being his.
With their bats — Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos, and Francisco Alvarez have slowly been coming around. Defensively for Nimmo, and offensively for Vientos. The next tier of Mets who sprinkle their supply of production.
A group of players who should not be overlooked or undervalued.
Brett Baty seems to have emerged with the bat, and glove. Jeff McNeil can play just about anywhere he’s needed. Tyrone Taylor is a vacuum in center, and Luisangel Acuña is for real. The Mets as an team will hope to follow these players progressions — slowly getting better as the season goes on.
The Mets’ pitching, surprisingly, has been their calling card. A historic start.
Per Greg Harvey, the Mets are the only team in MLB history to have five different pitchers with a sub-3.15 ERA & 40+ strikeouts through 8 starts.
Kodai Senga — 44.1 IP, 42 SO, 19 BB, 1.20 WHIP (1.22 ERA)
Griffin Canning — 42.0 IP, 42 SO, 16 BB, 1.26 WHIP (2.36 ERA)
Clay Holmes — 42.2 IP, 44 SO, 16 BB, 1.24 WHIP (2.74 ERA)
David Peterson — 44.1 IP, 43 SO, 16 BB, 1.35 WHIP (3.05 ERA)
Tylor Megill — 40.2 IP, 52 SO, 17 BB, 1.25 WHIP (3.10 ERA)
Tough to say this was expected.
Jeremy Hefner and the Mets’ pitching lab gets a majority of the credit, along with David Stearns, who have both identified and refined their talent. When it comes to a front-line starter, the Mets may end up being set. With Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas’ returns in the coming month or two — that may be enough reinforcements for this staff.
The bullpen has been steady as well, though shakier at times than the starting rotation. The Mets’ bullpen has the 4th best ERA in baseball, behind:
San Francisco Giants (2.62 ERA)
Houston Astros (2.78 ERA)
Detroit Tigers (2.91 ERA)
New York Mets (3.03 ERA)
Whether the arms are sustainable, time will tell.
The next step is getting length out of the starting rotation, where the longest outing from a Mets starting pitcher this year was Kodai Senga — who threw 7.0 innings against the A’s on April 13th. That’s it. No other starter has finished the 7th inning all year.
As time goes on, that should improve as the staff continues to build up.
The Mets’ upcoming games:
May 16-18 — Mets @ Yankees (Megill v. Rodon, Canning v. Schmidt, Peterson v. Fried)
May 19-21 — Mets @ Red Sox (Senga v. Bello, Holmes v. Buehler, Megill v. Crochet)
Thursday, May 22nd — Off Day
May 23-25 — Dodgers @ Mets (Canning vs. May, Peterson v. TBD, Senga v. TBD)
These next few series will test the Mets’ sense of strength, resilience, and gauge how they’ll look going into June. With the remaining home stand finishing up against the White Sox and Rockies at home for the turn of the month.
The Mets are atop the NL East by 3.0 games as they look to keep it that way.
Don’t sleep on Philadelphia and Atlanta, either.
The NL East will be a three-team race.
Pete Rose
Big baseball news recently dropped yesterday, with baseball themselves dropping the lifetime bans to Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and 15 others. Rose and Jackson were both victims of gambling scandals — and can now be considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pertaining to Rose, it was an honor that was always ruled out for him in part of a settlement he had reached with Major League Baseball. He died in September, and commissioner Rob Manfred ruled that his lifetime ban ended with his death — which is now uniform across the sport for anyone who receives a ban in their lifetime.
I never saw Pete Rose play or manage. I do know he has the most hits all-time with 4,256, and fought Bud Harrelson in Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS. His case is tough, and that’s not mentioning what he did on the diamond. I don’t think he’ll get in, but it’ll continue to be a conversation. Looking strictly at gambling on games, there has been a softening up to gambling today, but that doesn’t mean it’ll soften Rose’s case.
The earliest both could be inducted would be in 2028.
Some of the other interesting members who got reinstated were New York Giants, some being outfielder Benny Kauff, who was suspended on April 7, 1921 by Commissioner Landis following his indictment on charges of auto theft and possession of a stolen car.
New York Giants pitcher “Shufflin” Phil Douglas was banned for life on August 18, 1922 for writing a letter to St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Leslie Mann asking him to throw a game. Mann gave the letter to Branch Rickey, who sent it to Commissioner Landis, who backed the ban, saying Douglas’ letter was “tragic and deplorable.”
Interesting stuff.
New York Knicks
In the same way contextualization matters with the Mets when appreciating how far you’ve come, the same goes for the Knicks.
The Knicks can reach the Eastern Conference Finals tonight for the first time in 25 years — which predates myself. This season has been the definition of appreciating how far the Knicks have come. From Raymond Felton to Jalen Brunson — it’s been long overdue in many respects.
No disrespect to Carmelo Anthony, but Jalen Brunson is the greatest Knick I’ve ever seen — on one the greatest Knicks teams in a long, long time.
Making the playoffs sustainably is a problem the Mets are still looking to solve, but the Knicks have been built up. From making the playoffs in 4 of the last 5 years, to advancing into the second round for the third straight season, the next step is the making the Eastern Conference Finals — or winning it all.
With the second-best odds, home court advantage against the Pacers —this could end up being the year. Mitchell Robinson is a real presence in the paint. Mikal Bridges is a mid-range monster. OG Anunoby can defend 1-5. Karl-Anthony Towns is the greatest shooting big of all time. I’ve never included basketball in these Mets write ups, but the Knicks have been must-watch television — even if they’re on the second screen during Mets games.
Knicks over the Pacers in 6.
Orange and blue skies. Go New York, Go New York Go.