The New York Mets seeks momentum, but Washington looks to stall their postseason pursuit.
Games at this point in the season are becoming increasingly meaningful, and teams far out of the playoff picture are trying to play spoiler. After splitting a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the division-rival New York Mets are coming to town, and Washington could continue playing spoiler throughout the division.
The New York Mets have been one of the most disappointing teams in the past two months. However, they are coming off an impressive series win against the hot Seattle Mariners. New York is a long shot for the division; however, they are still in control of the final Wild Card spot. They aren’t too far ahead of the surging Cincinnati Reds, but if they have a solid series against Washington, they could extend that lead.
Let’s look into the New York Mets’ 2025 season.
OFFENSE
Theoretically, the New York Mets’ offense could come alive at any point. With a superstar trio of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso, this could become a dangerous team when it comes to playoff time. However, the supporting cast outside of the superstars has been disappointing, including Francisco Linder himself. As a team, they are batting .244 (18th), scored 554 runs (14th), hit 160 home runs (8th), have an on-base percentage of .321 (10th), and a slugging percentage of .415 (9th).
PITCHING
The starting rotation has been a pleasant surprise throughout most of the season; however, fans are starting to get concerned about the ability to keep the consistent and stellar outings into the playoffs. Kodai Senga has been one of the best pitchers in the sport, and David Peterson and Clay Holmes have been solid contributors. With a great bullpen and a solid rotation, this team could be a dangerous squad to see come playoff time. As a team, they have a 3.78 ERA (8th), allowed 115 home runs (2nd), 1.32 WHIP (23rd), and teams are batting .240 against them (11th).
GAME ONE – Tuesday, 6:45 EDT
WAS: RHP Jake Irvin (8-7) – 25 G, 5.14 ERA, 94 SO, 1.38 WHIP, 80 ERA+
NYM: LHP David Peterson (7-5) – 23 G, 3.30 ERA, 117 SO, 1.28 WHIP, 120 ERA+
Irvin has been a steady arm for Washington all season, providing innings every fifth day. However, Irvin has not seen improvement throughout the first three years of his career, raising questions about his ceiling in Washington. In his last start, he threw four innings, allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks in a win for the Washington Nationals.
At nearly 30-years-old, Peterson has been terrific the past two seasons. He made his first All-Star game this year and has been one of the most important players on the New York Mets. Peterson could be in line to start a playoff game if New York can hang onto the final Wild Card spot. However, in his last two starts, he has struggled, allowing ten runs and seven walks. In his last start, he threw 3.1 innings and allowed six runs on five hits and five walks in a loss to Atlanta.
GAME TWO – Wednesday, 6:45 EDT
WAS: RHP Brad Lord (3-6) – 40 G (11 GS), 3.26 ERA, 73 SO, 1.22 WHIP, 127 ERA+
NYM: RHP Kodai Senga (7-4) – 19 G, 2.35 ERA, 95 SO, 1.23 WHIP, 169 ERA+
Rookie Brad Lord has been stellar for Washington all throughout the season. He has been thrown around the pitching staff, being a high-leverage reliever, then turning around and becoming a starter. He has been one of the more underappreciated rookies this season. In his last start, he threw another great start, throwing six innings and allowing two runs on seven hits in a win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Senga missed almost all of last season due to injury, and some fans didn’t know what to expect from Senga. In 2023, Senga was one of the best pitchers in the sport, and he has continued this success in 2025, posting career highs across the board. In his last start, he threw another quality start, going 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven strikeouts in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.
GAME THREE – Thursday, 4:05 EDT
WAS: LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-12) – 25 G, 4.04 ERA, 165 SO, 1.32 WHIP, 102 ERA+
NYM: LHP Sean Manaea (1-1) – 7 G, 4.78 ERA, 37 SO, 1.16 WHIP, 84 ERA+
Gore made his first All-Star game this season and has struggled since making it. However, he has looked like his first-half self in his last two starts. After shutting out the Giants with ten strikeouts, Gore threw a great quality start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Gore threw six innings and allowed two runs on four hits and seven strikeouts, unfortunately ending in a loss for Washington.
After a career resurgence in 2024, Manaea signed a short-term extension with the New York Mets after making the NLCS. Manaea has dealt with injuries for most of the season, but he is not looking like his 2024 self. In his past three starts, he has allowed a total of thirteen runs, and New York has lost all three games. In his last start, he threw five innings and allowed four runs on six hits in a loss against the Seattle Mariners.
Washington has made moves to their lineup, and this team will be looking different without Nathaniel Lowe. Dylan Crews is back, and this is the time to show what this young squad can do. For the New York Mets, this is a must-win series. As they are fighting for a playoff spot, they have struggled as other teams behind them have started to perform well. This could be a big series for both teams, the reasons being on opposite side of the spectrum.
Category: General Sports