The New York Mets' season has been a tale of two halves. Before the All-Star break, Kodai Senga was one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. He helped Carlos Mendoza's team contend in the National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies. Now, Sean Manaea and Co. have to fend off the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds without him for an NL playoff spot.
The Wild Card race in both leagues looks like it could come down to the wire. However, New York faces pressure from the Reds and Giants, both of whom sit two games behind in the standings. One bad series could send the Mets out of the final Wild Card spot, a tragic end to a crazy season. If they end up out of the playoff picture, the pitching staff will take the majority of the blame.
Mendoza has had issues with his starting rotation for months. Senga's injury threw a wrench into his operation, forcing other players into large roles. Some of them stepped up for New York, including Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat. Others, like Clay Holmes, are still getting used to the brighter spotlight. It is a bad sign for a team hoping to make a deep playoff run.
Of all of the Mets' pitchers, Manaea is the one who stands to gain the most down the stretch of the season. The veteran was not a part of New York's rotation earlier in the season because of injury. However, he has been far from his best since coming off of the injured list. Despite that, he is one of Mendoza's top options as he starts planning for a potential playoff series rotation this fall.
Manaea's pitching could save the Mets' season or doom it. Here is why he is so important.
Manaea's experience can calm a pitching staff looking for a leader
The Mets had a successful playoff run in 2024. New York came two wins away from setting up a cinematic World Series against the New York Yankees before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Walking away from that run, Mendoza looked like he had the makings of an elite rotation. Now, he has a huge issue when it comes to New York's inconsistency on the mound.
Looking at the Mets' roster, the playoff rotation is tough to put together. Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Manaea will each have a spot, even if the order is not clear yet. Manaea and Mendoza have had their own issues this year, but the veteran remains one of New York's best options. If Senga is not going to be a part of the playoff rotation, Manaea is set up to be a key part of the puzzle.
As an individual, Manaea's 2025 numbers are underwhelming. However, he is one of many Mets pitchers that stepped up in the postseason. In the 2024 playoffs, the southpaw was 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA across four starts. That body of work against teams like the Dodgers, Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers is tough to ignore. Mendoza hopes he can do the same down the stretch in 2025.
The Mets' offense needs a pitcher to help them stay in games
Entering the season, the strength of the Mets was supposed to be their offense. However, Senga's hot start and the emergence of Holmes as an effective starter changed that conception. Despite the early success on the mound by Mendoza's rotation, things eventually shifted the other way. Now, New York's offense is elite while its pitching and defense have fallen far behind.
The Mets have a lot to fix and not a lot of time to do it in. Mendoza acknowledged the pressure on New York from the Giants and Reds, but is not concerned. That kind of demeanor is good for a team as talented at the Mets, but it might end up being unrealistic. The truth is that Manaea and others need to snap out of their slumps before it is too late for their team.
Despite the team's struggles, Mets players are confident in their team's chances this year. Once the playoffs start, having stars like Juan Soto and Pete Alonso makes New York dangerous. However, poor pitching renders a good offense meaningless when the competition takes a significant jump. Mendoza has about three weeks to find a solution or risk missing the playoffs altogether.
Manaea is the linchpin that could decide New York's season. If he wakes up and is effective, the Mets' odds are good. If not, making the playoffs might be as far as they get.
