Considering how the Mets season has unfolded it has become a maelstrom of negativity among fans, media types and frankly anyone with eyes who witness all of the horror happening under David Stearns’ control. We don’t need to reiterate the very many things that have gone wrong. Nor do we need to rehash how nothing has been done to quell the firestorm.
No, today let’s instead look at the things that have gone right and how there might be a bright side to the overwhelming darkness. Surprisingly, the first look is at who takes the mound every fifth day to provide 5+ innings pitched as a starter.
Nolan McLean did not come as a surprise to anyone who witnessed the mediocrity of the 2025 season when he was summoned up after Jonah Tong as an emergency starting pitcher replacement. His ERA in 2025 in the major leagues was a highly impressive 2.06 over eight games.
For a team that has gone through the Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson and other misfit starters, it must be an almost biblical level revelation to see the performances being put together by Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and now Zac Thornton.
Nolan McLean did not come as a surprise to anyone who witnessed the mediocrity of the 2025 season when he was summoned up after Jonah Tong as an emergency starting pitcher replacement. His ERA in 2025 in the major leagues was a highly impressive 2.06 over eight games.
Some cast aspersions on the man because over 20 starts in 2026 his ERA is 3.34 which is frankly first pitcher performance on most teams. If you track his other numbers they are right along with what he did during his major league breakthrough a year ago. He’s for real. How good he’ll become is still a great unknown but he’s certainly part of the new guard.
Christian Scott became something of a forgotten hurler when he missed more than a year due to injury. In 2024 while ailing he pitched to a 4.56 ERA. That’s not horrible but it didn’t parallel the gaudy numbers he had in the minors. After missing the rest of that year and all of 2025 he is now completely healthy and the results are reflecting it. He’s got a 2.87 ERA while striking out 10.9 per 9 innings pitched.
Christian Scott became something of a forgotten hurler when he missed more than a year due to injury. In 2024 while ailing he pitched to a 4.56 ERA. That’s not horrible but it didn’t parallel the gaudy numbers he had in the minors. After missing the rest of that year and all of 2025 he is now completely healthy and the results are reflecting it. He’s got a 2.87 ERA while striking out 10.9 per 9 innings pitched.
He’s certainly most welcome and in a way is the right handed Jerry Koosman to Nolan McLean being the latter day Tom Seaver.
The third one is a huge surprise to many people Zac Thornton has hurled two stellar games in a row and a third earlier in the season. He’s shown stellar control and a WHIP under 1.000 while pitching to a 2.60 ERA. While this good fortune is most welcome it is, obviously, over a very small sample size but it would appear Thornton is another key cog in the 2027 rotation.
Also, let's not forget still injured Clay Holmes who is now on his rehab assignment, pitching games again after a long period recovering from his fractured fibula. While David Stearns took something of a chance by inking Holmes to a starting pitcher contract after he earned his way in the majors as a reliever, he demonstrated he was up to the task. Over 31 starts last season he owned a 3.53 ERA which is probably even better than anticipated.
The third one is a huge surprise to many people Zac Thornton has hurled two stellar games in a row and a third earlier in the season. He’s shown stellar control and a WHIP under 1.000 while pitching to a 2.60 ERA. While this good fortune is most welcome it is, obviously, over a very small sample size but it would appear Thornton is another key cog in the 2027 rotation.
Also, let's not forget still injured Clay Holmes who is now on his rehab assignment, pitching games again after a long period recovering from his fractured fibula. While David Stearns took something of a chance by inking Holmes to a starting pitcher contract after he earned his way in the majors as a reliever, he demonstrated he was up to the task. Over 31 starts last season he owned a 3.53 ERA which is probably even better than anticipated.
Then he followed it up with 9 starts in 2026 with the ERA dropping to just 2.39. The issue now is how to extend him before he opts out for free agency or the front office makes a very short sighted trade deadline transaction.
5 comments:
Some good news, but a half dozen good players short, and a bewilderingly bad minor league system.
Sadly, I believe Holmes will be traded because he is one of the current Mets players that could return multiple chips in a trade
Reese, Manaea has been decent as a starter and I have an inkling that Peralta won’t be traded and will be back on a QO. He has been horrible, but isn’t a horrible pitcher. I would keep him and try again next year.
Some players peak at the right time. Peralta valleyed at the right time. I think that says a lot about his viability in a high leverage environment like a playoff game. I would not want him back.
Holmes on the other hand was a guy that everyone wanted to see in the 2027 rotation. A big question is, does he want to be there? This team has given him no run support, and the trades will yield prospects, not MLB-ready bats.
If Holmes can be extended I'd prefer to pay to trade Peralta.
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