Tuesday, August 26

Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 16 seasons full-time on the beat.

NEW YORK -- Nolan McLean’s recent emergence has emboldened the call-up-the-prospects crowd in Queens, and rightfully so. Through two starts, McLean owns a 1.46 ERA. He appears well on his way to being a very good pitcher in this league for a long time to come.

Could Brandon Sproat or Jonah Tong be next? It’s a question Mets officials are currently weighing, with lots of details coloring both sides of the decision.

Do the Mets need to add a sixth starter this week?
In the strictest sense, no. Although they’re in the midst of their longest stretch of season without an off-day, 16 games in 16 days, the Mets could theoretically push through it with a five-man rotation. They’re already seven games into that stretch using a traditional rotation, which forced Kodai Senga to pitch on four days’ rest Monday for the first time since 2023.

Yet throughout the season, whenever they’ve reached a lengthy patch of schedule without an off-day, the team has inserted a spot starter (or bulk reliever) -- something they’ve discussed doing for this current run as well. That still appears to be the plan. Asked Monday if he could power through the rest of these 16 games without adding a sixth starter, manager Carlos Mendoza scrunched his face, sighed audibly and replied: “We’ll see.”

For now, the company line is that the Mets want to get through the next two days with Sean Manaea and McLean both pitching on regular rest, then they’ll make a decision after that. It would be reasonable, though, to expect the Mets to add a sixth starter this weekend against the Marlins.

Are their top prospects options?

Yes. According to people familiar with the decision, the Mets aren’t looking to use a high-floor, low-ceiling spot starter like they did repeatedly in the first half with Justin Hagenman and Brandon Waddell. If they’re going to call up an arm, it appears very likely to be a top prospect.

The obvious suspects, then, are the fourth-ranked Tong and fifth-ranked Sproat.

Why wouldn’t it just be Sproat?
Two weeks ago, sure, that probably would have been the obvious choice. Sproat is two years older than Tong, has major Division I collegiate experience and has been at Triple-A for more than a year. From June 28 through the end of July, Sproat went undefeated with a 0.55 ERA. He looked ready.

Over his last three outings, however, Sproat owns a 7.62 ERA. On Sunday, the Mets tried Sproat in a relief role, with the idea of giving him exposure out of the bullpen in case they want to use him there down the stretch. He responded by allowing seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings.

In the meantime, Tong not only earned a promotion from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse, but also ripped off 11 2/3 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and three walks since his promotion.

Is that enough sample size to say he’s ready?
It’s never easy to say that definitively about any prospect. It’s particularly difficult to say about a pitcher with all of two career starts above Double-A. But Tong’s stuff is clearly legitimate. Since reaching Syracuse, Tong has averaged 96 mph on his fastball, topped out at 98 and featured a 50 percent whiff rate on his changeup.

While the scouting community still isn’t 100 percent sold on Tong, criticisms tend to center on his lithe body type -- not his stuff or ability to generate outs. He’s a much better prospect than he was a year ago, leading to increased optimism around the industry.

Is Tong ready, though? There’s really only one way to find out.

What about Tylor Megill?
Megill, who’s recovering from a right elbow sprain, could have been an option to give the Mets a spot start this weekend, but team officials want to see him make another Minor League rehab outing first. While Megill could still play a role for the Mets in September, he won’t move into the rotation this homestand.

Who has thrown the most innings for the Mets against the Phillies this century?

A) Jacob deGrom

B) Tom Glavine

C) Jonathon Niese

D) Steve Trachsel

With only 31 games left in the season, each one is important. That’s especially true this homestand, with two left to play against the first-place Phillies (and a Sproat or Tong promotion potentially looming later this week). After this three-game series against Philadelphia, the Mets will host the Marlins for three more at Citi Field.

Tickets for all remaining home games, including the Mets’ final homestand against the Rangers, Padres and Nationals in September, are available at Mets.com/tickets.

• There was a surprising participant during early batting practice Monday at Citi, where Francisco Alvarez took some hacks to test the sprained ligament in his right thumb. The Mets still don’t know how effective Alvarez might be playing through his injury, which will require postseason surgery. But they intend to find out. To that end, Alvarez is due to begin a Minor League rehab assignment well ahead of schedule. More details here.

• Frankie Montas is done for the season after suffering a major elbow injury. It’s an inauspicious end to the campaign for Montas, who signed a two-year, $34 million contract over the winter. The Mets can only hope they’ll receive some sort of production next year from Montas, who has zero incentive to exercise his opt-out clause.

• It took four-plus months, but Mark Vientos is looking like Mark Vientos again. His hot weekend in Atlanta helped the Mets score a much-needed series win over the Braves, and he followed that up with two big hits Monday against the Phillies.

• Speaking of the Phillies, some tough news out of Philadelphia last weekend with Zack Wheeler set to undergo season-ending thoracic outlet decompression surgery. Rivalry aside, you have to feel for Wheeler, a former Met and one of this generation’s best pitchers.

Answer: C) Niese

The left-hander pitched 149 1/3 innings against the Phillies during nine seasons with the Mets.

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