Thursday, July 17

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 -- The Mets’ first half of the season was nothing if not eventful.

In April, the Mets roared out to one of the best records in baseball, climbing to 10 games over .500 less than a month into the season. They treaded water in May, wondering when Juan Soto might find his footing. Toward the end of that month and into the next one, the Mets caught fire, establishing themselves as a pitching-rich juggernaut. Then the rotation began falling apart, the injured list grew crowded and the Mets ended June on one of the worst losing runs in franchise history.

They entered the All-Star break at 55-42, a half-game out of first place in the NL East, having steadied things a bit in the first half of July. All things considered, it’s a solid spot to be, particularly with the rotation mostly healthy again. But the Mets still have plenty of issues, which they’ll need to address quickly if they hope to meet their preseason goals.

Second-half goal: Win the division

The Mets led the NL East for significant stretches of the first half, but they haven’t been quite as consistent as the Phillies. If they can win the division and avoid a best-of-three Wild Card Series, they’ll put themselves in a better position for a deep October run. Achieving this will require wise Trade Deadline investment and improved play overall, but this group is unquestionably talented enough to do it.

Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Add pitching (and maybe a bat)

The Mets haven’t featured a fully loaded bullpen since left-handers A.J. Minter and Danny Young sustained season-ending injuries in late April. New York could absolutely stand to add a lockdown lefty, and it wouldn’t hurt to tack on some starting pitching following a severe test of its rotation depth in the first half. Offensively, the Mets have been waiting for a team-wide breakout, which hasn’t quite happened. It might be time for them to splurge on an upgrade at DH or in center field. In any event, New York will be buying.

Key player: Sean Manaea

Clearly the Mets’ top starter in 2024, Manaea didn’t throw a pitch this season until the final game of the first half. As soon as he did, he began reminding everyone why he’s such a crucial part of this team. Manaea’s low-slot, crossfire delivery resulted in strikeouts of five of the first seven batters he faced in Kansas City. And while he wound up losing that game, his impact was nonetheless clear. That’s the good news. The bad is that Manaea is pitching with a loose body in his left elbow, which is at least a bit worrisome. He’ll need to prove his durability for a team very much invested (to the tune of $75 million) in his ace upside.

Prospect to watch: Nolan McLean (No. 4)

Unlike basically every other top Mets pitching prospect of recent seasons, McLean hasn’t slowed at all since he reached Triple-A Syracuse. New York officials still want him to improve against left-handed hitters, but that’s more a quibble than anything at this point. McLean’s ability to spin the ball is elite, and his 2.57 ERA with Syracuse suggests he could play a key role in the upcoming pennant race.

Who holds the Mets’ record for hits in the second half of a season?

A) Keith Hernandez

B) Lance Johnson

C) John Olerud

D) David Wright

Due to Competitive Balance Tax and qualifying offer penalties, the Mets had just one pick in the first 101 selections of the 2025 Draft.

They spent it on Mitch Voit, a player that Upper Midwest-area scout Chad Langley had tracked closely since the fall. A Wisconsin native, Voit described himself as a versatile infielder who can do a little of everything -- big hits, speed on the bases, solid defense at second base and other positions, even “the ability to slow my heart rate down in a big situation.”

Over his first two years in college, Voit was a two-way player with a fastball that touched the mid 90s. The internal brace surgery he underwent on his right elbow in spring 2024 ended his pitching career for all intents and purposes, and while Voit refused to close the door completely on the mound -- “I will do absolutely anything to make it to the big leagues as a New York Met,” he said -- it’s clear both he and team officials envision his future on the infield dirt.

Upon becoming a full-time second baseman this season, Voit slashed a career-best .346/.471/.668 over 56 games with Michigan, leading the Wolverines in eight offensive categories.

“He made a lot of strides, this being his first year to focus on hitting,” Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said. “When you’re scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.”

For more on Voit and what he brings to the Mets, check out the full story from Draft night.

The schedule promises the Mets no favors in the second half, but then again, it’s all there in front of them. Here’s what the calendar looks like at a glance:

Game remaining: 65 (Home, 34; Away, 31)

Remaining strength of schedule: .511, 7th in MLB, fourth in NL, first in NL East

Key series

July 25-30: Six-game road trip against Wild Card contenders in San Francisco and San Diego, leading directly into the Trade Deadline.

Aug. 25-27: Three-game home series against the Phillies, the team most likely to battle New York for the NL East title.

Sept. 8-11: Three more against the Phillies, this time in Philadelphia, potentially with the division on the line.

C) Olerud

In his otherworldly 1998 campaign, Olerud recorded 107 hits in 77 games after the All-Star break. He batted .381 in the second half.

To subscribe to Mets Beat, visit this page and mark "Mets Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Mets or that they're checked as your favorite team.

View Online

© 2025 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (dawn.klemish@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB. 

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.