Jon Heyman The Mets’ 2025 death knell is now their key to the NL East By Jon Heyman Published March 12, 2026, 4:06 p.m. ET Mets' Freddy Peralta (51) throws in the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Spring Training. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets’ 2025 failing (one of them anyway) might be their big strength now.
The pitching rotation that hit a wall midway through their excruciating, months-long fall from grace (and first place) appears deep now — much deeper than last year and surely deeper than their main NL East competition, whose starting pitching looks noticeably thinner now.
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The Mets have at least six viable starters, and while some of the participants may not favor an extra day, a six-man rotation makes sense now. A group that features an honest-to-goodness ace (Freddy Peralta) and Rookie of the Year favorite (Nolan McLean) at the top, underrated David Peterson and resilient Clay Holmes in the middle and 2024 ace Sean Manaea and 2023 ace Kodai Senga on the back end looks as deep as anyone’s, besides maybe Boston and perhaps the Yankees once they get everyone back.
Almost all the Mets’ six are looking solid to good or better, and Mets people suggest they are unworried about a three-to-four mph velocity drop in Manaea’s spring debut. Plus, the almost forgotten young right-hander Christian Scott is firing 97 mph and “filling up the zone” down here, and even younger Jonah Tong’s big promise remains intact assuming his breaking pitches continue to develop, giving them the luxury of eight workable arms.
