I was told I could not write this preview in all capital letters. Fine. But I am asking you to read it that way in your head. Do that for me.
The Mets finished second in the regular season last fall. Second. We had the second-best record in this league. We earned a top-two seed. In a four-team single-elimination bracket, a two-seed facing a three-seed should have a structural advantage. I know this. Everyone knows this. The bracket knew this.
The Giants did not care about the bracket.
We lost. First round. One game. I have been through that game in my head approximately four hundred times since it ended. There is not a version of it where the outcome makes sense. There are explanations. Bad bounce here, wrong pitch there. But the explanation is not the same as the reason, and the reason -- the real, underlying, structural reason -- is something I am still working through. I have theories. I will be sharing them.
But that was 2025. The Mets rebuilt this offseason. In this league, "rebuilt" usually means "shuffled the same guys around and hoped nobody noticed." This time is different. I have people.
Erik Holmen. He pitched for the Giants the last two seasons. His ERA was high. I know what his ERA was. I am not the one who is going to pretend I did not see the number. But here is what I will say: Holmen has been in this league. He has been on these fields. He knows how games in this format move, what hitters do, when to hold and when to go. That is not a box score stat. That is institutional knowledge. On this roster, with this defense, Holmen pitches better. That is my position. I am prepared to defend it.
Joel Gadea came over from the Blue Jays. His ERA with the Blue Jays was north of six. I know. I also know the Blue Jays had systemic issues that inflated every individual number on that pitching staff. In a new environment, different teammates, different game management -- Gadea contributes. I believe this. And the Giants are going to get our absolute best every time we face them this year, because I have been thinking about that first-round game since it ended and I am not done thinking about it. It is going in print.
The Mets have experienced arms who know this league and a second-place regular season finish last fall that says we belong in this conversation. The Giants won the championship. I respect it. Genuinely.
This year is different.
-- Johnny
Beat Writer | Mets Beat | Replacement Level Media