2026 Mets Positional Outlook: Starting Pitchers
Starting pitching has been a big talking point all offseason. The rotation’s inconsistencies were one of the main reasons the Mets failed to make the playoffs in 2025. Their starters combined for a 4.13 ERA, up from a 3.91 ERA the season prior. The Mets’ rotation also averaged 4.91 innings per start, the third-worst mark in baseball. It was clear this area needed drastic improvement, whether through in-house options or targets via free agency and/or the trade market. Entering 2026, there is certainly confidence that this group can bounce back. Let’s take a look at the options the Mets have going into this upcoming season.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
ACE/FRONTLINE ARMS
Age: 29 (06/04/1996)
Contract: one year, $8 million
Roster Status: 40-man roster
Freddy Peralta immediately steps in as the ace of the Mets’ rotation. He is coming off a fantastic season in Milwaukee, pitching to a career-best 2.70 ERA in 176 2/3 innings. He earned a National League-best 17 wins and was named an All-Star for the second time in his career (2021). Peralta is entering the final year of his deal and is set to pitch in a different environment with a whole new level of pressure.
Having someone like Peralta who takes the ball every fifth day will give the rotation a major boost. Availability and durability are something he has showcased of late, making 30 starts or more in each of the last three seasons. One area the Mets hope he can improve in is pitching deeper into games. Peralta averaged 5.35 innings per start in 2025, pitching into the seventh inning just three times. That being said, their rotation looks far more formidable with him at the top. Expect big things from Peralta in a contract year.
Age: 24 (07/24/2001)
Contract: pre-arbitration eligible
Roster Status: 40-man roster
It may feel a bit premature to put Nolan McLean in the “ace” category, but if he isn’t there yet, he will be soon. The rookie burst onto the scene in 2025, making eight big league starts down the stretch. McLean was fantastic, allowing two earned runs or less in all but one of those outings. The Mets were in desperate need of innings at the time of his debut, and to his credit, he delivered in a big way.
McLean has retained rookie eligibility for this upcoming season and is the betting favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year (+350 on FanDuel). With the kind of start he got off to, that seems fair. How teams adjust to him will definitely be something to watch. McLean is set to pitch for the USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Certainly a good test to see how he performs on a big stage.
Kodai Senga Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
PITCHERS WITH A POINT TO PROVE
Age: 33 (01/30/1993)
Contract: two years, $30 million (conditional team option for ’28)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
There were some rumblings that Kodai Senga could be moved this offseason, but that never materialized. If his market value wasn’t as high as expected, keeping him may pay off. After making just one regular-season start in 2024 due to shoulder and calf injuries, Senga bounced back. At least to begin 2025. Through 13 starts, he was 7-3 with a 1.47 ERA. But Senga’s season went off the rails after suffering a hamstring injury in mid-June. He pitched to a 5.90 ERA over his final nine starts and finished the season in Triple-A.
Since coming to Major League Baseball, Senga has showcased flashes of All-Star-level pitching. In 2023, as a rookie, he posted a 2.98 ERA and 3.4 fWAR. Durability and length (5.15 innings per start in ’25) will continue to remain as questions for him, but if he can give the Mets 15+ quality starts, that would go a long way. Senga is one of, if not the x-factor, for this pitching staff in 2026.
Age: 34 (02/01/1992)
Contract: two years, $38.9 million
Roster Status: 40-man roster
After an impressive first season with the Mets, 2025 was a difficult year for Sean Manaea. He began the season on the injured list with an oblique strain, delaying his debut. During the rehab process, it was discovered that he was also dealing with a loose body in his left elbow. Manaea elected not to get surgery and pitch through it, and as a result, his numbers suffered. In 15 appearances (12 starts), he pitched to a 5.64 ERA in 60 2/3 innings.
Manaea did not have offseason surgery on that elbow and is expected to have a normal spring training. Like Senga, Manaea is someone who has had prior success with the Mets. In 2024, he was one of the pivotal figures who helped the team reach the NLCS. Once he lowered his arm angle, similar to Chris Sale’s, his numbers saw a massive late-season jump. If the Mets can get that version of Manaea or something close to it, their rotation elevates to another level.
Age: 32 (03/27/1993)
Contract: one year, $13 million ($12 million player option for ’27)
Roster Status: 40-man roster
Clay Holmes exceeded most people’s expectations in his first season as a starting pitcher. He threw 165 2/3 innings in 2025, almost 100 innings more than his previous career high. Holmes made 31 starts and 33 total appearances, remaining in rotation throughout the entire season. Like some of his teammates, though, he struggled to provide length as the season went on. Holmes threw six innings or more in seven of his first 13 starts. In comparison, he only reached that mark in two of his last 18 starts.
That wasn’t too surprising, given that it was his first year in a new role. Will he be able to build off of that? Could a move back to the bullpen be in consideration for Holmes, especially as some of the younger guys develop? Maybe down the line, but not now. In the short-term, expect him to remain a valuable piece of the rotation. Like McLean, Holmes will be pitching for USA at the World Baseball Classic next month.
Age: 30 (09/03/1995)
Contract: one year, $8.1 million-final arbitration year
Roster Status: 40-man roster
Some may forget that David Peterson was an All-Star in 2025. With a couple guys on the injured list to start the year, he stepped in as the ace of the rotation. In the first half, Peterson was superb, pitching to a 3.06 ERA in 109 innings. That included a complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals in June. But as the season went on, it appeared that he began to run out of gas. Peterson struggled down the stretch, pitching to a 6.34 ERA over his final 12 starts.
With Peralta and McLean in the mix, less pressure should be on the shoulders of the left-hander. Peterson had career-high in innings last season. Getting adjusted to maintaining that level of length over a 162-game season will be key for him. Another x-factor arm for the rotation.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
DEPTH WITH UPSIDE
Age: 22 (06/19/2003)
Contract: pre-arbitration eligible
Roster Status: 40-man roster
Jonah Tong is a name the Brewers reportedly had their eyes on as the two sides tried to complete a deal for Peralta earlier this winter. In the end, the arm New York decided to move was Brandon Sproat. Given Tong’s ceiling, many would say keeping him was the correct decision.
Don’t be fooled by his brief cameo in the big leagues last season. A 7.71 ERA in five starts looks rough, but the reality is he was rushed to the majors. The Mets were desperate for fresh arms down the stretch and Tong was one of the few called upon. Prior to that mini rough stretch, 2025 could not have gone better for him. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Tong pitched to a 1.43 ERA in 113 2/3 innings. He could benefit from starting the season in Syracuse, but I’m fairly confident he will be back in the big leagues at some point in 2026.
Age: 26 (06/15/1999)
Contract: pre-arbitration eligible
Roster Status: 40-man roster
Christian Scott may be the most interesting arm on this list. He is a name some may have forgotten about after missing all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. But before McLean and Tong, he was the next young arm with promise for the Mets. Scott was called up to the big leagues early on during the 2024 season, making a total of nine starts before going down with injury. He pitched to a 4.56 ERA in 47 1/3 innings that year.
It’s safe to expect Scott to begin the season in Triple-A, as he returns after a long rehab process. It will take him time to get back into a rhythm and regain the level he showcased a few years ago. But with the flashes Scott showed in 2024, there is still promise heading into his age-27 season. With a strong spring training, a big league role could certainly be in play at some point in 2026.
Age: 27 (08/05/1998)
Contract: pre-arbitration eligible
Roster Status: 40-man roster
Adding Peralta to the rotation was massive for the Mets, but the other arm they got in that deal may be a key contributor immediately. Tobias Myers is someone fans may already be familiar with. If you remember, he started Game 3 of the 2024 National League Wild Card series against the Mets, throwing five shutout innings in a 3-2 loss. Myers bounced between roles in 2025, making six starts and appearing 22 times. Myers finished the season in the bullpen, pitching to a 2.22 ERA over his final 13 outings.
The Mets have said they will have him stretch out as a starter in spring training. There was some thought that Myers could be the long man in the bullpen to begin the season. At this point, it’s too early to tell if that is still in play. For his career, Myers has a 3.48 ERA as a starter and a 1.62 ERA as a reliever. It will be interesting to see how the swingman is utilized throughout the year.
NECESSARY DEPTH READY TO BE CALLED UPON
ONE TO WATCH
Will Watson and Jonathan Santucci are worthy honorable mentions for this, but Jack Wenninger has to be the focus. He got a non-roster invite to spring training, which is fantastic. Wenninger spent all of 2025 in Double-A, pitching to a 2.92 ERA in 135 2/3 innings. With McLean and Tong seeing time in the big leagues, plus Sproat now being in Milwaukee, the former sixth round pick is the next young arm to keep an eye on. After a full season in Double-A, could he begin this season in Triple-A? Let’s see what Wenninger can do during spring training, ahead of his age-24 season.
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