Series Preview: Mets Searching For Any Positive Momentum vs. Angels

The New York Mets (10-21) finished the month of April with the worst record in all of baseball. There are no good ways to spin how the beginning of the season has unfolded for the team. The Mets have put themselves in a massive hole, and Carlos Mendoza and the players are looking to turn this around.

They will begin their road trip against the Los Angeles Angels (12-20), who have lost nine of their last 10 games. Pitching has been an issue for them, as their 4.61 ERA as a team is the second-worst mark in the American League. Both teams are in desperate need of positivity.

Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups this weekend.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

• Friday: Christian Scott (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. Walbert Ureña (0-3, 4.76 ERA): With Kodai Senga on the injured list and David Peterson struggling, the Mets could really benefit from another starter stepping up. Scott appears to be getting his shot to be that guy. His first big-league start of the season did not go well. Scott walked five and hit a batter in just 1 1/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins last Thursday. He is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in five career road starts. After two relief appearances to begin his career, Ureña has recently been featured in the Angels’ rotation. Through two starts, he owns a 5.59 ERA across 9 2/3 innings. Ureña’s most utilized pitch is his changeup, which opponents are hitting just .118 against with a .118 slugging percentage.
• Saturday: Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.55 ERA) vs. Reid Detmers (1-2, 4.28 ERA): McLean has been nothing short of fantastic to begin this season, despite what his win-loss record suggests. He has provided length in addition to limiting runs, throwing six innings or more in three of his last four starts. McLean had a strong month of April, pitching to a 2.37 ERA. In six career road starts, he is 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Detmers has been in and out of the rotation throughout his five-plus seasons with the Angels. After all of his 61 appearances came as a reliever in 2025, the former first-round pick has begun the year as a starter. Detmers is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in three home starts this season.
• Sunday: Clay Holmes (3-2, 1.75 ERA) vs. Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09 ERA): In a season that’s messy from a team perspective, Holmes has certainly been one of the few bright spots. In his second season as a full-time starter, the former reliever has impressed. Holmes allowed two runs or less in all five of his starts in the month of April. Over that stretch, he had a 1.48 ERA across 30 1/3 innings. Those are remarkable numbers. Kochanowicz is another arm for the Angels looking to break through in 2026. He threw 111 innings over 23 starts last season, going 3-11 with a 6.81 ERA. Kochanowicz had four quality starts last year. At the end of May, he already has three this season. Kochanowicz has given up just one earned run in 11 1/3 innings at home this season.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Since Juan Soto returned from the injured list, he is slashing .333/.471/.630 with two home runs and three RBIs. Can the rest of the lineup contribute at a high enough level? Without Francisco Lindor, there is no proof that shows they can. For the season, the Mets are scoring 3.42 runs per game. Only the San Francisco Giants rank worse in that metric. Even if McLean, Holmes and Peralta continue to pitch well, the team isn’t going to make up ground in the standings unless the offense can turn the corner.

PREDICTION

Are the Mets capable of winning a series right now? On the road? I can’t sit here and say I’m confident, but the Angels aren’t very good either. Mike Trout is off to a good start and Zach Neto has hit well to this point, but their lineup can be neutralized. Maybe I am too optimistic (I am). But with McLean and Holmes pitching this weekend, I have the Mets winning two of three.

The post Series Preview: Mets Searching For Any Positive Momentum vs. Angels appeared first on Metsmerized Online.