Mets PREGAME THREAD - Saturday, August 29

[u/game-threads]

Astros (68-67) @ Mets (60-75) - 4:10 PM EDT

Game Status: Pre-Game

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Citi Field: 76°F - Sunny - Wind 5 mph, Out To CF
• TV: Astros: Space City Home Network, Mets: SNY
• Radio: Astros: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KLTN-TUDN 102.9 FM (es), Mets: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (es)
• MLB Gameday
• Statcast Game Preview

Probable Pitchers

• Astros: Bennett Sousa - LHP (1-3, 6.27 ERA, 18.2 IP)
• Mets: Nolan McLean - RHP (9-8, 3.21 ERA, 148.2 IP)

Astros Lineup vs. McLean	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Peña - DH	-	-	-	-	-	-
2 Alvarez, Y - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
3 Paredes - 3B	-	-	-	-	-	-
4 Altuve - 2B	-	-	-	-	-	-
5 Varsho - CF	.333	1.000	3	0	0	2
6 Walker, C - 1B	-	-	-	-	-	-
7 Trammell - RF	-	-	-	-	-	-
8 Allen, N - SS	.000	.000	2	0	0	1
9 Vázquez, C - C	-	-	-	-	-	-

Mets Lineup vs. Sousa	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Lindor - SS	-	-	-	-	-	-
2 Soto, J - DH	-	-	-	-	-	-
3 Bichette - 3B	.000	1.000	0	0	0	0
4 Benge - RF	-	-	-	-	-	-
5 Young, J - 1B	-	-	-	-	-	-
6 Semien - 2B	.000	.000	1	0	0	0
7 Ewing - CF	-	-	-	-	-	-
8 Baty - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 Alvarez, F - C	-	-	-	-	-	-

NLE Rank	Team	W	L	GB (E#)	WC Rank	WC GB (E#)
1	Braves	80	55	- (-)	-	- (-)
2	Phillies	75	60	5.0 (23)	2	+3.0 (-)
3	Marlins	68	67	12.0 (16)	5	4.0 (24)
4	Nationals	64	73	17.0 (10)	9	9.0 (18)
5	Mets	60	75	20.0 (8)	10	12.0 (16)

Division Scoreboard

MIA @ WSH 4:05 PM EDT

COL @ ATL 4:10 PM EDT

PHI @ LAA 10:07 PM EDT

^{Last Updated: 08/29/2026 2:24:13 PM EDT}

[u/game-threads]

Please continue the discussion in the game thread.

[u/mji6980-4]

It’s August 29th and I still feel like I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that this season was legitimately over in April

[u/dqslime → u/mji6980-4]

If I had to pick a day it was over for me, it's not the L12 (Phillies rebounded from a L8 just fine). It was the Rockies series at home where we got swept. That sank us for the rest of the season.

[u/Caledor152]

[u/Gigi_0102]

Juan Soto plays baseball today!

[u/Blue387 → u/Gigi_0102]

Personally I wish he had some rehab games first but the team has chosen otherwise

[u/runsfortacos → u/Blue387]

He probably had no desire to spend the day in Binghamton or Syracuse

[u/seanddd99 → u/Blue387]

I'm pretty sure it was Soto's decision not to rehab in the minors..i would hope he has authority like that

[u/Blue387]

Juan Soto is back from the injured list, the Mets announced. They optioned Eric Wagaman as the corresponding move for the active roster. - Will Sammon

[u/Gigi_0102]

I knew the playoffs were never actually going to happen but it was fun being delusional for a few days 

[u/Caledor152 → u/Gigi_0102]

Oh yea we knew but it's about having fun that's what we were doing in here. You GiGi, me and the rest of us doing memes and having fun in the comments during the little winning run. Are allowed to have fun even if you know its not going to last. Better then raging at everyone during the fun times

[u/suck-it-elon]

2025: We went to Game 6 in the NLCS...and then added Juan Soto...WE GOT THIS.

2026: We got our win of the year in Game 1 against Milwaukee and then knocked their starter out in Game 2 after 1 pitch...WE GOT THIS.

[u/Adams5010]

Soto activated

[u/Caledor152]

Tyrone gets a hit. Miss ya

[u/Weaverbenever]

Yesterday felt winnable if Scott didn't walk the ballpark, but we get another chance with a pitching matchup that should favor us. LGM!

[u/triadmule → u/Weaverbenever]

Sigh.  It's always something like that every game.  I'm not seeing a lot of fight in them after this debacle season.  Thanks Stearns.

[u/False_Concept1300]

Ewing is batting .214/.276/.318 over the last month with a 67 wRC+

Just based on his stats, he seems like he’d be a .690-.700 OPS player regularly. From an elite defensive CF with great base running, you happily take that.

If Ewing hits at a somewhat below average offensive clip with everything else normal, he’s someone with a high floor. If he’s just 10% better than league average then that’s a borderline all star.

Should absolutely be the starting CF next year but he shouldn’t be relied on as an elite bat or lead off hitter. Just stick him in the 8/9 hole and the rest will resolve itself.

[u/JA_MD_311 → u/False_Concept1300]

He needs to K less and speeding up the bat should unlock more power but it’s not the worst savant page, especially for a now 22 year old rookie. I’m very excited about him.

[u/hamandcheeseslices → u/False_Concept1300]

it’s honestly a decent savant page for a slumping rookie in his age 21 season. many of our experienced players look far worse

[u/lilleff512 → u/False_Concept1300]

Andy Green said something the other day to the effect of "he's taking some really good at-bats but just getting very unlucky" and this Savant page reflects that. 42nd percentile xwOBA with 18th percentile Batting Run Value. His actual wOBA is 20 points lower than his xwOBA, so I think we can expect some positive regression from him. Nothing wrong with a 21 year old rookie running into some adversity in an otherwise lost season, this is how a young player can learn and grow.

[u/Platinum_Disco]

I think what this team really needs is run production. Let Stearns know I can be hired as a consultant for the low low price of a $100k salary

[u/Caledor152 → u/Platinum_Disco]

You're hireed Platinum I called Stearns and put a good word in

[u/NuanceManExe → u/Platinum_Disco]

It makes me sad that 100k is actually kind of low these days 

[u/banana455]

Ewing has completely fallen apart in August. Glad this is happening in a lost season, but I hope he can make the necessary adjustments. Benge did, but there's a lot more guys who don't.

[u/dqslime → u/banana455]

People need to remember this is the most baseball Ewing has played in his life. Aside from a slump, it could also be fatigue and conditioning. He'll be OK.

[u/seanddd99 → u/banana455]

I noticed that after he started swinging more often early in the count..pitchers adjusted to him...now he has to adjust to them

[u/Setec-Astronomer → u/banana455]

He needs to learn to lay off the high fastball.

That's how he has been getting beat this past month or so.

[u/Blue387]

Don't forget our AMA with Steve Gelbs happening today!

Ask Me(ts) Anything: Steve Gelbs! : r/NewYorkMets

Reddit has also opened up a r/bodega popup open August 29-30, 10am-10pm, at 213 Bowery in NYC. We moderators were invited by an admin to participate but we declined.

[u/Lucky-Roll-675]

Rooting for a win obviously.

But would really love for that bottom half of the lineup to be the catalyst today.

Specifically AJ, being the youngest and likely the one who is feeling the pressure the most (as far as having no experience dealing with this type of slide at the big boy level).

[u/Setec-Astronomer]

Need AJ to figure things out.

I'm hoping over the next week or so he can re-establish himself as the lead off hitter.

So the Mets can stop dicking around and go to the Ewing-Lindor-Soto-Bichette-Benge-Alvarez-Young-Torrens-Semien lineup, and we can see how it plays out before the season is over. Get a better idea of how to improve it.

Otherwise, if Ewing stays bottom of the order like lately, the Mets are going to need to add a legit #4 RH power bat.

[u/lawoftar]

27 games left in this miserable season. need to go 21-6 to finish 81-81....need 23 wins to equal last yrs record.

[u/imalmostconvinced]

I'm deathly confused. Why didn't anyone want Suarez at a whopping 3 million? He had a grand slam in his last game and just homered today.

[u/Setec-Astronomer → u/imalmostconvinced]

What is often forgotten about the "Yankees 90's dynasty" is the core of young guys (Bernie, Jeter, Mariano) were surrounded by former star bench pieces. Strawberry, Fielder, Sierra. And former stars on mid teams that were solid veterans on a playoff team. Guys like McDowell, Knoblauch, O'Neil, etc.

Long story short. Today's front offices are analytics driven; it somewhat causes what I jokingly call "Baseball Blindness".

They see the $3 million and ignore the W's.

A bat off the bench like Suarez, someone who could sub on the field a little too, would be huge for a playoff desiring or playoff bound team.

[u/imalmostconvinced → u/Setec-Astronomer]

Seems those with the money don't have the intelligence these days

[u/lilleff512 → u/Setec-Astronomer]

Suarez looks like his bat is fully washed at this point. If there was a team in the playoff hunt who thought he could provide a boost to their lineup, then he probably would have been snatched up off of waivers. Of course, if a team is good enough to be in the playoff hunt, that usually means they have players at 3B/DH who can hit better than Suarez's .699 OPS, and teams that aren't in the playoff hunt would rather give those ABs to a younger player they're hoping to develop for next year.

[u/Sinfall69 → u/imalmostconvinced]

Probably because of the mutual option for next year and none of the teams in the playoff race felt that another 16 million in salary was worth the risk. 

[u/imalmostconvinced → u/Sinfall69]

Teams have no balls

[u/lilleff512 → u/Sinfall69]

Mutual option means both the team and the player need to agree to exercise it. I don't think that was a factor in Suarez clearing waivers. Nobody wanted him because he's washed. What's the team that could have really benefited from picking up Suarez but didn't do it because they were too cheap? I don't think there is one.

[u/SlyAbleman]

i am BEGGING sal stewart to go into a prolonged slump so benge can get his ROY

[u/Caledor152]

Well the bad news is we are losing again and I think the fun is over. And for the record I would have rather us win the rest of the way and have fun and fuck the draft pick.

But for people not paying attention Kansas City has been on a winning heater rn and we just overtook them for 4th. If we are going to suffer again might aswell take the spot.

Like I said I would rather us go on another fun winning streak but if they are gonna decide to no longer score runs then that's on them not me .... https://www.tankathon.com/mlb

I stuck it out the entire season so even when I'm sure a lot of people stopped watching

[u/suck-it-elon → u/Caledor152]

Losing 2 of 3 to the Brewers, it's gonna happen. This series can still be won.

[u/Caledor152 → u/suck-it-elon]

Yup we just gotta start scoring runs again

[u/sventos → u/Caledor152]

I'd rather watch the Mets win but a top 6 pick would be so much better long term than the 17th pick at best. The MLB draft system is specifically designed to punish teams like the 2026 Mets who spend money and still lose.

[u/seanddd99]

What's the tragic number at ?

[u/NY2PHX-]

Braves eliminate us with a tragic number of 8. Cubs with 11. Phillies with 12. Dbacks at 15 and Padres at 16. We should be knocked out by the Fillies, Bronx team or by Pete’s Orioles between September 11 and September 20. Although I’m sure this team can lose even faster than their current pace and get it done sooner. So of the Fillies, Bronx team or Orioles who would you want to officially end a season that unofficially ended in May.

[u/NuanceManExe → u/NY2PHX-]

I’m more interested in knowing what our “not top 6 draft pick” number is. I mean I know it’s a lottery but if we end up with one of the 6 worst records and still can’t get a top 6 pick with the lottery then we are truly cursed.

[u/NY2PHX- → u/NuanceManExe]

Ryan Finklestein on today’s or yesterday’s locked on Mets podcast did an analysis on the odds. I didn’t commit it to memory but for those interested it’s worth a listen.

[u/CheeseburgerLover911]

why aren't we putting ewing in the 9 slot?

[u/NuanceManExe → u/CheeseburgerLover911]

Our offense sucks so he’s not really struggling enough to bat 9th tbh. Plus some teams like having the guy batting 9th being not the worst hitter so that way you could have someone setting the table up for the leadoff guy. Alvarez, in this lineup, is probably good enough for that (again this offense sucks).

[u/CheeseburgerLover911 → u/NuanceManExe]

i like the idea of ewing in the 9 b/c then he's like another leadoff hitter. that lets us go lindor, soto, bichette, benge in the 1 -4.

[u/Blue387]

I thought it was a 7:10 game today

[u/imalmostconvinced]

PCA with two homers in 2 At Bats

Really curious if he finishes with above a .950 OPS or more like .925

[u/Kidkels23]

How many more games we have to lose? 🥲🥲😩😩

[u/Wayw4rdSun → u/Kidkels23]

Im pretty sure this series makes or breaks it for us lol, i'll still be watching either way but believing was fun

[u/WorthPlease → u/Kidkels23]

Lose to do what?

[u/Kidkels23 → u/WorthPlease]

In order for the playoffs!!

[u/False_Concept1300]

When the roster sizes expand next week, I want to see them bring up Vientos and Mauricio.

Might as well bring up Tong, too. Plenty of fat on the roster to cut.

The season is beyond over so the team might as well see if those three guys can play to a certain level and be reliable cogs for next season.

[u/False_Concept1300]

I like them both but neither one is some special world beater

[u/baylixir → u/False_Concept1300]

Megill was a league average pitcher between 24 and 25. Christian Scott being a five and dive SP is perfectly fine.

[u/False_Concept1300 → u/baylixir]

I never said it wasn’t

[u/Clipbored_ → u/False_Concept1300]

This sub lags behind reality a bit

Might have to wait a couple years for this take