When you see the New York Mets lose Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas to injuries, relegate Jose Butto to the bullpen, and send down two promising arms in Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell, it’s easy to assume the rotation is in full crisis mode.
But take a step back—this isn’t a house of cards collapsing. It’s more like a Jenga tower missing a few pieces but still standing strong.
Injuries and Roster Moves—But No Panic
Montas’ situation is the bigger concern, with his absence potentially dragging into May or longer. Manaea, on the other hand, could return as soon as April. That’s not ideal, but it’s not exactly a five-alarm fire. Meanwhile, the Mets have opted for a bullpen role for Butto and reassigned two exciting young pitchers, moves that suggest confidence in the rotation rather than desperation.
Spring Standouts Stepping Up
Despite the losses, the Mets’ remaining arms are putting on a show. Clay Holmes, who’s making the transition from reliever to starter, is looking like a natural. He’s yet to allow a run in six innings, striking out five while barely letting anyone reach base (0.33 WHIP). His new kick change is slicing through lefties like a well-sharpened blade.
David Peterson has been just as sharp, throwing three spotless innings with five punchouts in his first spring outing. Kodai Senga, after a cautious ramp-up, made his debut and looked every bit like the ace the Mets expect, delivering two clean frames with two strikeouts.
Encouraging Signs Across the Board
Tylor Megill allowed a run over 2.2 innings but showed flashes of dominance high his fastball flirting with triple digits. Griffin Canning tossed 1.2 scoreless frames in his spring action.
The lone rough outing came from Paul Blackburn, who’s battling back from surgery and sporting an unsightly 11.57 ERA in 2.1 innings. But patience is key—he may need time to regain his form.
The encouraging trend? Many of these pitchers are flashing either increased velocity, a new weapon in their arsenal, or refined command. The depth isn’t bulletproof, but as long as this group keeps delivering, the Mets won’t be sweating over their missing arms for too long.