The Mets and Braves have been neck-and-neck in the NL East standings for quite a while now. It’s actually been quite impressive to see them stick together as close as they have for the past few weeks. New York is starting a two-game set against the Marlins Tuesday night at Citi Field, but it’s hard to not look ahead to the upcoming trip to Atlanta.
This weekend’s matchup is the second-to-last series of the regular season, so it’s quite possible that the division winner will be decided over the next few days. That scenario is what every professional athlete wants, and every team in that situation wants its best players on the field to compete.
When it comes to the Mets’ probable starters for this matchup against Atlanta, it’s as good as it can possibly be. Here’s what things are looking like while we’re still a few days away from the series opener on Friday night at Truist Park (if Hurricane Ian doesn’t change plans):
Probable Pitchers @ Atlanta: #LGM
Friday: Chris Bassitt vs Max Fried
Saturday: Jacob deGrom vs Kyle Wright
Sunday: Max Scherzer vs Charlie MortonGet your ? ready… pic.twitter.com/XjVYFkiCfp
— GENY Mets Report (@genymets) September 26, 2022
Get your popcorn ready, indeed. Chris Bassitt, Jacob deGrom, and Max Scherzer all taking the mound in New York’s most crucial regular-season series of 2022? Yes, please — just about every Mets fan would sign up for that.
Well, except maybe Joe Beningo, but that’s a story for another day.
Bassitt is the Mets’ sole starting pitcher to currently be qualified for the ERA title, and he’s gotten better as the year has progressed. After posting a 3.79 ERA in 102 first-half innings, that number has dropped to 2.57 in 77 frames since the All-Star break.
Scherzer just returned from his second stint on the Injured List, but he looks primed for October. In his past two starts (12 innings pitched), he’s allowed just one run on four hits, one walk, and 16 strikeouts.
DeGrom has been struggling through a bit of a rough patch. The right-hander has allowed at least three runs in each of his last three starts after doing so just once over his first seven starts of the year. But he’s still Jacob deGrom, and it’s hard to think he won’t have things figured out upon taking the mound on Saturday.
Either way, it should be a fun series that will have a postseason atmosphere. That’s good because even though both clubs have already punched a ticket to October, there are a few things that need to be settled first.
More on ESNY:
• Aroldis Chapman’s immediate Yankees future is reportedly uncertain
• Pete Alonso’s assault on Mets record books is still just the beginning
• Nets’ Kevin Durant addresses trade request, wants ‘championship culture’
• Adam Ottavino has proven to be huge piece of Mets’ bullpen
• Mets-Athletics series in review: 2 blowout wins sandwiched around a loss
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
