1 NY Mets player making us run through a wall, 2 making us want to run into one

Sean Manaea's Mets encore has left the already strained rotation in a deeper hole

When the Mets signed Sean Manaea to a three-year contract, they hoped he could be a steady and solid force in their rotation. After all, he was a reliable member of the Mets’ rotation in 2024. He made 32 starts while tossing a career-high 181.1 innings. On top of that, the performance was definitely worthy of another contract.

Manaea had a 3.47 ERA, 3.83 FIP, and 1.08 WHIP. The veteran Southpaw starter struck out 24.9% of opponents with an 8.5% walk rate. Manaea was immune to both home runs and hard contact. He only averaged 1.04 home runs per nine innings, while being above the 50th percentile of exit velocity (88.5 MPH) and barrel rate (7.5%).

But 2025 has been a disaster for Manaea, in more ways than one. Spring Training hadn’t even started, and Manaea was already set to open the year on the IL, as he suffered an oblique strain in February. Then, at the start of April, the lefty suffered a setback that caused him to miss more time. A second setback involving a loose body in his left elbow in late June pushed back his 2025 season debut even further by a few days. 

Manaea finally returned to a MLB mound on July 13, but the results have been nothing short of disappointing. In 59 innings, Manaea owns a 5.80 ERA, 4.43 FIP, and 1.22 WHIP. He is getting plenty of strikeouts, with a 28.1% K%, and has only walked 3.1% of opponents. However, he’s gotten rocked by home runs. He has allowed 1.98 home runs per 9 innings with an 89.9 MPH exit velocity and a 9% barrel rate. 

Manaea pitched so poorly that he was pushed to the bullpen earlier this month, making their need for a starter even more apparent. Hopefully, the Mets can salvage him, and he can rebound next year. However, they desperately needed Manaea’s reliability from last season, and not delivering that in 2025 has made him an infuriating piece of the Mets’ roster this season.