Why the NY Mets pitching ‘piggybacking’ is here to stay, at least in Queens

The New York Mets might’ve accidentally stumbled into the next way to utilize pitchers. Long gone are the days of the complete game. The multi-inning closer is a thing of the past. For the last, let’s call it 15 years, starting pitchers have seen a reduction in the number of innings they pitch. Relievers are asked to get 3 outs at a time. Saved by the three-batter minimum rule to at least encourage some volume out of relievers and speed up the game, we’re still at a point where pitching is valued far differently than it was in the past.

Five innings from the starter. One from a guy bound to get DFA’d in a week. Another on his way to Triple-A when the team needs a fresh arm. Finally, one of your good relievers and a closer. That’s the script for most games.

While trying to compete for a playoff spot, the Mets are trying something different. Pushed into it out of necessity, Tuesday’s Clay Holmes to Sean Manaea did something unique. We saw two starters whose limitations have been abundantly clear complete a game together. Holmes gave them 4. Manaea finished with 5. It was an easy win thanks to the mets offense. Set to happen again on Sunday (possibly with the roles reversing), this is likely to stick around in Queens next year as well.

The Mets have space for the piggyback to remain in play next season, too

We already saw hints of this being a preferred choice by the Mets. Early in the season, Huascar Brazoban and Max Kranick were multi-inning relievers pitching at the top of their game. The diet version of what’s happening right now, the Mets showed their value in having relievers who could give them multiple innings at a time.

David Stearns wasn’t shy about adding others in the offseason. Paul Blackburn was tendered a contract. Griffin Canning was added, too. Had everyone been healthy heading into Opening Day, the Mets would have had no choice but to make a roster cut or potentially deploy something similar to what they are right now.

Interestingly enough, this scenario can linger into 2026. Intentions were to have enough starting pitching to get through this season. However, with the rise of Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat along with the strong likelihood of seeing Jonah Tong a lot next year (he might need more time in Triple-A), things get crowded very quickly for the Mets. They’ll be without Frankie Montas next year, but with Manaea, Holmes, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson under contract, we’re already looking at a small militia of starting pitchers. Let’s even add Tylor Megill into this conversation. He could benefit from fewer innings, too.

Holmes feels to be the greatest benefactor of this. Even while at his best in 2025, there was a point, usually around the fifth or sixth inning, when he’d lose it. This isn’t uncommon. It’s those middle innings that have been the toughest for Mets pitchers to handle. Carlos Mendoza has left his starters in a little too long at times. When summoned from the bullpen, we’ve regularly season relievers let things get out of hand. Next season, Holmes would be an easy candidate to be relieved by or come in for the final half of a game.

The solution seems so simple yet the largest complication involves managing the roster as a whole. During times when the Mets will need a sixth starter, it might not be quite as feasible. Thanks to frequent off-days, careful planning can make this less of a problem and more of a minor inconvenience at times.

Baseball is constantly shifting with which philosophies work and which don’t. As unique as it may feel, the Mets are just playing toward their strength and against their weakness. It’s less cheesy than the one-inning opener. It feels more like real baseball with two pitchers handling the bulk of the work (or all of it) than a cavalcade of relief pitchers.

If starters aren’t going to go deep into games, this might be the best solution. Lucky for us, we have front row seats to see how well it works.