3 musts for the NY Mets to take with them from the Phillies to the Blue Jays series

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The New York Mets took down the Philadelphia Phillies this week and now turn their sights to face the Toronto Blue Jays. An even tougher opponent, the meeting between the two will be yet another test. Can the Mets keep it rolling?

Taking a few cues from their sweep against the Phillies, these three qualities, attributes, and accomplishments are musts for the Mets against the Blue Jays this weekend.

1) The NY Mets starting pitchers must continue to go deep into games

Mets starting pitchers are undefeated when going 6 or more innings. It’s not some sort of a fact that’s brand new to anyone. We hear it every time the starter gets 18 outs.

This recipe is clear. The Mets will win if they get the most out of their starting staff.

The only pitcher we’ll see repeat in the series against the Blue Jays that we saw against the Phillies is Kodai Senga. Scheduled for a start on Sunday, we should all be eager to bear witness to how he does in yet another performance at Citi Field against an allegedly good starting lineup.

Senga has taken down the Tampa Bay Rays and the Phillies at home this season. Back in the late 1990s, there was something about Mary. In 2023, there’s something about Senga pitching in Queens.

Senga is 3-1 with a 1.20 ERA in 5 starts at Citi Field. He has held batters to a .136/.239/.194 slash line. It’s almost expected that he will have another strong performance at this point against the Blue Jays considering the setting.

The Mets will also ask Justin Verlander and Tylor Megill to continue the trend of starters going deep. It’s nice to not have to turn to Tommy Hunter, Stephen Nogosek, or Dominic Leone to eat up innings so regularly.

2) The NY Mets bullpen must remain a strength

Speaking of Tommy Hunter, Stephen Nogosek, and Dominic Leone, the less we see of them the better. They’re fine for what they are. We certainly don’t need all three on the roster, but limited options for the Mets at the moment have kept them all here. None have a minor league option so until they pitch their way off completely, they’re probably going to stay.

One big reason the Mets were able to take down the Phillies so easily was how little sweating there was with the bullpen. The relievers had been weakening of late. Even during their successful stretch against the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians, trust in the bullpen was not at its highest.

It hasn’t gotten significantly better after the series against the Phillies because it was the mainstay arms we saw most regularly. They were able to save Adam Ottavino and David Robertson from having to step on the mound in the finale. The scoreboard may have looked close but it never felt like the Phillies were in striking distance.

Not having to use the relievers we’d rather avoid all begins with the starting staff. Coming off this series against the Phillies, those more problematic relievers could potentially be a little better-rested and we can cross our fingers then hope it’s what they need to enter the circle of trust.

3) The NY Mets must get contributions from guys like Mark Canha

Mark Canha was the hero of the series against the Phillies. He gave them the lead in games two and three. Is it an election year in Philadelphia? He might need to run for mayor because he owns that city right now.

Canha doesn’t have to carry the load against the Blue Jays. Someone else can certainly step up. Any one of the Mets players can be a hero for them even if it’s just for a day.

The player on the hottest seat right now in need of some sort of spark is Daniel Vogelbach. Mark Vientos has yet to nudge him out of the way, however, Vogelbach remains a questionable piece to keep on the Mets roster.

The Blue Jays will have only one lefty starter in this series when they call upon Yusei Kikuchi as the scheduled starter on Sunday. This might mean two starts for Vogelbach. It may even be his final two for the Mets if they decide to carry three catchers and bring back Omar Narvaez from the IL once eligible.

Throughout the month of May, we saw Eduardo Escobar step forward and reclaim his spot on the Mets roster in a lesser role. It was more than enough to keep him around for a while.

Whether it’s Canha or someone else, a big contribution from one of the “lesser” Mets can go a long way. And even if it’s not one of them to lead the way, we’ll take a monster series from Pete Alonso or Francisco Lindor.

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