The Mets welcome the Giants for, presumably, more losses

The month of May has looked absolutely dreadful for the Mets. With just six wins against thirteen losses, the Mets’ status as a team hovering around .500 went down the drain. They won an abbreviated two-game series with the Cardinals and a three-game set with the Cubs that started in April, but have otherwise lost every series they’ve played, including two interleague sweeps at the hands of the Rays and Guardians.

You don’t need to know the Mets’ record to see the exhaustion, desperation, and frustration in almost every inning they’ve played over the past few weeks. Even games like Wednesday’s finale in Cleveland where things looked good temporarily had a cloud of “this is going to fall apart” hanging over it and, shockingly, it did. Something has to change in the fundamental approach for this team to not be doomed to be a very, very bad baseball team for the rest of the season.

The Giants have had a considerably different month. After getting swept in a four-game series with the Phillies, they’ve been a much better, different team, even if they’re still sitting one game under .500. But the trajectories of the teams couldn’t be any more different heading into this series.

The big difference between the teams right now is that while both teams have allowed a fair amount of runs to their opponents, the Giants are hitting enough to overcome those deficits. Both teams’ starters have been better than expected, but the Giants aren’t having the issues with walks that the Mets are, and you don’t need me to tell you that free passes come back to hurt a team.

Friday, May 24: Christian Scott vs Kyle Harrison, 7:10pm, SNY

Scott (2024): 16.2 IP, 17 K, 4 BB, 2 HR, 3.56 FIP, 112 ERA-

Scott had two impressive starts to begin his Major League career but had a tough appearance against the Marlins last time out. Scott gave up seven hits and four earned runs in just four innings pitched. This is perfectly normal for a young starter and the peripherals all look good: he’s not walking many nor giving up many home runs. Of course, small sample size comes into play here, but for a team that can’t stop walking folks, four walks over your first three starts is an impressive start.

Harrison (2024): 55 IP, 49 K, 19 BB, 5 HR, 3.79 FIP, 93 ERA-

The Giants have won eight of the ten games Harrison has started, and both of those loses were close games. I know it makes me sound like a boomer, but keeping your team in the game is one of the more important skills in the game, and Harrison, in his young career, has done just that. The long ball has been a bit of a problem for Harrison as of late, giving up five home runs in the last four games.

Saturday, May 25: Luis Severino vs Jordan Hicks, 1:40pm, PIX11

Severino (2024): 51.2 IP, 44 K, 23 BB, 4 HR, 3.95 FIP, 91 ERA-

While Severino has certainly outperformed his 2023 already, he’s been more inconsistent than the Mets would like. In his last start, he gave up five earned runs, but looked strong for the first six innings before somewhat falling apart in the seventh, unable to get the third out to limit the damage.

Hicks (2024): 53 IP, 40 K, 17 BB, 3 HR, 3.50 FIP, 61 ERA-

Hicks’s first season for the Giants has goten off to a good start, despite a couple of hard luck losses (you can’t blame a guy for a loss when he gives up one or two earned runs). A sub-two and a half ERA will play, regardless of a lower than usual strikeout rate and a pace to obliterate his home run totals (he never had a season of more than five).

Saturday, May 26: Sean Manaea vs Logan Webb, 1:40pm, PIX11

Manaea (2024): 46.1 IP, 41 K, 21 BB, 2 HR, 3.42 FIP, 81 ERA-

Manaea has been in a good stretch in May, going at least five innings and giving up no more than three earned runs in any start. He’s also been keeping free passes to a minimum, allowing just one apiece in his last three starts. Manaea has been the most consistent starter the Mets have had this month.

Webb (2024): 65.1 IP, 53 K, 18 BB, 2 HR, 2.83 FIP, 78 ERA-

Webb is following up a string of three good starts where he went at least six innings with two or fewer earned runs. Not much of a strikeout pitcher, Webb is coming off his best two years of his career and aside from innings pitched, his rate stats are all looking close to those two seasons.