The New York Mets’ busy offseason included a complete retool of the starting rotation. Along with retaining Sean Manaea, they signed Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes to complete a rotation that also includes Kodai Senga and David Peterson.
Mets’ Frankie Montas speaks highly of their rotation for 2025
The group is certainly an upgrade over last season’s, and it is clear that are emphasizing damage prevention over everything else. Montas agrees that this year’s rotation is a solid group, even going the extra mile to say that they essentially have five aces on the staff.
“I feel like this rotation has the potential to pretty much throw, I would say, five number ones over five days,” Montas said (h/t SNY).
Five aces may be a bit of a stretch, as there are still a lot of questions to be had about the rotation. Montas has dealt with injuries in recent years and hasn’t been the same pitcher he once was, and Holmes is transitioning from being a closer while with the Yankees to a full-time starter with the Mets.
Additionally, Senga made just one regular season start last season due to injury, meaning that a possibility of regression is real. Manaea is sure to be a steady arm to lead the charge, as he was a key piece to their success from last season. However, the one thing that they are missing is a premier arm that is an established top-15 pitcher in the sport.
The Mets missed out on top arms in free agency
They were heavily in the mix for Walker Buehler and Corbin Burnes, but they struck out on both of them. Buehler signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox while Burnes went out west and signed a long-term deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Missing out on them will sting, but they do still have serviceable arms that can give them length and allow the offense to help carry the load.
Also, they have a lot of established veterans on the pitching staff with a good track record. Pitching in a more competitive environment and a desirable destination could help them play at their top level, which would be massive for the Mets if they want to improve off of their NLCS run last season.
There is still a lot of unknowns about how the Mets’ rotation will perform, but if they play at their best level, they can be a sneaky good group in the National League in 2025.
