New acquisitions and emerging talent forge a deep starting staff, promising a formidable 2026 season for the Mets.
The New York Mets are in a great position heading into the 2026 campaign after a busy offseason that brought a serious shakeup to their roster. After bringing in one of the few aces in baseball, the Mets’ starting rotation is looking much more reliable than in 2025.
The rotation was a big part of New York’s collapse in the second half of last season, as multiple starters saw huge dips in production at the same time. A bright spot did come out of the poor situation, however, as the Mets found a future star in right-hander Nolan McLean. Recording a 2.06 ERA in his first eight starts at the end of 2025, McLean has solidified himself near the top of the Mets’ rotation for 2026.
He’ll sit right behind the right-handed Freddy Peralta, whom the Mets acquired in a blockbuster trade this winter. That one-two punch at the top of the rotation heading into the year already looks much better than how they headed into 2025, but the rest of the rotation largely remains unchanged.
Left-handers David Peterson and Sean Manaea, and right-handers Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga are projected to fill out what’s expected to be a six-man rotation in 2026 by Bleacher Report.
Though a six-man rotation may not have been the plan for New York, they have plenty of depth at the position. Essentially, the Mets have the same rotation as last season with the addition of two top-end starters to the mix. That leaves New York with one of the most respectable rotations in the league.
Manaea, Peterson, and Senga have not pitched this spring, but Holmes has been solid in his first two starts, posting a 3.52 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He joins McLean and Peralta as Mets starters who have gotten off to a hot start this spring.
The Mets, even with a projected six-man rotation, still have competition for that final spot. Right-hander Jonah Tong debuted last season and showed promise at times and rawness at others. This spring, the 23-year-old has allowed three runs in 2 ⅔ innings in his one start. Though he’ll keep fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster, Tong will likely start the year in the minor leagues again.
With their two new additions to the Opening Day rotation in McLean and Peralta and their returning starters from last season, New York is in a prime position to make a postseason run in the fall. How that rotation looks is manager Carlos Mendoza’s decision, but he has plenty of solid options to choose from.