HOUSTON — Strangely, on Sunday, the Mets are resting.
It’s an odd time for an off-day, but it seems like a nice opportunity for us to evaluate their first series, which unusually ended halfway through the weekend but still lasted long enough to provide a few hints about the ballclub.
Even though the Mets lost the series after they were one-hit Saturday in a 2-1 defeat — naturally, with hot, well-heeled Juan Soto getting the lone hit, a double that he thought would fly into the Crawford boxes but didn’t quite get there — there were still a few very positive signs.
1. Soto doesn’t seem negatively affected by his record paycheck ($126 million, counting the signing bonus, for 2025 alone).
Yes, the Soto Era is off to a positive start, at least as far as Soto goes. He hit the Mets’ only homer in the series, was on base seven times and even threw in a patented Soto Shuffle or two.
The home run Friday was something to behold, a laser of a shot that slammed off the facing of the upper deck. He hit a more routine drive Saturday that hit midway up the left field wall, or at least too high for diminutive left fielder Jose Altuve to reach.
“I thought I got it,” Soto lamented in a downer of a clubhouse.
Soto was contemplative about the 1-2 record they take to Miami.
“This is the first [series]. It didn’t go as expected … It is what it is,” Soto said, sounding like a true New Yorker.
Jose Siri hugs Juan Soto after Soto’s RBI groundout brought him home during the sixth inning of the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Astros on March 29, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“But we have a lot of things we can take from this and move on,” Soto added.
We agree. Here are a few more.
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2. Ultimately, Soto’s going to need some help.
The rest of the Mets Fab Five — Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos — were a combined 4-for-42 (.095).
Francisco Lindor, who is 0 for 11 this season, grounds out to end the eighth inning in the Mets’ loss to the Astros. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Lindor has yet to record a hit in 11 at-bats — although he said he feels much better at the plate than he did last year, when he began horrendously before moving into the leadoff spot in May, and taking off, ultimately finishing behind only Shohei Ohtani in NL MVP balloting.
“I’ve got to do a way better job to be on base and make things happen,” Lindor said. “I’ve got to continue to work, and grind, and hopefully it’s not a monthlong thing.”
Overall, the Mets scored a sorry five runs in the three games.
The good news is, that’s unlikely to continue.
3. The Mets’ vaunted pitching lab remains mostly a mystery, but whatever it is they do, it seems to be working.
Griffin Canning, a major proponent of the data-driven lab charged with turning average starters into assets, debuted with a nice start Saturday.
Canning’s winter release by one of the smartest teams (the Braves) was no shock since he posted a 5.19 ERA last year and allowed the most runs (99) and second-most home runs (31) in the American League for the Angels. He’s advertised as a touch-and-feel type pitcher, but he lived at a respectable 94-95 mph and mostly kept the Astros off balance.
Griffin Canning held the Astros to just two runs in 5 2/3 inning but was still the hard-luck loser. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“His fastball was up to 96. We didn’t see that in spring training,” manager Carlos Mendoza gushed.
Canning calls himself a “delivery guy” (not to be confused with Uber Eats workers) and avails himself of the extra help. “I think you’d be stupid not to use the technology to get yourself better,” Canning told our Mike Puma in spring training.
Canning looked strong in spring, gathering 22 strikeouts, which ranked second in the Grapefruit League. That didn’t count, of course, so this was his first real test as a lab rat.
It’s too early to declare the lab makeover a success, but Canning did much better against a team that previously tormented him, to the tune of a 6.69 ERA. He lasted two outs into the sixth, when he allowed a go-ahead double to Astros superstar Yordan Álvarez that gave the Astros their second run. (No shame in that!)
4. Edwin Díaz looked nothing like the pitcher we saw in spring training.
And boy, is that ever a relief.
Edwin Diaz picked up the save in the Mets’ win over the Astros on Friday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Because, let’s face it, Sugar Díaz has to be right for the Mets to be successful. We’ve seen good Díaz (1.31 ERA in 2022), and there’s nobody better. And we’ve also seen bad Díaz (5.59 ERA in 2019), and there’s nothing sweet about that.
Anyway, Díaz looked so good saving the 3-1 win Friday it’s time to warm up those trumpets. The velocity was back within normal range. After a spring where he threw 96 mph almost at his best, he averaged close to 98. And those two ticks are indeed everything for him.
Díaz wasn’t too worried during his rough spring. And neither were his bosses.
“We knew that once the bright lights come on, we’re going to see typical Sugar,” Mendoza said.
In a series that ended disappointingly, that was the maybe best development of all.
