Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Cardinals play a three-game series in St. Louis beginning on Friday at 8:15 p.m. on SNY.
Preview
The bullpen is in flux
With A.J. Minter and Danny Young both out for a significant amount of time, the Mets have been relying on some of their depth relievers lately.
On Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, Chris Devenski pitched the final two innings after Brandon Waddell -- who had been starting in the minors -- tossed 4.1 scoreless frames in relief.
Both Waddell and Devenski were optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse following the game, with left-hander Genesis Cabrera and right-hander Ty Adcock called up to replace them.
Cabrera, who has had big league success as recently as last season with the Blue Jays, is New York's only lefty reliever at the moment.
Meanwhile, Dedniel Núñez -- who missed the second half of last season due to injury and has been shaking the cobwebs off in Triple-A -- could be back in the big league bullpen "shortly."
Can Tylor Megill keep it going?
Megill has been tremendous this season, and the results aren't a fluke.
To go along with his sterling 1.74 ERA (2.34 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP, Megill is striking out a career-best 11.3 batters per nine, allowing a career-low 6.7 hits per nine, and has an ERA+ of 224.
Megill's advanced stats via Baseball Savant are mostly above average, and his stuff is performing as well as it ever has.
The upside has always been there for Megill, but he entered this season after a rocky first four years in the majors, where he combined to put up a 4.56 ERA.
Perhaps it's all coming together for Megill in what is his age-29 season.
Luisangel Acuña's development
Acuña opened this season needing to make strides offensively following an up-and-down 2024 season in the minors and a promising taste of the majors toward the end of the year.
And he's succeeding.
