The Mets should be heading back to Citi Field riding high after winning their fourth straight series against the Cubs over the weekend.
Instead, the Mets, who improved to 36-38 and winners of 10 of their last 13 games, have some questions to answer about their bullpen after Edwin Diaz was suspended for 10 games for violating the league's foreign-substance policy after a ninth-inning check on Sunday.
The first test comes with the beginning of the Subway Series, which starts at 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday, at Citi Field. Mets left-hander David Peterson, who has grabbed wins in three of his first four starts, will face reigning American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole in his second start off the injured list.
Then, on Wednesday, Sean Manaea will hope to grab his fifth win of the season against Luis Gil - one of the top arms in the AL so far this season.
With the Subway Series set to begin, here are which Mets players are on the rise and who are lagging behind during the team's recent run of success:
STOCK UP
Francisco Lindor
Since Lindor was moved into the leadoff spot by Carlos Mendoza on May 18, the Mets have seen strong and steady production from their shortstop. He's slashing .301/.365/.526 with six home runs, 12 doubles, 18 RBI and 24 runs in the 32 games since the change.
In the process, Lindor has raised his batting average from .190 to .241. Over the Mets' last three series, he is 11-for-36 with two home runs, four doubles, seven RBI and nine runs as the optimal table-setter.
Brandon Nimmo
Mendoza felt that Nimmo's timing was off about two weeks ago and sat him down for the middle game of the team's series against the Marlins back on June 12. Nimmo was frustrated and went back to the drawing board.
Since that time, Nimmo has been the hottest hitter on the Mets. He comes into the Subway Series riding a nine-game hitting streak. During those games, Nimmo is 16-for-37 (.432) with four home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs.
UNSTABLE STOCKS
Starling Marte
The Mets are awaiting results on Marte's right knee after he has been dealing with soreness and was removed from Saturday's game before the bottom half of the second inning. It is trending toward a stint on the injured list for Marte, who has played 66 out of the Mets' 76 games this season - a big improvement from last season when he played 86 total. But injury concerns continue to loom.
Marte has already eclipsed his home run, RBI and run totals from last season. He's posting a .745 OPS with seven home runs, 30 RBI and 38 runs while stealing 12 bases.
Jose Quintana
The veteran left-hander is coming off two of his best performances of the season. Last time out against the Cubs, Quintana struck out a season-high eight batters while allowing no earned runs on four hits and one walk. He had delivered another quality start against the Padres before that, with six innings of one-run ball.
Despite back-to-back wins, Quintana only improved his record to 3-5 and chiseled his ERA down to 4.58. Before those victories, he had been unable to work beyond four innings of work in his prior two outings.
STOCK DOWN
Jeff McNeil
McNeil continues to get support from the Mets leadership, but the second baseman's struggles have extended despite him sitting for four games prior to the team's London trip. In the 12 games since being benched, McNeil is 5-for-38 (.132) with one double, one RBI and seven runs scored.
Across the whole 2024 season, McNeil has vastly underperformed. He's slashing .212/.278/.295 with three home runs, 15 RBI and 27 runs in 69 games. Jose Iglesias is now regularly inserted into the lineup against left-handed pitchers.
Tylor Megill
Last time out, Megill had his worst start since returning from a right shoulder strain as he needed 38 pitches to get through the first inning and allowed six earned runs on five hits and three walks across three innings.
In his last four starts, Megill has given up 15 earned runs in 17⅔ innings. In the process, Megill's ERA has swelled to 4.81 while his record dropped to 2-4. He has struck out 43 in 33⅔ innings but his 4.3 walks per nine innings represent a career-worst.
BUYERS OR SELLERS?
The Mets are in an interesting position as they approach the month of July, when president of baseball operations David Stearns said he will truly begin to assess whether the team goes for a run at the playoffs or pulls back and offloads its expiring contracts.
One month ago, with the Mets dropped to as many as 11 games under .500, it seemed simple. Now, however, the Mets are proving their potential in the month of June, posting a 13-6 record so far. They are currently one game out of the final spot in the NL Wild Card race, among six teams that are within three games of that last spot.
The Mets could stand to gain in their starting pitching ranks, where they lack a stable of top-end options despite Luis Severino's resurgence. Kodai Senga's arrival from injury would be a boon. The top names being floated as notable players to watch at the deadline are the White Sox's Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde or the Tigers' Jack Flaherty.
Or the Mets could look to fortify the bullpen. The Marlins' Tanner Scott or Nationals' Kyle Finnegan could be at the top of the list for several teams.
The Mets have a loaded roster full of expiring contracts who could bring in the most lucrative haul of any team in MLB. Luis Severino, Harrison Bader and perhaps even J.D. Martinez are the names who could fetch a king's ransom for a buyer. It would take a ton to pry away Pete Alonso before he hits free agency, if the Mets were even willing to part with their homegrown star.
WILL THEY MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?
The Mets have proven that when their offense is clicking they can put up a ton of runs, and if they can get healthy in the rotation or add another upper-echelon arm, they should be able to overtake all of the other teams in the Wild Card race.
Lindor has taken on the leadership role and backed up his call for a steadier approach, while Martinez is beginning to showcase the lineup support that made him one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. The Mets are beginning to look like a cohesive unit that can rally to push into the postseason.
The Mets only need a few of their cogs to get going at once to storm back into the playoff race and prove that May was an anomaly.
