Manaea’s Strong Summer Gives Mets October Hope

Sean Manaea gave the New York Mets exactly what they needed, delivering seven innings of shutout baseball to lead the team to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox, completing a much-needed weekend sweep.

Manaea was stellar again on the mound, throwing 96 pitches across seven innings, allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out five. It marked the fifth time in his last seven starts that Manaea pitched seven innings, lowering his season ERA to 3.35. He also showcased his defensive abilities, notching his third pickoff of the season when he nabbed Lenyn Sosa at first base in the fourth inning.

Manaea’s performance on Sunday added to his already impressive summer, as he has been consistently strong as of late. In his last seven starts, he holds a 4-1 record with a 2.42 ERA. Throughout the game in Chicago, Manaea recorded nine outs with three pitches or fewer and threw a career-high 64 sinkers. He also threw first-pitch strikes 16 out of 24 times.

Sean Manaea, 93mph Paint. ????️???? pic.twitter.com/mmyGP8TXLo

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 1, 2024

When Manaea signed with the club this past offseason, many viewed him as a middle-to-back-end rotation piece. However, Manaea has arguably become the Mets’ most reliable pitcher over the past two-plus months, giving the team a chance to win every time he takes the mound. The Mets have gone 10-2 in his last 12 starts, dating back to June 26 against the Yankees.

Although Manaea’s latest start came against a struggling White Sox team, he needed to build on his recent success and finish a tough road trip that included games against the Padres and Diamondbacks, both of whom are ahead of the Mets in the Wild Card race.

The turning point in Manaea’s season was watching Braves ace Chris Sale, the potential Cy Young frontrunner in the National League, pitch against the Mets on July 25. Inspired by Sale, Manaea made significant adjustments as a whole. He lowered his release point, making his delivery quicker and more deceptive, and simplified his pitch selection, focusing on his fastballs and sweeper, while reducing the use of his cutter, slider, and changeup.

After a tough start in Seattle, Manaea reintroduced his changeup with a new grip, and the results have been promising. Since adopting the new grip, he has seen improvements in bullpen sessions, which have translated to success on the field.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even if it means imitating your rival, and that imitation has given the Mets a budding ace at the top of the rotation.

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