3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Get 2025 Off To Losing Start In Houston

Welcome to the first real edition of 3 Up, 3 Down of the 2025 MLB season!

Unfortunately, things didn’t get off to a great start given the New York Mets’ struggles in Houston. New York dropped the first series of the year to the Astros, losing two out of three.

The offense was a virtual no-show in all three games, cancelling out some encouraging outings on the mound and out of the bullpen.

To that end, let’s dive right into the first 3 Up, 3 Down of the regular season.

3 Up

Step in the Right Direction

Tylor Megill was stellar on the mound as the Mets recorded their first win of the new season on Friday night. The right-handed pitcher allowed just one earned run on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He retired the first nine batters he faced, and did a good job of staying aggressive. He finished with a total of 49 strikes on 77 pitches.

Megill also found plenty of success with his slider, generating nine swings and five whiffs with the pitch. Displaying filthy stuff and an ability to attack early, Megill showed what he is capable of. However, as has always been the case, the 29-year-old now needs to parlay his outing on Friday into a consistent stretch of good-to-great starts.

He’s Here

It took until the second game of the series for Mets fans to witness what they’ve been waiting all winter for. In his second game as a Met, Juan Soto blasted his first home run for the team. The first of many to come.

Soto was the team’s best and most reliable hitter in this series. He reached base seven times in three games, including a home run, a double and four walks. He also finished with a run scored and two RBIs. Sure, Soto also struckout in a huge spot on Opening Day with runners on first and third in the ninth. But, you know that the superstar hitter will come through in that kind of situation more often than not. Overall, Soto’s first series as a Met was a productive one.

Long Time Coming

Max Kranick put together a scintillating spring and richly deserved a spot on the Opening Day roster. Then, on Saturday, all his hard work paid off as he made his first MLB appearance since 2022. It was one to remember, too.

Entering the game with the bases loaded, Kranick didn’t hang around in wiping out the danger. He induced a foul out and a groundout on just five pitches to escape the jam without giving up a run. Kranick appears to have a high ceiling, and he could morph into a really nice multi-inning relief weapon for the Mets in 2025.

3 Down

False Start

Clay Holmes earned his first Opening Day start as a Met thanks to a stellar spring. However, as impressive as the dress rehearsal was, the main performance left a lot to be desired, specifically due to major issues with his controls. Holmes struggled against the Astros, walking four and giving up three runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He also struckout four batters.

However, it is just one game and people seem to forget that the Astros lineup is still loaded with talent and power. Yes, it wasn’t exactly the first start anyone would have wanted to see from Holmes as he makes the transition from closer to full-time starter. But, again, you can’t overreact to anything this time of year. Holmes will have plenty more opportunities to impress.

Zero Production

It certainly was not a good start for what is a potent lineup on paper. The Mets recorded just one hit all game in the loss on Saturday night. They managed just two hits since the third inning of Friday’s game, and just five runs and 12 hits in the three games combined. Furthermore, the lineup went a combined 2-for-21 with runners in scoring position in the series, leaving a total of 18 runners stranded on base.

There was little spark from anyone outside of Soto, with Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos going a combined 4-for-31 (.129) in the series. Hopefully, it was just a case of growing pains and this lineup will wake up in Miami.

Same Old Story

Here at Mesmerized, we published a story the other day about the importance of Francisco Lindor avoiding his traditional slow start to a season. If the Mets want to be a force in 2025, they need a fast start. And, for that to happen, having their leadoff hitter set the tone and rake from the get-go would be crucial.

Well, the season couldn’t have started much worse for Lindor. The shortstop finished 0-for-11 in Houston, striking out three times. It also seemed that his struggles translated to the rest of the team, aside from Soto.

Luckily, Lindor rakes in Miami. He has slashed .289/.387/.471 with five homers, seven doubles, and 17 RBIs in 31 career games at LoanDepot Park. Hopefully the early season skid ends on Monday.

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