3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Shine In San Francisco

Everything appeared to click for the New York Mets on the West Coast.

After a disappointing start to the road trip, the Mets took three out of four from the Giants in San Francisco. All in all, they finished their first road trip of the year 4-3.

Furthermore, several encouraging trends emerged from the series against the Giants. The pitching continued to look strong, while the offense showed tangible signs of a breakout. And the depth really came through, too.

Through the first 10 games of the season, the Mets have scored 49 runs, fifth in MLB, while allowing just 32 runs, which ranks fourth best in the majors. While the sample size is small, those numbers do suggest that this Mets team is trending in the right direction.

So, on that note, let’s recap the four games in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

3 UP

ANSWERING THE DOUBTS

Mark Vientos has had to deal with a lot of noise about his role on this team. Of course, a lot of that was of his own making. A tough 2025 season was followed by an ugly spring training. However, the infielder has started to answer some of those doubts early on in 2026. He has looked like a different hitter to start the year, and he was hugely productive in San Francisco. Vientos went a combined 8-for-16 with four RBIs and five runs scored in the four games against the Giants. He has embraced the challenge and has proved hard to drop from the lineup. He was a real spark throughout the series against San Fran, producing several key moments. Long may it continue.

BREAKING OUT

The offense went stagnant following a breakout on Opening Day. Well, we saw some real, tangible signs of life from the lineup in San Francisco. Aside from the opening game on Thursday, the offense exploded, giving the pitching the kind of run support it deserves. In all, the Mets outscored the Giants 26-12. More importantly, we saw some really encouraging individual performances. Bo Bichette had six hits and came through with runners in scoring position. Marcus Semien had his best series as a Met, including three hits and three RBIs on Friday. Francisco Alvarez hit a pair of home runs in the second game of the series and had at least a hit in the three games he played in. Luis Robert Jr. stayed hot and stole his first two bases of the season on Sunday. And Tyrone Taylor, Luis Torrens, and Jared Young all came up with big-time offensive contributions.

In the wake of the series against the Giants, the Mets rank high in a number of key offensive categories across Major League Baseball. But, more importantly, several key hitters began to show signs of breaking out over the weekend, notably Bichette and Semien. Let’s hope the entire lineup can now use these last four games as a launching pad for greater things.

PITCHING EXCELLENCE

The Mets continue to receive stellar performances from both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Nolan McLean didn’t have his best stuff, but still took a perfect game into the sixth inning on Friday. Clay Holmes delivered seven shutdown innings on Saturday, again showcasing just how big a piece he could be this year. And Kodai Senga was superb again on Sunday, striking out seven and allowing just two hits over 5.2 innings. All in all, Mets starters own a 3.13 ERA through the first 10 games of the season. As for the bullpen, Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams all remained lights out, as did Tobias Myers and Brooks Raley. The pitching overall has been really impressive, and it was elite for the most part in San Francisco.

3 DOWN

SCARY MOMENT

It appears as though a true crisis has been averted with Juan Soto. However, it was still heart-in-your-mouth time when the superstar exited Friday’s game with a calf strain. Now, Soto was placed on the 10-Day IL with a right calf strain on Monday. The organization announced that a typical return to play is approximately 2-3 weeks. That’s probably the best-case scenario, but still, being without your best hitter for any amount of time is hardly good news. However, it is probably wise for the Mets to be extra cautious with this type of injury, especially with a star player.

BRUTAL OUTING

David Peterson‘s start on Thursday was tough to watch. The southpaw was just brutal, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks across 4.1 innings. To compound an already bad night, Peterson dropped the ball at first base to allow a run to score in the first inning. That set the tone for the rest of the night. Again, it is early, but Peterson’s start to the season has featured many of the same problems that plagued him during the second half of last year. Poor location and poor pitch execution won’t lead to anything good in the major leagues.

OFFENSIVE FUNK

Welcome back to our regular scheduled programming. Francisco Lindor is off to a traditional slow start. Yes, he leads the National League in walks with 10. But, on the flip side, he is hitting just .135/.333/.243/.577 with two extra-base hits over the first 10 games of the season. Lindor didn’t have much success against the Giants, going a combined 2-for-16 with five strikeouts over the four games, including consecutive 0-for-5 outings. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that the shortstop has a 34.5 percent hard hit percentage, while he’s been hitting the ball on the ground more often than not (48.3%). That plays into the notion that hamate surgery tends to sap a hitter’s power. With that said, Lindor tends to start slow before hitting at a high level. Time will tell if the lack of power and the slow start is just par for the course, or if there’s something bigger to be concerned about.

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