Would you look at that?
The New York Mets have some fight in them after all, proving they can score runs after defeating the mighty Atlanta Braves by 12 runs on Thursday to win the series.Â
They’re looking to keep gaining ground in the NL East by propelling themselves over a streaking Kansas City Royals club on Saturday.
Kansas City just erupted for 28 runs in their three-game sweep of the Houston Astros and is looking better than anyone could have expected 14 games into the year.Â
Royals vs. Mets odds
| Team | Run Line | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | +1.5 (-148) | +140 | o8.5 (-110) |
| Mets | -1.5 (+124 | -166 | u8.5 (-110) |
Royals vs. Mets prediction
Mets lefty Sean Manaea and Royals righty Alec Marsh will start against one another in the second meeting of this three-game set in Queens.Â
Despite the recent run production, we think these two will bring an early challenge to opposing hitters.Â
Manaea is adding some refreshing stuff to the Mets’ rotation. The nine-year MLB veteran is throwing like a premier starting pitcher, owning a 0.82 ERA through 11 innings.Â
He leads the Mets with 14 strikeouts in those frames — a total that has translated to an elite 34.1 strikeout rate.Â
It’s still too early to be making conclusions about anyone, but the Mets may have inked one heck of a bargain with Manaea when they signed him to $14.5 million this season.
Manaea’s velocity has taken a spike while he’s eliciting swing-and-misses.
The most important thing is that he has pitched a minimum of five innings in both of his starts while limiting dangerous exit velocity (Manaea’s .193 wOBA ranks in the 91st percentile).
He might just be the Mets’ most confident play at this juncture.
Marsh counters after some late shakiness in his no-decision against the White Sox earlier in the week, but he was flawless through the first three innings.
The 26-year-old right-hander still looks significantly improved juxtaposed to his horrific contact numbers in 2023; his barrel rate has dropped from 9.8 percent to 2.7 percent.Â
He’s also keeping his pitches in the zone and limiting walks to a strong 4.3 percent rate.
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In his season debut, he threw for seven innings with only 18 of 72 pitches getting called balls.Â
Marsh is no ace, but he’s proving his right to stay in the Royals’ rotation as a solid depth man.
Neither pitcher has surrendered a run in the first frame yet and both are showing great command, so I’m looking for conservative plate approaches against two guys who have started strong.