New York Mets considering new rotation deployment down the stretch

After seeing their starting pitching fail to live up to expectations, the Mets are considering a new strategy to get more out of their starters for the rest of the season.

Sep 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Mets are very lucky to wake up on Sunday morning in possession of a Wild Card spot thanks in no part to their own success. Losses by the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night allowed the Mets to enter Sunday as the owners of the National League's final Wild Card spot despite losing a season-high eight games in a row.

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One of the biggest reasons for the Mets going 31-49 since June 13th is the struggles of its starting rotation, with the likes of Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes being particularly underwhelming. While Senga delivered a strong start for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday after accepting an optional minor league assignment, the Mets are considering a new strategy to optimize the results of the latter two starters.

The Mets haven't finalized this, because it depends in part on today's game/bullpen usage. But they're considering a piggyback of Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea on Tuesday against the Padres. Holmes will start that game regardless.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 14, 2025

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported on Sunday morning that the Mets are considering having both Manaea and Holmes pitch in Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres as part of a piggyback situation. Manaea is the scheduled starter for the game while Holmes would be in line for Wednesday if the Mets stayed on turn, so this would be a big change in strategy if it holds.

Carlos Mendoza says that Clay Holmes will start on Tuesday and Sean Manaea could piggyback him out of the bullpen, depending on how today's game goes: pic.twitter.com/t0ONhU2rdh

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 14, 2025

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed DiComo's reporting prior to Sunday's game, noting that Holmes will start while Manaea could follow depending on bullpen usage. Since Manaea's last start came on Tuesday in Philadelphia, he theoretically could work in relief this afternoon if Nolan McLean has a short outing against the Texas Rangers.

How Piggybacking Could Impact The Mets' Pitching Plans Going Forward

Both Manaea and Holmes have worked in relief in the past, which could offer some insight into how the Mets are looking at a potential postseason option for the two of them if they can sneak into the playoffs. The Mets' three best pitchers at the moment have been McLean, David Peterson and rookie Brandon Sproat, so they would look to be the three starters for a potential Wild Card series.

The final line for Clay Holmes tonight against the Phillies.

Holmes' season ERA sits at 3.75 pic.twitter.com/ZPLJeMRWjM

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 11, 2025

Those two would then be the next options for a potential Game 4 in a Division Series, assuming Senga doesn't get another look at the big league level and Jonah Tong continues to have tough outings. Doing this plan now would be an admission that what the Mets have been doing for weeks isn't working and a change could be in order to try and salvage the season.

The other important factor to note is that the Mets have been using a six-man rotation for the last several turns since they are finishing up a stretch of 26 games in 27 days. With off days on each of the next two Mondays, a six-man rotation is no longer necessary and would be counterproductive since it would mean fewer starts for the Mets' best pitchers.

The team has not announced the rest of their rotation beyond Tuesday yet, but if they stick to the piggyback plan, then David Peterson would pitch on Wednesday night against the Padres. Tong's slot would be up on Thursday, so the Mets could consider giving him another look or go back to Senga, who pitched in Syracuse on Friday night and would be on the extra day of rest.

Sproat and McLean would then open their weekend series with Washington before the Manaea/Holmes slot comes up again, which would enable the Mets to ensure at least Peterson is available for the final game of the regular season if they need a win to get in the playoffs. The move to a shorter rotation is necessary for the Mets, but time will tell if it came too little, too late for their postseason hopes.