3 Takeaways From Mets' Series Loss to Red Sox: Reasons for Optimism in the Second Half

On their way to a series sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, the Mets squandered a beautiful outing from Zach Thornton. The rookie out of Grand Canyon has made three starts this year, none of them in consecutive turns through the rotation, and each of them more impressive than the last.

With a sale expected at the trade deadline, expect the Mets to continue to give their rookies and younger players chances on the roster.

Thornton, whose most recent MLB start was a six-inning domination, kept the Red Sox at bay in his third Major League outing. The Mets enjoyed strong starting pitching from a pair of rookies in this series, with Nolan McLean going five innings without conceding an earned run to welcome Boston on Friday night.

Freddy Peralta started the second game but struggled with command issues all night, walking five batters. His nightmare season with the Mets has only continued in July, totaling just 13 innings in three starts with a 5.54 ERA.

While the Mets' starting pitching did more than enough to keep them in all three games, their bats were nowhere to be found. The Mets scored two runs on the first night, both in the ninth inning of a game already decided, were shut out on Saturday afternoon, and then struggled again in the final game.

With the MLB All-Star break here, the Mets need to consider these takeaways as they head into their mid-summer reset.

1. Zach Thornton should see regular starts in the second half

In his third start as a major leaguer, rookie lefty Zach Thornton turned in his best outing yet on Sunday. He completed seven shutout innings, allowing just four baserunners via two hits and two walks, struck out five, and did it all on just 82 pitches. His third outing was easily his best and built upon six innings of one-run baseball against a potent Phillies lineup.

Absolutely splendid start today from Zach Thornton, the finest of his young career by far.

In terms of Game Score, it was the second-best outing of the season for the Mets (and it would have ranked first if not for Eric Wagaman's error in the seventh.)

7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5… pic.twitter.com/SSeqM0h5Sk
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 12, 2026

After allowing four runs in his first two innings in his debut, he has allowed just one run through the subsequent 15 1/3 innings. Thornton might have looked as good as any other Mets starter so far this year, and it completely altered the conversation around his status for another start in the bigs.

The Mets will enter the second half with Peralta firmly on the trading block and without a dedicated fifth starter. There will only be more chances for the Mets' rookie, and his 2.60 ERA through three starts should catch plenty of eyeballs. If he continues to shine, he could earn a spot in the Mets' 2027 rotation.

2. The sooner the Mets move their veteran relievers, the better

The Mets are expected to be one of just a handful of sellers at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, and the sooner they begin the sell-off, the better. Of note, the Mets will have two of the best veteran left-handed leverage men on the market: Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter. Both have been major successes this year, but have also been showing cracks in the foundation of late.

Minter has allowed a base runner in four of his last five outings, resulting in three earned runs and two home runs over five innings. It has been better of late for Raley, but he finished June allowing five runs in his final six outings of the month. The Mets are counting on these two to fetch solid returns at the deadline, and should try to move them before their market value takes another hit.

3. The offense should pick things up, soon

Everyone has heard by now about how well the Mets' outfield has been playing, but plenty of other Mets bats are on a good stretch right now.

As their offense heats up overall, the team can also reasonably expect Luis Robert Jr.'s return soon as he wraps up his rehab assignment, Jorge Polanco is getting warmed up after his absence, and Marcus Semien is set to continue his own rehab assignment after the break.

Marcus Semien with a three-run homer for Double-A Binghamton pic.twitter.com/vyjlcTs3pf
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 12, 2026

The Mets will have their full complement of bats back on the roster within a week or two, and it will be the healthiest their offense has been since the season began. The Mets will be able to fill the spot in the lineup left by the likes of Eric Wagaman and Zack Short, who have been on the struggle bus for their entire stints in Queens. Both Semien and Robert Jr. have hit homers on their rehab assignments, while Short and Wagaman have combined for just one in 84 at-bats this season.

With a healthy group minus the recently injured Mark Vientos, the Mets' offensive totals should begin to return to form soon. A late playoff push is likely out of the picture as they head into the break at 17 games under .500, but signs of hope for the 2027 campaign are more than welcome.

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