The Quiet Roster Decision That Could Shape Mets’ First Month

The New York Mets are just over a week away from Opening Day and have surprisingly good health from their starting rotation. After seeing at least one starter get hurt during camp in each of the past five years, the Mets are days away from having a complete rotation ready for the start of the season.

Mets rotation right now:

1. Freddy Peralta
2. Nolan McLean
3. David Peterson
4. Clay Holmes
5. Kodai Senga
6. Sean Manaea

Top _____ in baseball 🤔⁉️ pic.twitter.com/ByY98YK285
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) January 22, 2026

The team has been encouraged by the results of its starters both in camp and at the World Baseball Classic. Although a six-man rotation is not ideal if you want to maximize the starts for your top pitchers, like Freddy Peralta, it does help a team with sufficient depth like the Mets.

On Baseball Night in New York, @John_Jastremski & @JimDuquetteGM discuss Sean Manaea's outing today with low velocity and four perfect innings pic.twitter.com/ovTmGMuhxg
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 17, 2026

The rotation plans outside of Freddy Peralta pitching on Opening Day haven't crystallized yet, but it is worth noting that the team has multiple off days early in April. The first stretch where the Mets go more than five games without an off day comes from April 7-15, when they have a six-game homestand and immediately fly west to play the Dodgers without an off day.

In what has been a relatively nondescript (good thing) spring training for the Mets, Kodai Senga has been the biggest positive to me

His stuff looks back

2025 ended rough, but for the first 2+ months he had a 1.47 ERA

I can feel the bounce back coming
pic.twitter.com/tcSqSYRYxK
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) March 14, 2026

Those off days will help offset one of the consequences of a six-man rotation, which is a shortened bullpen. The Mets will be carrying only seven relievers at the start of the season with the idea that the starters may be able to get more outs since they will have extra rest between appearances.

Could The Mets Be Flexible With Their Six-Man Rotation?

Maintaining a strict six-man rotation could work through April 15, when the Mets finish their first run of nine games in a row without an off day. Each starter will have made three starts to that point, but the schedule math gets trickier after that.

There are off days before and after a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs, which would throw off the rhythm of the starters if a strict six-man grouping is maintained. Peralta, slated to start on April 17, would go a full week before his next start but whoever the 4th starter is would go eight days between starts (from April 13 to April 21).

Having those kinds of lulls makes it hard for anyone to get into a rhythm, so the Mets could work to counter that by creating piggyback games like they did in September with Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes. Accounting for a full game between two starters would allow the Mets to maximize their other relievers knowing they should have nearly a full off day once a week.

Injuries at some point could alter this equation, but the Mets will need a good plan to ensure everyone gets their work in without getting too much rest. Having too many healthy starters isn't a luxury the Mets are used to, but it requires good planning to get the best value and performance out of all six.

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