MLB 2026: What we’ve learned so far about Dodgers, Mets

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets have a mixed payroll of greater than $1 billion — however solely one in all them is getting their cash’s value up to now.

The Dodgers accomplished a three-game sweep of the most expensive series ever Wednesday evening, bettering their file to an MLB-best 14-4 and sending the Mets to their eighth straight loss. The Mets fell to 7-12 and are in final place within the Nationwide League East.

It is early. However what did we find out about these two groups this week — and what have we realized up to now this season? ESPN MLB writers Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo break down the Dodgers and Mets, respectively.

Three issues we have realized concerning the Dodgers

1. Their lineup is deep.

Sure, everyone mainly knew that moving into, however maybe to not this diploma. Think about: Mookie Betts is out with an indirect damage, Kyle Tucker has been one in all their worst hitters, Shohei Ohtani solely bought going just lately … and but the Dodgers rank close to the highest of the majors in virtually each main offensive class.

Many of the manufacturing has been coming from the underside of the lineup. Their Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters have mixed for a .935 OPS. That not solely leads the majors; it is 130 factors greater than the second-place Atlanta Braves. It is also simply 10 factors shy of Juan Soto’s OPS from 2023 to 2025. That will not final, however neither will the struggles and absences of their high three hitters. And Andy Pages, who usually bats eighth when everyone seems to be wholesome, might alter the dynamic.

Pages struggled so badly down the stretch final season that he was benched within the playoffs, however he is a 25-year-old with 30/30 potential, and he has seemingly made essential strides in his second full season. It is not simply his .409 batting common and 20 RBIs. It is his method. Pages is seeing extra pitches and placing out much less usually, and he has made mechanical tweaks to his batting stance — staying barely extra crouched, maintaining his bat path shorter and limiting his head motion — which can be serving to him put up elite hard-hit charges.

2. Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will push one another.

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior talked about it in spring coaching, recalling how sharing a rotation with Kerry Wooden within the early 2000s elevated his sport. He then noticed how Zack Greinke, Hyun Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler had been made higher by turning into teammates of Clayton Kershaw. And he believes it should occur now, too, as a result of Ohtani and Yamamoto are each chasing one thing: a Cy Younger Award, one thing no Japanese pitcher has ever received.

Yamamoto has gone a minimum of six innings whereas giving up not more than two runs in all 4 of his begins this season. Ohtani has been charged with only one earned run in 18 innings, permitting simply 14 baserunners and placing out 18.

The Dodgers are slow-playing Blake Snell’s return from shoulder fatigue. On any given week, they don’t know what to anticipate out of Roki Sasaki. However their starting-pitching depth continues to be the envy of baseball, with Tyler Glasnow a succesful frontline starter, Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan displaying encouraging indicators of late, and River Ryan ready within the wings. On the high, although, it is Ohtani and Yamamoto. They usually would possibly spend all yr making an attempt to one-up one another.

“Iron sharpens iron,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “I am not going to say it is a competitors, however I do suppose they each make one another higher.”

3. The Dodgers received the World Collection final yr regardless of a disastrous bullpen. It is higher this yr.

That is not simply because the Dodgers splurged on star nearer Edwin Diaz — it is as a result of Tanner Scott is likely to be getting again to his dominant type of 2023 and 2024. Roberts has used Scott in a wide range of roles already this season — low leverage, in the course of a jam and, most just lately, as a setup man — and Scott has responded by permitting only one run and 0 walks in 8⅔ innings.

“All the things was unsuitable final yr,” Scott mentioned. “I had a horrible yr. I simply wished to get again to what I used to be good at in ’23 and ’24.”

Scott, 31, has been higher at getting his backside half synced up and stopping himself from flying open along with his supply (he checks with assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness after each outing to verify). After a yr through which he believes he threw “approach too many” strikes, Scott has additionally been higher at throwing what he believes are the fitting strikes — on the perimeters when he will get forward in counts.

“Simply inserting it higher,” Scott mentioned. “Simply commanding it. I used to be throwing strikes final yr, however generally strikes aren’t good.”

The Dodgers are nonetheless ready to get three key right-handed relievers again off the injured listing in Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips and Brock Stewart. Nevertheless it appears as in the event that they dodged a bullet with their finest right-hander, Díaz, who exhibited diminished velocity final Friday and hasn’t pitched since. Díaz felt tenderness in his surgically repaired proper knee, however he mentioned he felt good throwing a bullpen session Tuesday and was on the brink of pitch the ninth inning Wednesday earlier than the Dodgers blew the sport open within the backside of the eighth.

“I am good to go,” Díaz mentioned. “I really feel good.”

Three issues we have realized concerning the Mets

1. The Mets should not on the Dodgers’ degree but.

Steve Cohen’s aim when he purchased the Mets in November 2020 was to create the East Coast Dodgers. That requires elite organizational depth, which was why he employed David Stearns from the Milwaukee Brewers to run baseball operations after the 2023 season. For now, the organizations stay miles aside.

Dropping Juan Soto for a number of weeks was a brutal break. However the Mets’ roster, after a transformative offseason that included remaking the place participant core, is just too costly for the offense to crater with out one participant — even when that participant has a $61.875 million wage this season.

Have a look at the Dodgers. Betts, their beginning shortstop and a future Corridor of Famer, additionally went on the injured listing early within the season and so they’ve saved on buzzing. Sure, they make use of Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and different stars. However Pages, a 25-year-old homegrown middle fielder, has been one of many high hitters in baseball.

The Dodgers spend cash and develop expertise on the highest degree. The distinction was on show this week.

2. The Mets want Soto again as quickly as attainable.

Luis Robert Jr. and Francisco Alvarez have been shiny spots for the offense. That is about it. New York ranks twenty seventh within the majors in runs scored per sport, twenty ninth in wRC+ and twenty seventh in extra-base hits.

Francisco Lindor (71 wRC+), Bo Bichette (65 wRC+) and Marcus Semien (53 wRC+), who will make a mixed $102.1 million this season, are off to horrid begins. Mark Vientos, 0-for-23 with eight strikeouts over his previous seven video games, batted third Monday towards the Dodgers. Jorge Polanco batted third Tuesday and would possibly go on the injured listing with left Achilles bursitis. Brett Baty, who batted third in Wednesday’s sequence finale, has a 30 wRC+.

The Mets scored simply three runs within the three video games towards the Dodgers, with 12 hits and 27 strikeouts.

It is early. Lindor, a infamous sluggish starter, and Bichette, the most effective contact hitters within the sport, ought to rebound. The Mets consider the 35-year-old Semien has extra within the tank, although his final two seasons don’t counsel a return to All-Star degree. However this offense lacks pop and a constant presence with out Soto. The Mets want him again and wholesome.

3. Nolan McLean is the true deal.

The 24-year-old right-hander has picked up the place he left off final season with a 2.28 ERA via 4 begins. His fourth outing towards the Dodgers on Tuesday was his finest: seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts.

No one spins the baseball fairly like McLean. His sweeper strikes 21 inches to his glove facet, the second-largest horizontal break within the majors. His curveball strikes 17.5 inches to his glove facet and has the very best spin charge in baseball. Oh, and his 95 mph sinker strikes 17.6 inches to his arm facet and has been the most effective pitches within the sport with a run worth of 4.

He is the third pitcher since 1900 to gather a minimum of 80 strikeouts and permit 20 or fewer runs in his first 12 profession appearances, becoming a member of Matt Harvey and Paul Skenes. His 2.13 ERA via 12 begins ranks second in franchise historical past.

The Mets acquired Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star in his prime, over the offseason, however McLean is the membership’s ace. The one query is whether or not McLean can deal with a full main league season’s workload after logging 113⅔ innings within the minors and 48 within the majors in 2025.