Mets legend offers advice to build pitching staff

Skubal, who turns 29 in November, could soon earn his second consecutive AL Cy Young Award. Across 62 regular-season starts since 2024, the Detroit Tigers ace has gone 31-10 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 469 strikeouts in 387.1 innings.

The left-handed workhorse continued his dominance this October, posting a 1.74 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 20.2 innings. Skubal’s 13 strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the ALDS were the most ever recorded by a pitcher in a winner-take-all postseason game, though the Tigers ultimately lost in a 15-inning marathon.

Skubal is set to enter free agency after the 2026 season and was reportedly more than $200 million apart in contract talks last year—fueling trade speculation. If the Mets decide to pursue him or a similar top-tier arm via trade, they would likely need to part with multiple top prospects, a price they were unwilling to pay for Garrett Crochet last winter.

Even if the Mets do acquire an ace, they will need improvement from their current inventory of starters to compete for a World Series in 2026. Darling told Puma he would count on bounce-back seasons from Senga and Manaea—the team’s two highest-paid starters.

Senga, 32, posted an MLB-best 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts but was not the same pitcher after a right hamstring injury in mid-July, recording a 5.90 ERA over his next nine starts. On Sept. 5, the right-hander was sent to Triple-A to work on his mechanics and did not rejoin the rotation the rest of the season.

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Manaea, 33, began the year on the injured list with an oblique strain and was diagnosed with loose bodies in his left elbow in June, delaying his season debut until mid-July. The southpaw was sharp in four July outings, posting a 2.08 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 17.1 innings, but finished 2025 with a rocky 5.64 ERA over 15 appearances (12 starts).

Barring any major trades, the Mets could enter 2026 with three rookie starters: Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, and Nolan McLean, who appears to be the most untouchable of the trio after posting a 2.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9 rate in his first eight MLB starts. Veterans David Peterson and Clay Holmes also factor into the equation as the only two Mets to reach 30 starts in 2025.

The Mets parted with much of their coaching staff after their second-half collapse, including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. As of Saturday morning, they were still searching for his replacement.