This veteran right-hander has been a revelation for the Mets

The start in the Bronx was a microcosm of Canning's overall success so far in 2025, as he's pitched to a 2.47 ERA over his first nine starts as a Met. While Canning's WHIP of 1.29 is a bit underwhelming (he's allowing baserunners when he pitches), that hasn't caught up to the 29-year-old just yet. 

And in a rotation that doesn't feature a 'true' ace on paper (although fellow right-hander Kodai Senga has been dominant himself), Canning's emergence has become that much more important for the Mets. 

Of course, a big question will be whether Canning's early results prove to be sustainable. And some advanced metrics aren't fully buying in. 

For example, the righty's expected ERA is 3.54 against his actual 2.47. That's a difference of over a full run, which is explained in part by players hitting the ball hard nearly 50% of the time against Canning. Eventually, some of that hard contact will result in hits and runs scored. Additionally, his walk rate of 9.2% isn't exactly elite. He'll need to trim that figure slightly to avoid major regression.

Even considering those metrics, however, an expected ERA of 3.54 for a pitcher whose career ERA is 4.59 remains outstanding. That's equivalent to a solid, mid-rotation arm, which every team covets. 

So will Canning continue to pitch at his current clip? Probably not. But that doesn't take away from his remarkable transformation in 2025, which the Mets' revamped pitching program under David Stearns and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner deserve a lot of credit for.