Mets Visit Progressive Field Looking to Spoil Guardians' Playoff Push

A struggling Mets squad at 49-66 rolls into Cleveland to face a Guardians team at 57-58 that can't afford to bleed games to the bottom of the standings. There's no model read to lean on here, so this one comes down to reading the matchup cold.

Nolan McLean is expected to start for New York, while Foster Griffin is set to take the mound for Cleveland — two names that don't exactly inspire fear in opposing lineups, which means the offenses could have real say in how this afternoon unfolds at Progressive Field. With first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM ET, this is a day game that rewards whoever comes out locked in from the jump.

On the Mets' side, Carson Benge is the name to watch. He's hitting .263 with 13 home runs on the season — legitimate pop for a team that hasn't given its fans much to celebrate at 49-66. Bo Bichette leads New York with 55 RBI, making him the run-producer the Mets need to be productive in the middle of the order. If Cleveland's Griffin leaves anything over the plate, Bichette has the track record to make him pay.

Cleveland counters with Chase DeLauter, who's batting .276 and also sits at 55 RBI — a mirror image of Bichette's production that makes this a genuinely interesting offensive subplot. Rhys Hoskins adds 12 home runs to the Guardians' arsenal, giving Cleveland a legitimate power threat to pair with DeLauter's consistency. The Guardians are a game below .500 at 57-58, which is a number that should be alarming for a team with postseason ambitions — every home game against a sub-.500 opponent is a must-convert situation. The Mets, for their part, have nothing to lose and a lineup capable of making noise. No model read exists for this game, so take the matchup at face value: two pitchers without established reputations, two offenses with real weapons, and a Cleveland team that needs this win more than it wants to admit.